Elena Obrastsova is Dead.

[Conchis]

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/mezzo-elena-obraztsova-has-died?utm_expid=32540977-3.FNZqseMjTvyRLIewfMgTiA.0&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Delena%2Bobraztsova%26fr%3Dipad

The Telegraph also has an obituary but the rest of the UK media has been notably slow in reporting this.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks for this Conchis - here's the link to the Telegraph obituary. Fascinating - I didn't know about the Vishnevskaya/Rostropovich episode. I came across her just the once, when the Bolshoi brought its Boris to the Coliseum in 1999 - she was a very fruity Marina. It may have been the heat in the Coliseum and the three intervals ( ) but it was that performance that persuaded me to stick to the original version of Boris in future.