Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay - The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Blu-ray) - Gergiev, Valery

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As a companion to The Golden Cockerel, Valery Gergiev presents another Rimsky-Korsakov opera on the Mariinsky Label, The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Rarely staged and the only complete performance available on Blu-ray or DVD, this release is part of Valery Gergiev’s mission to showcase the breadth and depth that Russian music has to over, caputuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s exciting, adventurous and magical work for posterity. This production features a cast of the Mariinsky’s finest singers, including soprano Irina Churilova as Tsaritsa Militrisa, contralto soprano Albina Shagimuratova as The Swan-Princess, and bass-baritone Edward Tsanga, who sadly passed away in early 2017, in the lead role. Originally composed to celebrate Pushkin’s centenary, the full title of the work - The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of His Son the Renowned and Mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the Beautiful Princess-Swan - is indicative of the fantastical content of the opera. It is an old-fashioned Russian treat for the eyes and the ears from the country’s most long-standing musical institution. Filled with colourful music that is typical of Rimsky-Korsakov’s style, it is the origin of the instantly recognisable Flight of the Bumblebee, which arrives when the magic Swan-Princess changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect.