"This is an excellent performance and resource. These days, it can seem that nothing less than an authentic performance will do, whether that necessitates playing Bach on 300 year old violins or Liszt being played by a full-blooded Hungarian. And with the amount of recordings becoming available from countries with few previous U. S. releases, it can seem that only a Russian ensemble can truly perform Russian music. Slavyanka's CD proves that philosophy to be false: an American choir can deliver an excellent account of Russian choral music.I'm not sure if this is professional, semi-professional, or a group that meets weekly, but the results are quite good. Recording quality here is generally good and the choir has the requisite low bass section (the first track will let you know that). There are times when intonation and ensemble seem to slip away slightly, which keeps this recording from cracking the upper echelon. Some of the soloists seem uncertain at times, as well. The inclusion of texts in Cyrillic letters, transliterated Russian, and English is an excellent addition that I wish CDs used more often. The texts make it easier to understand the message and to learn about the Russian language (definitely not the easiet language in which to sing). In fact, the CD booklet is so big that it scarcely fits into the jewel box. I enjoy having this CD in my library and I would encourage those interested in choral music, Russian music, or even those learning Russian to buy it. I can't think of a better way to learn about a language and a culture." |
