Miliza Korjus - Rimsky-Korsakov: The Rose Captivates the Nightingale, 1968

THE SONGBIRD: Warsaw-born Miliza Korjus (1909-1980) was a worldwide phenomenon in the 1930s with operatic and concert appearances, dozens of top-selling records, and a Hollywood musical blockbuster film for MGM, "The Great Waltz," for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Korjus was scheduled for other film projects under her 10-year contract, but an automobile accident caused her leg to be crushed; she required extensive recuperation and subsequently her contract with MGM was terminated. She toured in concerts and recitals through South America, Mexico, and the United States, eventually settling in Los Angeles. In the 1960s, she returned to the studio to rerecord some of her popular arias and concert songs that she then published on her own record label, Venus Records. This track is unique in that it features what the album notes refer to as an actual live songbird named William!

THE MUSIC: This haunting birdsong is the second song in a set of four romances written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908) and published in 1866 as Op. 2, one of his earliest compositions. This tune was influenced by Eastern music and based on Persian poetry.

Видео Miliza Korjus - Rimsky-Korsakov: The Rose Captivates the Nightingale, 1968 канала songbirdwatcher