Goodbye Galina hello birthday

I was really touched yesterday to learn more about the life of [[Galina Vishnevskaya]] with the sad news of her passing. Larger than life as all opera divas ought to be she had a special relationship with Britten's war requiem - he had composed the piece with her voice in mind, effectively writing what was to be a haunting and ground breaking work dedicated to her. Sadly the debut performance of the piece at Coventry Cathedral, a very famous concert indeed, did not feature her voice,m since she was not allowed by the authorities to leave the Soviet Union at the time. When it came to the first recording, however, Britten's wishes could be met and she recorded the more famous version - one which I now intend to purchase - I am sure there will be a surge in it's popularity.
07:41 AM | 0 Comments