Rostropovich: Tchaikovsky – Pique Dame, 1977 (3 CD, FLAC)

Composer: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Orchestra: Orchestre National de France
Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich
Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 3
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 704 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Herman – Peter Gougaloff
Count Tomsky – Dan Iordachescu
Prince Yeletzky – Bernd Weikl
Countess – Regina Resnik
Liza – Galina Vishnevskaya
Pauline – Hanna Schwarz
Chekalinsky – Fausto Tenzi
Surin – Dimiter Petkov
Chaplitsky – Heinz Kruse
Narumov – Rudolf Alexander Sutey
Master of Ceremonies – Heinz Kruse
Governess – Ewa Dobrowska
Masha – Christine Mitlehner

Brilliant recording, excellent artists

Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame” is my favorite Russian opera, and Rostropovich’s recording of this work is excellent and brilliant! Peter Gougaloff is sensitive and emotional Herman, and he sings nicely and cleanly. Galina Vishnevskaya sings also nicely and she empathizes in her role perfectly. Bernd Weikl sings Yeletzky’s famous aria (in the second act) with a strong and beautiful voice. Other singers are also excellent, but they do not rise among these three the singers . This is the best recording of Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame” I’ve never heard. This is even better than Valery Gergiev’s recording (Philips). I recommend!