Opera Recordings - Vladimir Rosing

Vocalion A0159, Matrix 01752
With Orchestra, Recorded in the 1920s

Prince Vladimir's Cavatina

Prince Vladimir's Cavatina "Prince Igor" - Borodin

Russian language
HMV Label
December 1912, St. Petersburg

I Love You Olga

"I Love You Olga" Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky)

Russian language
HMV Label
December 1912, St. Petersburg, Russia

Kuda kuda

"Kuda kuda" Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky)

Russian language
HMV Label
May 1915, London

In May 1915 Rosing staged and sang in the first UK production of "Queen of Spades" at the London Opera House.  This recording coincided with it.

Forgive me, bright celestial vision

"Forgive me, bright celestial vision" Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky)

"If ever you knew" Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky)

French language
Vocalion label
Early 1920s, London


Song of the Indian Merchant

"Song of the Indian Merchant" (French) Sadko - Rimsky-Korsakov

Cavatina - Ah! leve toi

"Cavatina - Ah! leve toi" Romeo et Juliette - Gounod

Vladimir Rosing (1890 – 1963), was a Russian-born operatic tenor and stage director who spent most of his professional career in England and the United States. He dedicated himself through his singing and directing into breathing new life into opera's outworn mannerisms and methods.

Rosing was considered by many critics to rank as a singer and performer as highly as Feodor Chaliapin. In his book "The Perfect Wagnerite", George Bernard Shaw called Chaliapin and Vladimir Rosing "the two most extraordinary singers of the 20th century."

Vladimir Rosing's recordings are best known for his performances of Russian art songs by composers such as Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Tcherepnin, Alexander Gretchaninov, Alexander Borodin and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He was the very first singer to record a song by Igor Stravinsky: "Akahito" from Three Japanese Songs.

As a stage director, Rosing championed the cause of opera in English, and he attempted to build permanent national opera companies in the United States and England.

Rosing created his own system of stage movement and acting for singers that proved very effective in his own productions and that he also taught to a new generation of performers.

Vladimir Rosing was the father of the popular English dance band singer Val Rosing (aka Gilbert Russell 1910-1969), who is best known for first recordings of the songs "Try A Little Tenderness" and "Teddy Bears Picnic" in the 1930s.

"Cavatina - Ah! leve toi" Romeo et Juliette - Gounod

Vladimir Rosing

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