ORR232_ Book.qxd

CD 1 37’56
Pauline Viardot
Poem by Afanasi Fet
‘Дв е розы’Dve rozy (Two roses) [CD 1 Track 2]
(pub. 1864 Russia, 1866 France)
VLADIMIR CHERNOV
WHEN PAULINE VIARDOT first appeared in Russia, she helped to win the
hearts of her new audience by learning Russian, and singing in the language of
her listeners. After the interval of one performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia, she
and her colleagues Rubini and Tamburini joined with a local choir to sing
‘God Save the Tsar’. After 1850, Viardot never returned to Russia, but she
always felt close to the country where she had received such an extravagantly
warm reception. This song, one of a group in Russian that she published in
1864, is a setting of a poem by Afanasi Afanesevich Fet (real name Shenshin,
1820-92) who came to know the Viardots well (see CD 1 Track 15).
Пол н оспать! Тебедв е розы Enough of sleeping: it’s daybreak
Polno spat’! Tebe dve rozy
Япринёссрассветом дня. And I’ve brought you two roses
Ya prinës s rassvetom dnia.
Сквозь сереб ряныесл ёзы The delight of their fire
Skovz’ serebriannye slëzy
Ярченега их огн я. Seems brighter through silver tears.
Yarche nega ikh ognia.
–51–