Olga Borodina
Songs by Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky and Shostakovich
7.30pm, 7 October 2011, The Barbican
There can be few more enticing programmatic pairings for the lover of song than Russian mezzo soprano Olga Borodina and these works by her fellow countrymen. Borodina's voice – dark, velvety, powerfully dramatic – has won her critical and audience acclaim ever since her string of major operatic debuts in the 1990s. But here is an opportunity to hear her in more intimate music, accompanied by a pianist – Dmitri Yefimov – equally steeped in the Russian repertoire.
Five of the evening's composers – Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Cui, Borodin and Mussorgsky – were part of a 19th century group whose work sought to create a musical expression of their heritage, one richly Romantic and distinctively, and proudly, Russian. Shostakovich and Sviridov came later, but all should make for a wonderfully engaging recital.
Tickets are £11-£45
Visit www.barbican.org.uk for more information and to book tickets