Glinka
“Gergiev in his Kirov recording, done live on stage, launches into this classic Russian opera with a hair-raisingly fast and brilliant account of the overture, and then characteristically brings out the subtlety of much of the writing, as well as the colour. The voices come over well, with Vladimir Ognovienko characterful as Ruslan, bringing out word-meaning, most impressively in his big Act II aria. Anna Netrebko is fresh and bright as Lyudmila, as well as agile… but it is Galina Gorchakova as Gorislava who takes first honours; she is rich and firm, as is Larissa Diadkova in the travesti role of Ratmir, especially impressive in the delightful duet with Finn (Konstantin Pluzhnikov).” The Penguin Guide