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Red Army Ensemble | EMI - Great Recordings of the Century 3920312

Red Army Ensemble

New Item

Label: EMI - Great Recordings of the Century

Cat No: 3920312

Barcode: 0094639203123

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Vocal/Choral

Release Date: 7th September 2007

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Contents

Artists

Soviet Army Chorus
Soviet Army Band

Conductors

Colonel Boris Alexandrov
Lieutenant-Colonel Konstantin Vinogradov
Major Vladimir Alexandrov

Artists

Soviet Army Chorus
Soviet Army Band

Conductors

Colonel Boris Alexandrov
Lieutenant-Colonel Konstantin Vinogradov
Major Vladimir Alexandrov

About

Great Recordings of the Century: ‘A distinguished series of beautifully presented reissues.’ (Gramophone)
EMI’s Great Recordings of the Century is exactly what it says: these classic interpretations warrant a place in everybody’s collection.’ (The Times)
The EMI Classics flagship mid-price series of reissues Great Recordings of the Century has proved exceptionally successful since its launch in 1998. The series has a high-quality and distinctive through-design, with original LP sleeves and the ART logo reproduced on the front covers and critical endorsements from the Gramophone on the back inlays. The substantial booklets offer newly commissioned and authoritative essays (in English, German & French) and, where appropriate, the sung texts/libretto (with translations).
A crucial element in maintaining the high standards achieved in Great Recordings of the Century is the work of EMI’s renowned team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios. Using the very latest technology, they make new transfers from the original materials (78s and analogue tape) and new remasterings (of both analogue and digital recordings).
These recordings were made in London in 1956 and 1963 while the 200-strong ensemble was on tour, and include many favourites, likely and unlikely, among them ‘Kalinka’, ‘Song of the Volga Boatmen’, ‘Annie Laurie’ and ‘If I had a hammer’.
Five of the tracks are new to CD, four have not appeared in stereo before, and the closing rendition of ‘God save the Queen’ (in colourfully inflected English) is published for the first time.
The ensemble’s timbre is unique, and the skill of its fine soloists – some of them singers at the Bolshoi – has to be heard to be believed.
A note by the politician and music journalist Michael McManus makes use of EMI’s and the impresario Victor Hochhauser’s files to throw light on various background aspects: for instance, that the ensemble’s LPs outsold even such Russian legends as Richter, Gilels and Oistrakh; again, a curious request from EMI’s American company for a Christmas album caused veteran producer Walter Legge to ask succinctly ‘whether it would be wise or even tactful to suggest that the repertoire should consist of Christmas songs... we might be suspected of subversive action...’.
Col. Boris Alexandrov (artistic director & principal conductor)
Lieut.-Col. Konstantin Vinogradov (principal chorus master & conductor)
Major Vladimir Alexandrov (orchestral director & conductor)

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