Mussorgsky: Oy, dušno, dušno! - Prošcay, moy sïn (from Boris Godunov) (Death of Boris, Farewell & Prayer)

This world famous singer was Belgian, yet only appeared at La Monnaie on the 20th anniversary of his career. After returning from exile, he took many roles and has worked with some of the greatest conductors. This CD includes works by Wagner, Strauss, Mussorgsky, Verdi, Mozart, Rossini, Debussy, Berlioz and Offenbach. These CDs contain a fragment of history.

Rene Pape’s solo debut for DG gives an overview of the roles that have made his career plus a few rarities.. Accompanied by the Dresden Staatskapelle under Sebastian Weigle, Pape performs his signature piece: King Mark’s monologue from Tristan und Isolde, as well as arias from Gounod’s Faust (the role of Méphistophélès), Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and wonderful arias of the rarely performed Demon (Rubinstein) among others. “René Pape is an artist who thrills his audiences with charisma, intelligence and a one-in-a-million voice.” (Opera News)

The operatic roles on this album have to a large extend been performed by Pape to the highest critical acclaim in the world’s major opera houses, from the Metropolitan Opera to the Berlin Staatsoper.

As Pape’s first solo recording and his DG solo debut, this album is long overdue and is eagerly awaited not only by the music press but also by the singer’s international fan base.

This release features Christoff in the great Russian bass roles with substantial ‘bonus

tracks’ and serves as an excellent introduction to this wonderful singer, caught between 1949 and 1954. Repertoire includes arias from Prince Igor, Eugene Onegin, Sadko and Boris Godunov. Super budget price.

In the 30s through to the 50s of the last century, Russia’s greatest theatre could boast of a real constellation of superb opera singers. Each of them possessed a striking creative individuality, and when united in one acting ensemble, they created unique dramatic performances. This disc presents just five singers of that renowned company, and just a small bit of their repertoire.

Legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski was one of the major influences on the American concert scene in the 20th century. He was however a musician who divided opinion to the extent that some called him a genius whilst others considered him to be nothing short of a charlatan. The collection presented in this 10-CD box includes music from the late romantic period (Liszt and Wagner) right through to giants of the 20th century like Shostakovich and Stravinsky. It covers the latter part of Stokowski’s career and shows that he had lost none of his freshness and musical temperament even in his seventh decade.

Born in London to a Polish father and Scottish mother, and educated in Berlin, Munich, Paris and London, Leopold Stokowski became not only a famous conductor but also the first maestro of the baton to become a genuine media star. He became particularly well known for his acoustic experiments, which included different placements of orchestral musicians, and arrangements of classical works, especially those of J.S. Bach. His unconditional support for contemporary composers and the quality of the recordings that he left to posterity have confirmed Stokowski as one of the most eminent interpreters of his century.