There aren't any breakthroughs in this album of Rachmaninov songs by young soprano Julia Sitkovetsky, but a variety of strong aspects add up to a satisfying performance. For starters, there's the pairing of Sitkovetsky, not quite a newcomer but still on a career upswing, with veteran accompanist Roger Vignoles, who has never sounded better. He has a particularly ingenious way with the instrumental beginnings of many of these songs, entering quietly with a slight rhythmic hesitation as if to sneak into the listener's ...
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There aren't any breakthroughs in this album of Rachmaninov songs by young soprano Julia Sitkovetsky, but a variety of strong aspects add up to a satisfying performance. For starters, there's the pairing of Sitkovetsky, not quite a newcomer but still on a career upswing, with veteran accompanist Roger Vignoles, who has never sounded better. He has a particularly ingenious way with the instrumental beginnings of many of these songs, entering quietly with a slight rhythmic hesitation as if to sneak into the listener's consciousness (hear Siren' (Lilacs), Op. 21, No. 5). He's matched well by Sitkovetsky, who doesn't let the beauty of her voice, and her ability to handle Rachmaninov's treacherous high notes, get in the way of appreciating the various modes of expression in these pieces. Many of the songs are quite short, but she creates a little world in each one. Thanks to a few well-known numbers, Rachmaninov as a song composer is thought to incline toward gloom, but there is a wide variety of moods...
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![Rachmaninov: Songs [Julia Sitkovetsky; Roger Vignoles] [Hyperion: Cda68309]](https://www1.alibris-static.com/cover/o64076rmouc_t.jpg)
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