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