Agnes Baltsa - Songs my country taught me (Digital Recording)
Agnes Baltsa - vocals
Kostas Papadopoulos - solo bouzouki
Athens Experimental Orchestra
Stavros Xarhakos – conductor
Arranged by Stavros Xarhakos (A1-6)
Lyrics by Alekos Sakellarios (A1), Manos Hadjidakis (A2-3), Yannis Ritsos (A4), Manos Eleftheriou (A5), Nikos Gatsos (A6, B1-2), Vangelis Goufas (B3-4), Vasilis Tsitsanis (B5)
Music by Manos Hadjidakis (A1-3), Mikis Theodorakis (A4-6), Stavros Xarhakos (B1-4), Vasilis Tsitsanis (B5)
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : NO (Digital Recording Original Master Tape)
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : Black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Pallas (Germany)
Label : Analogphonic
Original label : Deutsche Grammophon
Engineered by Yannis Smirneos
Mastered by Maarten de Boer at Emil Berliner Studios, Germany
Originally released in October 1986
Reissued in 2012
Tracks :
Side A:
- Garífallo st'aftí (A carnation behind your ear)
- Oniro pedión tis gitoniás (Dream of urban children)
- O tahidrómos (The postman)
- Méra Magioú (A day in May)
- To tréno févgi stis októ (The train leaves at eight)
- Se pótisa rodóstamo (I gave you rose-water to drink)
Side B:
- Stou Othona ta hrónia (When Otto was king)
- Áspri méra ke ya mas (There will be better days, even for us)
- Varkarólla (Barcarolle)
- Ta tréna pou fígan (The trains which left)
- Arhóntissa (Princess of my heart)
Reviews:
“Agnes Baltsa is one of Greece’s gift to the opera world. Born on Nov. 19, 1944, the mezzo-soprano put together one of the most exciting opera careers in the 20th century.
She actually started playing the piano at age six and moved to Athens at the age of 14 to concentrate on developing her voice. From there she climbed the ladder of operatic growth, making her first appearance in an opera as Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro” in Frankfurt. From there it was more and more growth, the mezzo performing under the leading conductors of her day.
Baltsa also recorded “Songs My Country Taught Me” in 1985, which also featured music from her native land.” David Salazar, Opera Wire
Ratings:
Discogs : 4.47/ 5