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Prokofiev - Betrothal in a Monastery | Glyndebourne GFOCD00206

Prokofiev - Betrothal in a Monastery

Label: Glyndebourne

Cat No: GFOCD00206

Barcode: 0878280000023

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 2

Genre: Opera

Release Date: 2nd June 2008

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

Contents

Artists

Viascheslav Voynarovskiy
Andrey Breus
Lyubov Petrova
Alexandra Durseneva
Vsevolod Grivnov
Nino Surguladze
Sergei Alexashkin
Alan Opie
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus

Conductor

Vladimir Jurowski

Works

Prokofiev, Sergei

Betrothal in a Monastery

Artists

Viascheslav Voynarovskiy
Andrey Breus
Lyubov Petrova
Alexandra Durseneva
Vsevolod Grivnov
Nino Surguladze
Sergei Alexashkin
Alan Opie
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus

Conductor

Vladimir Jurowski

About

Prokofiev composed his last complete opera, Betrothal in a Monastery, as the Nazis were invading Russia and the country descended into a period of political repression and terror. However, the opera - a romantic comedy loosely based on Richard Sheridan’s 1775 play, The Duenna - was, according to Shostakovich, ‘one of Prokofiev’s most radiant and buoyant works’.

Betrothal in a Monastery highlights the cultural divisions between the faded glamour of the impoverished aristocracy and the new wealth of the lower classes. Ostensibly, the plot concerns the trials of two pairs of lovers, Louisa and Antonio, and Clara and Ferdinand, but ultimately it is the fishmonger, Mendoza, who in the great tradition of the anti-hero, wins our empathy.

The predominantly Russian cast is led by Viacheslav Voynarovskiy, with Sergei Alexashkin as Mendoza.

It’s a score that Vladimir Jurowski plainly loves, and he coaxes and cajoles a fabulous range of seductive and coquettish and downright bawdy colours from the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It can never have sounded better.’ - The Independent, 2006

The performance is first-rate… A flawless cast.’ - The Daily Telegraph, 2006

The singers all relish Prokofiev’s infectious melodies … but the outstanding performance is Nino Surguladze as Clara, who also has Prokofiev’s finest music to sing.’ - The Guardian, 2006

Thanks to Jurowski’s rapport with the London Philharmonic, the music sounds not just mercurial but also good enough to listen to without stage pictures…’ Financial Times, 2006

Cast:
- Viascheslav Voynarovskiy: Don Jerome
- Andrey Breus: Ferdinand
- Lyubov Petrova: Louisa
- Alexandra Durseneva: The Duenna
- Vsevolod Grivnov: Don Antonio
- Nino Surguladze: Clara
- Sergei Alexashkin: Mendoza
- Alan Opie: Don Carlos

Recorded live at Glyndebourne on 12, 15 & 22 August 2006.

Includes a luxury, 256-page hard-bound book packaging containing an essay by Harlow Robinson, a synopsis in English, French and German, and full libretto in Cyrillic, English, French and German.

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