ALEXANDER DARGOMYZHSKY (1813-1869): Rusalka.

Description: And next, another water nymph, whose name will be familiar to you from Dvorák, although the source of this libretto is a Pushkin poem. Premiered in 1856, it's one of the most important Russian operas of the 19th century and mostly unknown in the west. Much like Moniuszko, Dargomyzhsky uses cultured, Italian style for his aristocratic characters and a folk-like, national idiom for the peasants, juxtaposing the two rather than, like Glinka, integrating folk elements into the fabric of the drama. This 2008 German radio recording has an all-Russian cast, English synopses and seven pages of varied and quite useful notes. 3 CDs. No libretto. Evelina Dobraceva (soprano), Vsevolod Grivnov (tenor), Arutiun Kochinian (bass), Cologne Radio Choir and Orchestra; Michael Jurowski.