Xenia Belmas (1890-1981) - I
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Giuseppe Verdi, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Giacomo Meyerbeer, (Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas, Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Label: Lebendige Vergangenheit
Magazine Review Date: 10/1992
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 70
Mastering:
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: 89047

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
(Les) Huguenots, Movement: ~ |
Giacomo Meyerbeer, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Giacomo Meyerbeer, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Ernani, Movement: ~ |
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Aida, Movement: ~ |
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, Baritone Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Mignon, Movement: Connais-tu le pays? |
(Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra (Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas, Composer Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Mignon, Movement: ~ |
(Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra (Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas, Composer Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Snow Maiden (second version), Movement: Going berrying |
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
(The) Queen of Spades, 'Pique Dame', Movement: ~ |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Cavalleria rusticana, Movement: Voi lo sapete |
Pietro Mascagni, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Pietro Mascagni, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Cavalleria rusticana, Movement: Oh! Il Signore vi manda |
Pietro Mascagni, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Pietro Mascagni, Composer Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, Baritone Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Pagliacci, 'Players', Movement: ~ |
Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Composer Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, Baritone Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
(La) Bohème, 'Bohemian Life', Movement: Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì |
Giacomo Puccini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Giacomo Puccini, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
(La) Bohème, 'Bohemian Life', Movement: Donde lieta uscì (Mimì's farewell) |
Giacomo Puccini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alexander Kitschin, Conductor Giacomo Puccini, Composer Xenia Belmas, Soprano |
Author:
Best, predictably, are the two Russian solos, with a tragic tension in The Queen of Spades (also the Mei-Figner low A at the end, which is another pity). Then, surprisingly, Mimi's arias are quite beautifully done, with some lovely inflexions and unexaggerated pathos. The duets with Domgraf-Fassbaender have their points, which include the healthy resonance of his young voice, but I imagine Italians may not be able to listen to the pronunciation with due gravity. Transfers, as usual with Preiser, are clear and forward. The notes claim that ''many errors regarding her life and career could be corrected'' but nothing very instructive follows (her birth is given as 1890 when Kutsch and Riemens have 1889 and her debut is dated 1913 where the obituary in Opera gave 1917, the Paris Aida being 1926 not 1927, and she went to South Africa in 1934 not 1938, but that is about the sum total of enlightenment). One thing: a really charming photograph of Belmas at 80 is reproduced at the back of the insert.'
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