Mussorgsky's four songs known collectively as Songs and Dances of Death make up 20Â minutes of the most intense storytelling in 19th-century song. At first, Hvorostovsky's voice seems almost

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Songs and Dances of Death

Mussorgsky's four songs known collectively as Songs and Dances of Death make up 20Â minutes of the most intense storytelling in 19th-century song. At first, Hvorostovsky's voice seems almost too beautiful, his sound almost too youthful to fill out these narratives, but his concentration and breath control are so sensational that we realize what he's up to. He's spinning us seductively into the spooky world of these songs, where Death converses in turn with the mother of a dying child, a young girl, an old peasant, and dying soldiers; Hvorostovsky nicely changes his tone for each song. The rest of the CD is equally fine, with two arias from Anton Rubinstein's The Demon particularly compelling. Quite an adventure! --Robert Levine
Country USA
Brand Philips
Manufacturer Philips
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 438 872-2,
ReleaseDate 1994-03-15
UnitCount 1
UPCs 028943887229
EANs 0028943887229

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Songs and Dances of Death