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Maid of Orleans

Hello

I am looking for The Maid Of Orleans libretto and can only find it in Russian. I was wondering if you knew of where i can get the English version? I've yet to actually buy the CD and I'm wondering if you know of a good edition?

Thanks

Janine Magnin


There is a very fine, but somewhat dated (1946), recording with Khaikin conducting and Preobrazhenskaya as Joan, check amazon.com. Preobrazhenskaya is portraying Joan most satisfactory both vocally and dramatically, but I am looking forward to a modern recording of this much too neglected but still considerable work—even if not a genuine masterpiece, it still has a marvelous momentum and many truly inspired pages!

Erling Eliasson


The 1946 Preobrazhenskaya recording was conducted by Boris Khaikin and can be found on a 3 CD set from Myto – 992.H028. It is certainly a very fine account and the sound is quite acceptable.

There is also an excellent DVD from Kultur – D2284. Nina Rautio sings Joan and Alexander Lazarev conducts the Bolshoi forces. Director Brian Large has made a typically good job of it.

Rob Maynard


There has been a more recent recording of The Maid Of Orleans, released back in the 70s in the US by Columbia/Melodiya, conducted by Rozhdestvensky and featuring Irina Arkhipova as Joan. The sound is quite good and the set included a Russian/English libretto, but unfortunately, except for very briefly on the Chant du Monde label, it’s not been released on CD. Arkhipova is very powerful as Joan, but many of the parts are better sung on the Khakin recording; none of the cd reissues, to my knowledge, of the Khaikin come with a libretto, though, and the quest for an English libretto was Janine’s original question here. The old LPs show up on E-bay now and then, however, and as I write this (1/14/10), someone’s offering a British pressing of the Rozdestvensky on E-bay complete with booklet (i.e. including libretto):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160393716122&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Gordon Thomas


Correction to my last posting:

My Myto CD edition of the Khaikin Maid of Orleans does indeed come with a booklet containing an English translation of the libretto; there is, however, no parallel Romanized Russian text.

Gordon Thomas


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