Tchaikovsky: the Queen of Spades.

* Derzhinskaya, Zlatogorova, Maksakova; Khanaev, Nortsov, Baturin; Bolshoi Opera (1940), Samosud. No text or translation. Opera d'Oro 1329 (3) (Allegro, dist.)

Opera d'Oro's new issue adds a fine budget alternative to the discography of Tchaikovsky's thrilling opera and bolsters the legacy of dynamic conductor Samuel Samosud (1884-1964) on CD. His propulsive reading (ten minutes faster than Gergiev's 1992 Philips set) fields a strong, homogenous Bolshoi ensemble that does the piece full justice. As with reissued La Scala recordings of the same vintage, buyers acquire a performance of impressive stylistic unity and idiomatic conviction at the price of notably less-than-modern sonic clarity. Typically, the low strings and offstage chorus of Act III'S initial panikhida (funerary music) sound a bit muddied, but the intercut regimental trumpet calls (and most of the solo voices) cut across the six decades with surprising bite.

Nikander Khanaev starts Gherman in rather dry voice, fiats the occasional top note and rarely provides the tonal excitement of later recorded Bolshoi exponents; ...