Rossi-Lemeni sings Rubinstein "The Demon"

[Steve B]

Anyone else heard (any of) this treasure?; found on E-Music for download. 42p per track. Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, on his vocal last legs, singing excerpts(?- I cd only afford the tracks with him in) from Rubie "The Demon". There is one VERY memorable and moving tune and one other quite so, quite Russian folky sounding(the second one). Any other fans of R.Lemeni generally?: I love his almost cracked, certainly strained bass-baritone sound; he is often the bass with Callas(in fact, Callas, though obvioulsy not the soprano here) has a somewhat spectral transubstantaition in a similarly(to Callas and RL) soprano(?mezzo) with a ruined but deeply emotionally searing voice. Rossi-Lemeni's old Saga rcorging of Boris Godunov highlights is THE BEST; his slightly strained voice echoes the strain the collapsing Czar is under; very poignant and powerful; he is alsoiin the Saga "Nabucco " highlights, which for lovers of camp in opera, has Norma Giusti(who) real name; not pseudonymous)gustying and  screaching her way through a cabaletta from Traviata at the end of side 1; hilarious but somehow slightly poignant again). Any other Rossi-Lemeni fans out there?

Thx Steve

[sdtom]

I just got through listening to his opera "The Demon" on the meloydia label from a 1974 recording.

[Alan Howe]

What did you think of it, Tom? I'm afraid I didn't think much of it...

[Gareth Vaughan]

Nor I. Very disappointing. Awful sound, I thought.

[Alan Howe]

I actually meant the opera itself. I have it in the Wexford/Naxos recording. Oh dear - a really dreary piece.

[MartinH]

Yes, the opera is dreary and it's absence from the opera house is understandable. It was nice though, that it's been put on and recorded a couple of times. I wish Schmidt's Fredegundis and any opera of Raff could see the daylight. Several years ago the Tucson Symphony presented a wonderful all-Russian concert and they did some of the dances from The Demon. While the opera isn't very good, there's at least some golden nuggets worth a listen.

[adriano]

I wonder how the other (5-hour's!) Opera by Rubinstein "Chirstus" sounds... Originally conceived as an oratorio, it was performed by bass Raimund von Zur Mühlen (1854-1931) who, trough his marriage to Jenny von Holst, became an ancestor of Gustav Holst.
According to Wikipedia: "Parts of the work were performed in Berlin in April 1894, and Rubinstein conducted a complete performance in Stuttgart on 2 June 1894. This was in fact his last public appearance as a conductor. The work received a further series of complete performances, at Bremen, in 1895. Applause between scenes and after the performance was forbidden. Apparently the work was not revived until a performance in Tyumen in 2002, conducted by the composer's great-grandson, Anton Sharoyev. This was also therefore the work's first performance in Russia. A recording of part of the work was made from live performances under Sharoyev in St. Petersburg in 2003."
In her book "Mein Weg zur Kunst", Baltic writer and opet Monika Hunnius, who was also a singer (and related to Hermann Hesse) writes that after the performance of "Christus" in its original form, it was Rubinstein himself who wanted to see it as an opera. For a Berlin Conservatory production, Zur Mühlen took over the staging as well. To the author, this performance was an extraordinary event. She attended a later concert performance of some excerpts, but she found the music totally dull without the staging.
From 1907 Zur Mühlen lived in England; in 19030 his house burnt down, where he had set up an important collection of scores and documents. He had been a pupil of Clara Schumann and Julius Stockhausen. He also worked with Brahms, who said "at last, I have found my singer!" - and they performed recitals together. He also performed under Mahler, Bülow and Nikisch. Zur Mühlen was an extravagant person and said about his voice that it there was no voice at all, that he had to fabricate every note out of nothing. Fireda Hempel and Fischer-Dieskau also studied with him. He was one of the great initiators of the Deutsche Liedkunst - Fischer-Diskau became his most consequent apostle.
A final detail: my singing teacher, Beatrice Husmann-Dart - a pupil of Maria Ivogün - had also studied with Raimung zur Mühlen and so I couod hear many interesting stories from that time... I too, I had no voice at all, but I studied for about 6 years in order one day to be able to work with singers and to make better music. Finally, as a conductor one has also to breathe properly while performing with an orchestra...

[Alan Howe]

The idea of a 5-hour work by Rubinstein fills me with dread. One of the fundamental problems with his music is that, having begun in a thoroughly attractive fashion, he doesn't know when to stop.

There's a video here introducing Christus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPRAnWJ-zR4

[Mark Thomas]

I have a recording of a live performance of Christus at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Moscow 11 October 2011 under the baton of Anton Sharoev, although the performers are different from those credited in the YouTube clip, which is also conducted by him. The recording only lasts 1 hour 50 minutes, so it's hugely cut down if the original is indeed 5 hours long (shades of Draeseke's oratorio of the same name). Although the recording needs some work I'd be happy to share it, but unfortunately I don't know know its provenance so I can't really. What I can say is that Christus, heavily cut or no, exhibits both the best and the worst of Rubinstein the composer: very attractive and musically appropriate ideas, which are unfortunately either repeated ad nauseam or left to wither on the vine undeveloped.

[Alan Howe]

Draeseke's Christus is one of the least listenable so-called great works. It's sooooooo dreary.

[Mark Thomas]

Agreed. What a disappointment that turned out to be. Whereas Liszt's Christus is a magnificent work. It may be three hours long and is certainly austere, but I find it really moving. Anyway, back to The Demon, I suppose.

[Alan Howe]

I suppose. Yawn...