Chapliapin songs are re-released
Review by David Ware
1973 marked the centenary of legend
ary singer Enrico Caruso and composer
Sergei Rachmaninoff, and featured
many commemorative releases and
accolades, mostly deserved.
However, a third Centenary passed
by almost un-notlced, that' of Russian
bass Feodor Chaliapin.
In his own day, Chaliapin was as
celebrated and lionized as his good
friend Caruso. Today, his is almost an
unknown figure. Until recently, the only
widely circulated recordings of Chalia
pin were two released by Angel in the
mid 60s, one devoted to .operatic
performances, the other to art and
concert songs.
Both have been re-released by Angel
on their Seraphim cut-price line.
Unfortunately, Angel has seen fit to
leave the translations and transcriptions
of the lyrics that accompanied the
records on their first release out of the
Seraphim discs.
Happily, though belatedly, there is a
new. two-record set of Chaliapin on the
hot kovm Si
Cinema 1 : Billy Jack, 1 :30, 3:30, 5:30,
7:30,9:30 p.m.
Cinema 2: Frankenstein, 1:30, 3:08,
4:46,6:24,8:02,9:40 p.m.
Cooper Lincoln: The White Dawn, 7,
9:15p.m.
Douglas 1: Doctor Zhivago, 1:30,
4:30,8:10 p.m.
Douglas 2: Th Sting, 2, 4:55, 7:09
9:20 p.m.
Douglas 3: Born Losers, 1:30, 3:30,
5:30.7:30, 9:30.p.m.
84th & 0: Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid, 8:05 p.m.; The Hesrt
break Kid, 9:55 p.m.
Embassy: The Debauchers, 11 a.m.;
12:30, 2. 3:30, 5, 6:30, 8, 9:30 p.m.
Hollywood and Vine 1 : The Best of the
New York Erotic Film Festival, 1:30,
3:30, 7:30,9:30 p.m.
Hollywood and Vine 2: Oh! Calcutta!,
1:30.3:30,7:30,9:30 p.m.
Joyo: Claudine, 7, 8:40 p.m.
Plaza 1: Death Wish: 2. 4. 5;45, 7:30,
9:15p.m.
Plaza 2: The Apprenticeship of Duddy
Kravitz, 2:30, 4:45, 7, 9:15p.mu f'
Plaza 3: Chinatown, 2:30, 4:45, 7,
9:30 p.m.
Plaza 4: California Split, 1;45, 3;45,
5:45.7:45,9:45 p.m.
Starview: Macon County Line, 8 p.m.;
Boxcar Bertha, 9:45 p.m.
State: Three the Hard Way, 1, 2:36,
market, released this year by Odeon
Records. With source materia! ranging
back to 1910, the sonics of Feodor
Chaliapin: Aries and Songs are usually
not up to the standards of the more
recent AngelSeraphim discs, but in
exchange, most of the material is fresh
issue, with'many cuts' seeing' the light of
day for the first time since the recording
sessions.
Chaliapin's idiosyncratic approach
towards his material is in much stronger
evidence on the new Odeon release than
on the Angel discs. Possibly influenced
by his difficulty in maintaining a
melodic line with any degree of grace,
Chaliapin instead opted for an actor's
approach in performance, which -unfor
tunateiy comes off badly on record. His
recorded performances are replete with
mysterious pauses, slack phrasing, a bit
of shouting here and there and, when in
Italian, 'a poor command ' of the
language.
Odeon includes several excerpts from
Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, probably
the role that Chaliapin felt most
comfortable with. Presented are four
scenes: The Coronation scene, from a
1925 studio production, the Monologue
("I have achieved the highest power"),
the Clock scene and Boris' farewell and
death, from a performance at London's
Covent Garden in 1928.
Also from the 1928 London season are
several excerpts from Gounod's Faust
memorable only for difficulties with the
tempo, sparked by a public quarrel
between Chaliapin and the conductor.
Chaliapin's public recitals were trying
experiences for any accompanist, as he
would choose his songs as he went
along, expecting the accompanist to be
on top of every arrangement.
Of necessity, then, his recitals were
something of a mixed bag, and the
recital pieces included in the Odeon set
are no different. Some are impressive,
some have moments of greatness, but
all too much of the material is
variable-quality disaster, with muffed
lines, bad timing, and surprisingly
enough, since . the songs are, all in
Russian, simple misintonation. .
All in all, this record set is somewhat
disappointing, since there certainly
must be better recordings of Chaliapin.
But as a monument to and document of
one of the most influential singers of the
century, it demands attention.
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page 13
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