La calunnia e un venticello

This is the only recording I have of Mark Reizen singing in Italian. He rarely sang in any language except Russian, since few Soviet singers, especially those with the very prestigious title of People's Artist of The Soviet Union, were ever permitted to sing abroad. The same fate befell Antonina Nezhdanova and Sergei Lemeshev, two other musical giants who bore the prestigious title. (And in Nezhdanova's case, we must add "Hero of Labor.") It's only fair to add that this was not a problem for these three singers, who were dedicated and doctrinaire Communists, especially Nezhdanova, who was effectively an ambassador abroad when she did travel. These were Soviet idols, respected by everyone, and it was felt that their place was at home. What this recording does do is give us the chance to see what we missed in the West, as Reizen lends his magnificent bass voice to this light-hearted comic aria from the Barber of Seville. Imagine what he would been at the Met in some of Verdi's dramatic operas with big bass parts!