YURI LEVITIN (1912-1993): Song Cycle to Verses by Robert Burns, Op. 51, TIKHON KHRENNIKOV (1913-2007): Songs to Verses by Robert Burns, Nos. 1, 2 & 5, GYORGY SVIRIDOV (1915-1998): Songs to Verses by Robert Burns, EDISON DENISOV (1929-1996): 2 Songs to Verses by Robert Burns, DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975): Romances for Bass, Op. 62, Nos. 2-4.

Description: The bizarre appropriation of Burns as a "Soviet secular saint", as one of the two note-writers here puts it, started with the sudden need in 1941 to achieve cultural bonding with a country the USSR had officially despised until Hitler invaded its territory and the Anglo-Americans and Soviets became allies. The songs date from 1942 to 1955 and, needless to say given their purpose, are resolutely tonal but the problems in translating Burns into Russian is fascinatingly revealed not only in the notes but in the fact that both the original Burns and the re-translations of the Russian into literal English are included. Russian-English texts. Vassily Savenko (bass-baritone), Alexander Blok (piano).