Recorded in Moscow in 1937 on 40 short-playing 78 r.p.m. discs, this historic version of Eugene Onegin on Naxos was the first complete recording of the opera ever made, and it is remarkable not just for the idiomatic warmth of the conducting—with Alexander Orlov replacing Alexander Melik-Pashev for some passages—but for the fine singing of the principals, with not a Slavonic wobbler among them. Panteleimon Nortsov in the title role sings with a firmness and clarity that is most moving, his tone rather darker than usual in this role. Elena Kruglikova is equally moving as Tatiana, even though the voice, generally warm and clear, acquires an edginess when under pressure at the top. Elizaveta Antonova sings with rich, velvet tone as Olga, and though Ivan Kozlovsky as Lensky has the nasal twang that is typical of many Russian tenors, his firmly focused expressiveness is equally compelling. The transfers of Ward Marston are astonishingly fine, firm and full bodied, an achievement the more remarkable when, in s Soviet recording made over a relatively long period, the inconsistencies of sound between the 80 original sides have so satisfying been countered and surface noise so well controlled.