RUSSIAN SONG

Mark Reizen, at 79  sings:

Tchaikovsky, In the midst of the ball

In the midst of the noisy ball,
amid the anxious bustle of life,
I caught sight of you,
your face, an enigma.

Only your eyes gazed sadly.
Your divine voice
Sounded like pipes from afar,
Like the dancing waves of the sea.
Your delicate form entranced me,
and your pensiveness,
your sad yet merry laughter,
has permeated my heart since then.

And in the lonely hours of the night,
when I do lie down to rest,
I see your pensive eyes,
hear your merry laugh...
And wistfully drifting
into mysterious reveries,
I wonder if I love you,
but it seems that I do!





Two performances of Rachmanioff's:


In the silence of the mysterious night

In the silence of the mysterious night,
your alluring babble, smiles and glances,
your fleeting glances, the locks of your rich hair, locks pliant under your fingertips -
I will long be trying to get rid of the images only to call them back again;

I will be repeating and correcting in a whisper
the words I've told you, the words full of awkwardness,
and, drunk with love, contrary to reason,
I will be awakening the night's darkness with a cherished name.

Moi genie, moi angel, moi drug (Tchaikovsky)

There is a great treasure trove of ravishingly beautiful Russian music written for the voice by composers such as Glinka, Musorgsky, Rachmanivov, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and others. American singers don't program Russian music nearly as much as we should. Naturally, the language itself poses a bit of a stumbling block. I highly recommend taking a course in Russian diction or finding a Russian friend to help because the rewards are immense.

If you've never sung in Russian, I guarantee you that you can learn this piece and sing it on your next recital. This is one of Tchaikovky's earliest Romances and it is a gem.

Two performances by Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Olga Borodina.

Moi genie, moi angel, moi drug/ My genius, my angel, my friend
Composer:Tchaikovsky 1840-1893
Poet: Afanasii Afanas'evich Fet (1820–1892),

Russian Transliteration

Ne zdes' li ty ljogkoju ten'ju,
Moj genij, moj angel, moj drug,
Besedujesh' tikho so mnoju
I tikho letajesh' vokrug?

I robkim darish' vdokhnoven'jem,
I sladkij krachujesh' nedug,
I tikhim darish' snoviden'em,
Moj genij, moj angel, moj drug!


English translation

Isn't it here,
My my genius, my angel, my friend,
That you are talking to me softly,
And flying quietly around like a light shadow?

You are giving me a timid inspiration,
And healing my sweet ailments,
And giving me a quiet dream,
My angel, my genius, my friend!

Singer of the Day: Mark Reizen-1895-1992

The great Ukrainian bass Mark Reizen sings Tchaikovsky's "Sred' shumnovo bala" ("Amidst the din of the ball"), Op.38, No.3 (text by Aleksei Tolstoi)at 79!

In the midst of the noisy ball,
amid the anxious bustle of life,
I caught sight of you,
your face, an enigma.

Only your eyes gazed sadly.
Your divine voice
Sounded like pipes from afar,
Like the dancing waves of the sea.

Your delicate form entranced me,
and your pensiveness,
your sad yet merry laughter,
has permeated my heart since then.

And in the lonely hours of the night,
when I do lie down to rest,
I see your pensive eyes,
hear your merry laugh...

And wistfully drifting
into mysterious reveries,
I wonder if I love you,
but it seems that I do!