SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873-1943): Monna Vanna (orch. Gennady Belov [b.1939]) (Evgeniya Dushina [soprano], Dmitri Ivanchei, Edward Arutiunian [tenors], Vladimir Avtomonov [baritone], Moscow Conservatory Students Choir and Symphony Orchestra), Songs: By my window, Op. 26/10, Sad night, Op. 26/12, Lilacs, Op. 21/5, The rat-catcher, Op. 38/4, Vocalise, Op. 34/14, How nice this place is, Op. 21./7, Dream, Op. 38/5 (Soile Isokoski [soprano]).

Description: Rachmaninov's third and last opera, based on a Maeterlinck play, was left unfinished in 1908, one act completed but not orchestrated, when the composer found that the playwright had granted exclusive rights to a French composer. This is a different orchestration than the one by Igor Buketoff, which he recorded for Chandos way back in 1992, long since deleted. This could have been a very successful work, coming as it did at a time when he was also working on his Symphony No. 2 and Piano Sonata No. 1. Transliterated Russian-English libretto and texts. Vladimir Ashkenazy (conductor and piano).