The Naxos series of Glazunov orchestral works reaches volume 19 with this disc. Composed by Glazunov in 1898 Ruses is also known as The Trial of Damis. This disc is a reissue originally released on Marco Polo 8.220485.

Glazunov was a precocious student of Rimsky-Korsakov during the artistic ferment of the revival of Russian musical nationalism. Composed when he was a sixteen year old Glazunov gained sudden acclaim with the success of his Symphony No. 1. The audience would have been shocked when Glazunov took his bow at the premiere wearing his school uniform. International recognition was established with his symphonies, the tone poem Stenka Razin, the ballets The Seasons and Raymonda, and the ever popular Violin Concerto. He was still composing music in the manner of Rimsky, Anton Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky. His works soon became marginalised having failed to compete with the growing enthusiasm for progressive composers such as Schoenberg, Berg, Stravinsky and his own pupils Prokofiev and Shostakovich. After a century or so we should now be able to reassess Glazunov’s music for its innate qualities rather than be reference to the dynamic of the era in which it was written.

The première of the ballet Les Ruses d'amour was given in the small hall of the Hermitage Theatre, St. Petersburg in 1900. Marius Petipa provided the choreography. The leading dancers were the Italian prima ballerina assoluta Pierina Legnani and her Russian partner Pavel Gerdt. Briefly the story of Les Ruses d'amour centres on the role Isabella who is the daughter of a titled Lady. Isabella pretends to be a maid in a bid to test that the love of her fiancé the Marquis Damis is true and not driven simply by her wealth and status.

The popularity of Les Ruses d'amour has certainly not endured to the same degree as The Seasons and the longer Raymonda ballets that have remained on the fringes of the repertoire. Reasonably appealing, the music of Ruses d'amour is not as recognisable as Glazunov’s other ballets. The composer has not managed to achieve the same melodically memorable quality.

Showing a convincing enthusiasm the Romanian State Orchestra under Horia Andreescu provide creditable playing. I enjoyed the gentle and swaying lyricism of the Introduction and Scene I and in the Recitatif mimique the woodwind-infused music has a distinct bucolic feel. Melody after melody is released in the Sarabanda but the themes are typically unremarkable. One notices the childlike lyricism of the Danse des marionettes and Scenes IV and V are gentle and romantic. The movement Ballabile des paysans et des paysannes is infectious and energetic. I was struck by the soft and tender love music of Grand pas des fiancés which is sugar-coated with a gorgeous line for solo violin and cello. The engaging La Fricassée brings the score to an exciting and energetic conclusion.

Michael Cookson, MusicWeb International

Curious about melodious opera off-the-beaten-track then try this pair of short operas. You will be richly rewarded.

Reviewing what is arguably Bretan’s masterpiece, the full-length opera Horia, I was deeply impressed by the power of the dramatic writing while at the same time he retained his very personal melodic language - truthful, tonal and expressive - just as in his songs. I still regard Horia as a landmark work in the history of opera for its humanity and struggle for freedom. Unfortunately it is let down by a fair amount of less than attractive singing - though the commitment is never in question - and the recording - live from stage performance with intrusive noises and in monaural sound only. The present disc, juxtaposing two one-act operas, is a great improvement. It is in good stereo, albeit analogue, made under studio conditions and the singing is in a different class.

The operas in themselves are as fascinating as Horia, but from different points of view. The theme of humanity is however omnipresent. In Golem, Rabbi Löw has created Golem out of clay. When the opera begins he is worried about Anna, his grand-daughter, who is dying. It is only Golem who knows what is wrong with her. Golem is in love with Anna, he has touched her and kissed her and it is sure death for a human to have any contact with a man of clay. Golem tells Löw this and wants Anna as his bride and so demands from Löw, his creator, the power to procreate. To save Anna, Löw has to kill Golem.

What is fascinating about the opera, which is based on a drama by Illés Kacér, is that Golem, who was created by Löw in defiance of God, is the most human of the characters. It is his feelings, his sufferings that permeate the score and there is a warmth and a melodic beauty in the long solos he has to sing. Alexandru Agache in the title role is superb, singing with great feeling and impeccable legato. His is a glorious voice, powerful, beautiful and youthful. Tamás Daróczy is an acceptable Rabbi Löw but Sandra Sandru has her shrill moments. Dan Zancu, whose black bass was one of the assets of the Horia recording, has little to sing but does it well. The final trio, after Golem has died, recalls the finale of Gounod’s Faust - whether intentionally or not.

Arald also deals with life and death, but here we are already in the underworld and the characters have already passed away. The Poet tells of Arald who is searching for the Seer, who has the power to work miracles. Arald comes and lays the body of his beloved Maria at the feet of the Seer, begging him to bring Maria back to life. The Seer offers Arald a drink, which transforms him into a ghost and Maria is restored to life. They sing an ecstatic love duet together but as day breaks they are swallowed by the earth. The Seer, by death forgot, laments his own eternity.

This is a variant on the Orpheus myth. As in Golem Nicolae Bretan wrote his own libretto, this time based on Mihai Eminescu’s poem "The Ghost". There is little drama in the shape of dialogue; instead the short opera is a sequence of ’arias’ - all of great beauty - and the above mentioned duet. The music has an otherworldly serenity which doesn’t exclude passion and dramatic intensity and most of the singing is on an exalted level. Dan Zancu’s Poet is noble, Jonel Voineag as Arald is a splendid lirico spinto tenor, singing with glow and Alexandru Agache as the Seer is again superb as the Seer with a flow of noble melodious solo singing. Several of the themes stuck at first hearing and I went round humming them for hours. Sandra Sandru is more at ease as Maria than she was as Anna in Golem and the orchestra play well under the inspired baton of Cristian Mandeal.

Readers who felt dispirited by my review of Horia - on basis of singing and recording - need feel no qualms this time. I do urge everyone with an iota of curiosity about melodious opera off the beaten track to try this pair of short operas. You will be richly rewarded.

-- Göran Forsling, MusicWeb International