Tchaikovsky: Romances (stotjin)

Christianne Stotijn - Mezzo-soprano, Julius Drake - Piano

Gramophone Editor's Choice - March 2009
Third release on ONYX from young Dutch mezzo and rising star Christianne Stotijn Beautiful collection of 20 Tchaikovsky songs representing the whole range of his creative life from his first performed composition “My Genius, My angel, my friend,” written when we was 16, through to the last published song from the year of his death “Again, as before, alone”. Includes favourites such as “None but the Lonely Heart” and “Why?” but also rarely heard songs such as “Mild Stars Looked down”, “The Cuckoo” and “The Gypsy Song” Christianne learnt Russian especially for this recording and toured it widely before recording it with her superb pianist Julius Drake. This recording should do much to re-evaluate Tchaikovsky as one of the greatest composers of song and not just a writer of pretty tunes. Both Christianne’s previous recitals earned rave reviews: “a really exciting event” (Gramophone); “Easily the most impressive art-song recital in years” (David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Enquirer); Vocal Recording of the Month ***** (BBC Music Magazine) (ONYX4009); “astonishing sophistication “ ***** BBC Magazine “where did she learn to sing so wonderfully?” (Klassieke Zaken) (ONYX4014)

Price: $21.98