Koshetz was one of the most individual and eloquent sopranos to come out of Russia after the 1917 revolution. Bringing all the advantages of her Russian training to the West, she emigrated to the US and very soon established an appreciable reputation. In 1928 Victor recorded a substantial number of discs, all of which are included here, beginning with one of her most noted offerings - Yaroslavna's aria from Prince Igor, which reveals the strength of her voice and a deeply expressive style of interpretation, free and uninhibited. The gentle Berceuse from Sadko, which was originally on the reverse of the Igor, is just as lovingly treated. For the rest it's mainly songs. These include the delicious pairing of Ponce's Serenata mexicana and Estrellita, always a favourite with the singer's many admirers. She also turns Litvinne's arrangement of Chopin's E major Etude into a haunting, unforgettable experience. The same is true of Grechaninov's Lullaby and Snowdrop.

Koshetz next recorded for Schirmer, 1939_40. Here she proves a wonderful interpreter of songs by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, most notably the former's To the children and the latter's At the ball. In her final offering she really lets herself go in the folksong Dark Eyes and the Sicilian folk-piece Amuri Amuri.

As a bonus, Alan Bilgora, the spirit behind these reissues, has unearthed Victor discs by another Russian soprano, Sprishevskaya, a singer wholly new to me. She sings extracts from operas by Rimsky, a suitably moving account of Maria's lullaby from Tchaikovsky's Mazepa and, best of all, Iolanta's aria. She is a fine but not such a distinctive singer as Koshetz. The transfers are faithful to the originals.