Romaniw/ Vale�ov� - Arion: Voyage of a Slavic Soul

Soprano Natalya Romaniw and pianist Lada Vale�ov� take us on a journey through Slavic song on this sumptuous album. Welsh-born soprano Natalya Romaniw is of Ukrainian descent, roots she explores in this recital, which is dedicated to her Ukrainian grandfather. The generous programme encompasses a wealth of music by Russian and Czech composers. Dvo?�k�s Love Songs, Op.83, are at the heart of the album, and his idiomatic Czech style influenced Jan�?ek, from whom we hear a selection of Moravian folk songs. Nov�k in turn was fascinated by Moravian folk music and was influenced by Jan�?ek; Nov�k�s gift for melody shines in Romaniw�s interpretations of his songs. From Russia, meanwhile, we hear magical, almost operatic music from Rimsky-Korsakov, powerful passion from Tchaikovsky, and some of Rachmaninov�s most exquisite songs. Natalya Romaniw is often noted for the Slavic character of her voice, a quality heard to full effect on this recording.