I never tire listening to her combination of power and beauty that she brings to every performance. In case the link doesn’t get you to the highlight I chose, start at 24:40 for the beginning of the prayer. Of course, she also sings Jean’s better known aria later. In my super humble opinion, she owned this repertoire.

Darby Fegan agrees…

Among the most glorious mezzo-soprano/contralto voices is that of Russian mezzo, Irina Arkipova. Polina’s Romance from Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame perfectly captures Arkipova’s glorious voice, for which she was justly renowned in roles such as Carmen, Eboli, and Amneris, in addition to Russian roles such as Marina in Boris Godunov, and Marfa in Khovanshchina. Arkipova also recorded the Mussorsky Songs and Dances of Death, and assorted Rachmaninoff songs with John Wustman at the piano, an essential recording for lovers of Russian art song.

As does Krunoslav.

I thought of some favorite and somewhat overlooked great mezzos of various sorts (Germaine Cernay, Catherine Robbin, Florence Quivar, Marjana Lipovsek, Sasha Cooke, Daniela Mack) but finally am going with perhaps the greatest mezzo voice I ever heard live, Irina Arkhipova, encountered when I was 20 and she 56, in recital in Leningrad. A favorite recording: “Blagoslovi, dushe moja” from Rachmaninov’s 1915 “Vsenoshchnoe” or “All-Night Vigil” with chorus. Imposing timbre, technically perfect, and expressive.