opera

The wonderful riches of Russian opera in this country were long known chiefly among emigrants from the old empires (Romanov and Soviet) or in translation-- French or (most often in performance) Italian through World War II, and then in dubious English versions. This has only changed in the last 25 years, due to (first) an influx of talented musicians who left the Brezhnevite "stagnation" of the late 1970s and early '80s, and (second) the new ability of Russians to travel in the post-Soviet era. More and more, young singers may well need to be able to perform in the language of Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky, and the Academy of Vocal Arts has done well to invest the time and talent of Russian coach and pianist Ghenady Meirson in imbuing the schools' gifted young resident artists (including soprano Ellie Dehn, pictured) with an idiomatic familiarity with this wealth of great songs and arias. This year's recital concentrates exclusively on the operatic literature, including gems by the virtual founder of Russian opera, Mikhail Glinka, by the two giants mentioned above, and the no less interesting Borodin (Prince Igor) and Rimsky-Korsakoff (Sadko): Both of these operas furnished American pop hits in the 1940s and '50s! Rachmaninoff's Aleko supplies some pieces beloved in Russia; and one of the monumental operatic achievements of the 20th century—Shostakovich's devastating Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk -- will also be represented.

Evening of Russian Arias, Sat., Dec. 10 and Wed., Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m., $15-$25, Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St., 215-735-1685, www.avaopera.org.