Leo Kuznetsov - Sadko - Song of the Indian Guest

[SivSeran]

Simply excellent! 

[bollyBob1980]

Such a stunning piece & truly wonderful to see as well as hear it performed. My favourite performance of this is Bjorling, however I am a firm believer in works being sung in their native tongue, hence I would rate Gedda superior on those grounds alone. Lemeshev was magnificent, but he was so angelic he almost lacked that Russian 'darkness' which suits this song sublimely; this is perhaps the only thing Bjorling lacked as a singer, but I am too fond of both to disrespect either. Thank you :-)

[BillSalem]

This is wonderful music. I love his interpretation. And seeing it in context is a rare treat.

[branko1b]

it seems to be a Russian (and not only Russian) tendency (correct me if am am wrong) to prefer tenors that are well in the baritone range - coming from native Slavonic language i think i understand that -... i still prefer Lemeshev's or Kraus' (no matter the language) much purer TENOR sound in this song

[videoloopproject]

lovely

all the best composer of course

are russian

and the performers also

thanks

[1784636391]

Super! Классный певец

[svjatazarov]

шикарный тенор! Только раз 10 я посмотрел его Германа...очень печально, что он умер! Жил бы и жил бы! шикарная школа пения на У и И! Очень много работал...Его знал весь бывший Союз, шикарный певец и мастер, жаль, что в ютубе только его одна вешь!

[svjatazarov]

всё детство в Большом я слушал этого певца, его и его мать знал мой педагог по пению Лаптев А.П., со слов моего педагога, одним из первых учителей вокала у Льва был Сладковский М.К., который преподавал ему вокальное певческое место через гласную букву У

[svjatazarov]

очень печально, что ушёл такой шикарный тенор с хорошей певческой школой, с ним была связана целая эпоха и много хорошего...он тянул все сложные партии Большого, лет 6 назад он меня потряс своим Радамесом, я сидел в первом ряду и был счастлив

[juanignaciotrapaga]

does anyone have the russian lyrics for this song?

[svjatazarov]

Не счесть алмазов в каменных пещерах, не счесть жемчужин в море полудённом, далёкой Индии чудес. Есть на тёплом море чудный камень яхонт, на том камне Феникс,птица с лицом девы, райские песни сладко распевает, перья распускает, море закрывает.Кто ту птицу слышит, всё

[svjatazarov]

всё позабывает. Не счесть алмазов в каменных пещерах, не счесть жемчужин в море полудённом далёкой индии чудес. That`s all the lyrics in Russian.,...

[ntnfoxworth1]

truly one of the most beautiful songs ever written

[OnlyBallet]

Thank you so much for posting this, Gabba02!

My spirit is lifted when I hear this magical song sung so exquisitely!

[poolekeith]

Always liked the "Song of India" wherever it cropped up. This is wonderfully staged and the actress just behind him looks genuinely enraptured!

[Tenderness6]

Thank you Rimsky-Korsakov for this beautiful song!

[CanzoniPerVoce]

This wonderful tenor, Leo (Lev)Kuznetsov, died in Moscow in August 2008. He was only 64! A great loss as he was not only a brilliant singer but also an excellent teacher and a wonderful human being. He is survived by his widow, also a former star at the Bolshoi, superb soprano Lydia Kovaleva.

[OnlyBallet]

Thank you for that interesting information, CanzoniPerVoce!

It is the only info about Leo Kutsnetsov I can find on the internet.

Do you know anything else about this incredible singer?

[OnlyBallet]

Wrong spelling. I mean Leo Kuznetsov.

[CanzoniPerVoce]

Hi OnlyBallet,

Leo (Lev) Kuznetsov was born in 1944 and graduated from a very prestigious Gnesin Music Academy in Moscow. He started in the Bolshoi in 1976 with Lensky, Cassio and other lyric parts. He went on singing some heavy roles (and did it beautifully!) like German, Radames, Manrico et cetera. His technique was nearly flawless. Too bad he didn't make a huge international career because of all those iron curtain things...

And as I mentioned earlier he was also a great person.

[goldie0800]

@CanzoniPerVoce - thanks for letting us now more about this singer. Sad to hear of the loss, but we can still appreciate his voice by these recordings - a fine legacy for future listeners.

[qklq42]

Beautiful Gabba02. I saw this opera on TV but unfortunally I did not record it ! Have you perhaps the song of the norman merchand out of the same opera ?

Hans NL

[melomanemorino]

hermosa aria de esta exelente opera de Rimsky Korsakov

[MrFryMan]

I just got this song in the mail...I can't wait to master it.

[Dogsledfan]

Very interesting to hear this aria as it is supposed to be - not that the popular versions were necessarily bad, but, this is what Rimsky-Korsakov orignially conceived. I believe this is the ONLY time the "Indian" sings in the entire opera.

[akarpowicz]

He has a little reprise in the finale. Not quite the same, I know.

[mclaudine1]

Superbe interprétation.

J'adore aussi l'entendre chanter par Jussi Bjorling mais pourquoi toujours chercher à comparer. Un plaisir ici aussi de voir la magnifique mise en scène. Ce chant est vraiment envoutant.

[authourbrown]

does the movie Sadko have other rimsky melodies in other operas?

[grupetto]

please listen to Jussi Bjoerling in this same beautiful aria

[Gabba02]

As much as I love Bjorling, I tend to prefer Russian (or Georgian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian etc) tenors sing the Russian rep. For me the definitive version is Ivan Kozlovsky's.

[hetoimasai]

I enjoy more hearing Amelita Galli-Curci's voice, even though the recording process used for capturing the playing of the orchestral arrangement that accompanied her was process that was severely restricted technologically. But still her voice comes to the ear for a wonderful experience.

[fordy42]

one of the greatest singers to have lived i think. She sung anything and everything with beauty and vocal agility.