The experts define Stefan Elenkov (1937-97) as "a bass with a timbre rich in overtones and voice with piercing power". These qualities combined with his priceless training with Prof. Christo Brambarov, his further studies in Palermo and the great experience on the stage place him amongst the most stunning opera singers. His career was connected mostly with the Sofia Opera House (1966-97). But Elenkov had also sang as guest-artist in numerous famous opera theatres: the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, the State Opera Theatre in Vienna, Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, in opera performances in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Israel, Brasil, France, the USA, etc. His repertoire included all the big bass parts: Mephistopheles from Faust (Gounod), Fiesco from Simon Boccanegra (Verdi), Khan Kontchak from Prince Igor (Borodin), Prince Khovansky and Dossifey from Khovanshchina (Mussorgsky), King Philip and the Inquisitor from Don Carlos (Verdi) and many others. Some of them are included in this CD. The recordings were made in different periods of his rich artistic career but the trend is constant.
ARIAS FROM OPERAS · STEFAN ELENKOV, bass
Track Listing
[1] Aria of Don Basilio from Act II of Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 4'16''
[2] Aria of the Varyag Guest from Scene 4 of Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) 3'17''
[3] Aria of Kutuzov from Scene 10 of War and Peace (Prokofiev) 3'43''
[4] Aria of Fiesco from the Prologue to Simon Boccanegra (Verdi) 4'23''
[5] Cavatina and March of Gomez da Silva from Act I of Ernani (Verdi) 5'37''
[6] Aria of King Philip from Scene 5 of Don Carlos (Verdi) 8'29''
[7] Aria of Khan Konchak from Act 2 of Prince Igor (Borodin) 6'41''
Fragments from Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky)
[8] Coronation Scene from Act II 4'48''
[9] Monologue of Boris from Scene 5 6'29''
[10] Hallucinations Scene from Scene 5 4'12''
[11] Hunters' Scene from Act III of Khovanshchina (Mussorgsky) 6'18''
Total: 58'13''
Participating
Sofia National Opera Orchestra
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductors: Boris Hinchev, Ivan Angelov, Mark Emler,Assen Naidenov, Rouslan Raichev