Julia Varady is truly a phenomenon of her time. Recording here in her 59th year a most taxing programme of scenes from Russian opera‚ she shows no sign of her age‚ indeed sounds like a singer about half her years. As with all in her happily extending list of CDs for Orfeo‚ she adds to the blessing of her vocal longevity her innate gift for going to the heart of the matter in every piece. With the bonus of her excellent Russian‚ you have a winner‚ a disc to put beside her recital of Tchaikovsky’s songs made for the same company (8/99). She encompasses every facet of Tatyana’s Letter Scene which is all the better for being placed in the context of Tatyana’s colloquies with her nurse‚ finely sung by Evangelatos‚ before and after the fatal letter has been written. The only drawback here is some rather routine accompaniments‚ which sometimes impede the forward flow of the music. Happily‚ this side of things improves greatly as the programme proceeds. Joan’s Farewell to her beloved countryside is delivered on all sides with the right plaintive note. Maria’s sad little lullaby from Mazeppa is sung with the kind of heart­rending sadness it requires. Kuma’s two impassioned solos from the underrated Enchantress are projected with the expressive tension called for. Poor‚ blind Iolanta’s sudden realisation that love exists is sung in that vibrant timbre so typical of Varady’s singular style. In between comes fated Lisa’s Act 1 and Act 3 solos. I saw the soprano in the role at Munich in the 1980s: here she offers a vivid souvenir of that occasion‚ her urgent line and acute diction as ever at the service of character delineation. Kofman and the orchestra offer some non­vocal nuggets that help set the mood for the main attractions. The recording is excellently managed. I can only urge lovers of this special artist and/or of Tchaikovsky’s operas to acquire this wholly absorbing CD.