Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov

Boris Godunov, opera (Rimsky-Korsakov edition)
Composed by Modest Mussorgsky
with Alessio de Paolis, Anna Kaskas, Rene Maison, Kerstin Thorborg, Irra Petina, Alexander Kipnis
Conducted by George Szell

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov,Modest Mussorgsky,George Szell,Alessio de Paolis,Alexander Kipnis,Anna Kaskas,Irra Petina,Kerstin Thorborg,Rene Maison,Forties,Classical,Opera,Russian Romantic Opera

Mussorgsky - Boris Godunov / Kotscherga, Ramey, Lipovsek, Larin, Leiferkus, Langridge, Abbado

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Read all these
The agony of evil isn't here--but everything else is
THE definitive Shostakovich version
A monumental achivement
A must have

Mussorgsky - Boris Godunov / Kotscherga, Ramey, Lipovsek, Larin, Leiferkus, Langridge, Abbado
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky , Claudio Abbado , Anatoly Kotscherga , Marjana Lipovsek , Samuel Ramey , Sergej Larin , Sergei Leiferkus , and Philip Langridge
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029L4
Release Date: 1994-05-03

Tracks:

Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: 'Well Then, What's Wrong With You?'
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: 'Who Are You Abandoning Us To'
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: 'Who Are You Abandoning Us To'
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: 'True Believers! The Boyar Is Implacable'
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: 'Glory To Thee, Creator On High'
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene One: 'Did You Hear What The Holy Pilgrims Said?'
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene Two: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene Two: 'Long Live Tsar Boris Fyodorovich!' (Shuisky)
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene Two: 'My Soul Is Sad' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Prologue - Scene Two: 'Glory'
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'Just One Final Story' (Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'O Lord, Strong And Righteous' (Grigory, Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'Do Not Complain, Brother' (Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'For A Long Time, Honoured Father' (Grigory, Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'I Arrived At Night' (Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'How Old Was The Murdered Tsarevich?' (Grigory, Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene One: 'They Are Ringing For Matins' (Pimen, Grigory)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'I Caught A Grey Drake'
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'Give Me Some Fun'
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'Why Are You So Pensive, Comrade?' (Grigory)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'Here's What Happened At The Town Of Kazan'
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'Why Don't You Sing Along?' (Grigory)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'We Are Humble Elders, Honest Monks' (Grigory)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'What Are You Starung At Me Like That For?' (Grigory)
Boris Godunov: Act One - Scene Two: 'And His Age... And His Age...'

Tracks:

Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'Where Are You, My Betrothed'
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'Oh, That's Enough, Princess, My Dear!'
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'A Gnat Was Chopping Wood'
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'My Little Tale Is About This And That'
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'What's The Matter? Has A Wild Beast Surprised A Sitting Hen?' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'I Have Achieved Absolute Power' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'Hey, Pss!' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'Our Little Parrot Was With The Nannies' (Boris, Shuisky)
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'Ah, It's You, Glorious Orator' (Boris, Shuisky)
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'In Uglich, In The Cathedral, In Front Of All The People' (Shuisky, Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Two: 'Phew! I Feel Terrible! Let Me Catch My Breath' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene One: 'By The Sky-Blue Waters Of The Vistula, Under A Shady Willow' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene One: 'Enough! The Beautiful Lady Is Grateful' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene One: 'Marina Is Bored. Oh, How Bored!' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene One: 'Ah! Oh, It's You, My Father' (Marina, Rangoni)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene One: 'With Tender, Ardent Words Of Love' (Rangoni, Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene One: 'What?... You Impudent Liar!' (Marina, Rangoni)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'At Midnight, In The Garden, By The Fountain'
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'Tsarevich!' (Rangoni)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'Can A Humble And Sinful Man, Praying For His Dear Ones' (Rangoni)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'Tsarevich, Hide!' (Rangoni)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: Polonaise - 'I Do Not Believe In Your Passion, Sir' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'That Crafty Jesuit, He Has Got Me Firmly In The Grip' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: How Long And Agonizing' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'Oh, Tsarevich, I Beg You' (Marina)
Boris Godunov: Act Three - Scene Two: 'My Turtledoves!' (Rangoni, Marina)

Tracks:

Boris Godunov: Act Four: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Act Four: 'What, Is Mass Finished Already?'
Boris Godunov: Act Four: 'Trrr, trrr - Iron Cap'
Boris Godunov: Act Four: 'Ah-ah-ah! Boris' (Boris, Shuisky)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'Exalted Boyars!'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'Well, Then? Let's Go And Vote, Boyars'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'What A Shame That Prince Shuisky Isn't Here'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'He Was Whispering: Keep Away, Keep Away' (Shuisky, Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'Here, By The Front Entrance' (Shuisky, Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'A Humble Monk' (Pimen, Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'Once, In The Evening' (Pimen)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'The Tsarevich - Quickly!' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'Farewell, My Son' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene One: 'A Bell! A Funeral Knell!' (Boris)
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: Introduction
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'Bring Him Over Here!'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'It's Not A Falcon Flying In The Heavens'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'The Sun And Moon Have Grown Dark'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'Hey Ho!'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'Domine, Domine, Salvum Fac'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: March - 'Glory To You, Tsarevich'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'We, Dimitri Ivanovich'
Boris Godunov: Act Four - Scene Two: 'Flow, Flow, Bitter Tears'

Amazon.com

Claudio Abbado uses Mussorgsky's text in a condition almost as complete as Mstislav Rostropovich's but avoiding some overlap from variant readings. He brings to his conducting the same vitality and scrupulous attention to small details that are familiar from his work in Italian opera. His cast is good throughout and particularly strong in the leading roles. This is a Boris to live with, one that gets better with repeated hearings. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Read all these .......2006-01-13

Glowing reviews on Abbado and his fine castings performance.
Makes my job alot easier :-)
Was there a finer Boris as Anatoly Kotcherga?
Was there a more beautiful voice for Xenia than Valentina Valenta?
Well in order to answer these 2 questions you will need to order this cd.

Was this review helpful?
Do you feel this opinion overhype's in any way?

You know hype is a bad thing, as it leads folks to purchase less than stellar recordings.. Shame on those who do so.

THIS IS THE ONLY BORIS YOU NEED.

The agony of evil isn't here--but everything else is.......2005-09-29

For svirtuosic playing and excellent sound, I agree with the reviewer who picks this version of the Shostakovich edition (working from Mussorgsky's original orchestration) and the Karajan for Rimsky-Korsakov's more "civilzed" reorchestration. I think we're past the time when only one or the other can be approved; each is wonderful in its own way.

I just wanted to add that in theater tradition Boris is an agonized, guilty monster, a Czar who used murder to gain his throne. He attracts sympathy through overt suffering, not for any sympathetic quality other than love of his son. To portray this agony is essential, and it is almost impossible to overplay it so far as Russian audiences are concerned. Even the scenery-chewing Boris Christoff, who practically gets hysterical in the clock and death scenes, is actually right in line. Abbado's Boris, the estimable Anatoly Kotcherga, I find rather cool and restrained when it comes to guilt-ridden agony, but the overall cast is so good--especially Dmitri and Marina, who tend to be awful on Soviet recordings--that I agree wholeheartedly with the amazon reviewer. This is a Boris to live with for a long time to come.

THE definitive Shostakovich version.......2003-06-22

If I had to recommend Boris to anyone, I would first say that there ARE two versions. Secondly, both ARE worth getting. Thirdly, this IS the definitive "Shostakovich version"; and fourthly, the definitive "Rimsky-Korsakov arrangement" is that conducted by Herbert von-Karajan on Decca, with Nicolai Ghiaurov in the title role. That is, of course, if you want the BEST in my view.

I find it intriguing to compare the two versions and the tonal differences. This version also has a few extra scenes, but the differences have been more or less exhausted by other reviewers. My comment is on the quality of this recording, beginning with Abbado's conducting. As with his incomparable Khovanshchina, the detail, phrasing and passion of his reading humble and seduce you to the point of ecstasy! The pace is brisk but never rushed and none of Boris' pathos and guilt is lost.

This brings me to the singers and a continuous line of superlatives. The chorus- the very voice and soul of the Russian people- is superb in their harmonisation of Mussorgsky's more "rustic" arrangement. The dark comedy is well portrayed both in their forced supplications and more genuine internal bickerings in the first scene. Throughout the recording, they capture the subtle tonal discords that bring this recording "closer to the original" Mussorgsky composition. And then Boris himself: Kotscherga, like Ghiaurov, is gifted with a naturally deep, sonorous bass voice, but this is a completely different Boris. While Ghiaurov's more lordly tone is all the more tragic for his broken character in the end where he softens his voice (with brilliant contrasting effect), Kotscherga's more sombre voice shows a growingly tortured Tsar from beginning to climatic end.

The remainder of the cast? Simply brilliant: both Xenia and Feodor are of convincing tones for their youthful characters. Sergei Larin has achieved wide acclaim for his brilliant tenor, and here, as Grigory/The Pretender, he portrays the passionate romantic with beautiful tone and conviction. The role of Shuisky is one that I always relish. The pinnacle of his sly craft was reached, in my view, by Maslennikov on the Decca set. His outburst during the scene in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in the Red Square has a bite and venom that has not been surpassed. Similarly, his malignings before the Boyar Council in the Kremlin are chilling. In this recording, Langridge comes closest, however, and his interpretation is still quite effective. Ramey, as Pimen, is dark and foreboding, and in his voice you feel the weight of his chronicling. Von Karajan boasts a more comic duo in terms of the two drunken monks Varlaam and Missail but here, Nikolsky and Wildhaber are more than adequate. Where Marina is concerned, I must confess a bias towards Lipovsek. In my view, she can do no wrong and here she is as dramatic as always and, appreciably, WITHOUT the unsteady and violent wobble. In my view, she is vocally much preferable to Vishnevskaya on the Decca set.

Many people recommend the bargain set produced by Gergiev for Phillips because of its 2 for 1 price. I have heard it only in passing so I will not comment on its individual quality (though it is acclaimed), save to say that the Decca and Sony sets above are far superior. This is not to say, however, that the Gergiev set is not a good reading. Nevertheless, my review speaks for itself: get THIS recording of the Shostakovich arrangement.

A monumental achivement.......2002-11-11

This is one phenominal recording! As Boris, Anatoly Kotcherga is truly awesome, and Marjana Lipovsek is almost spellbinding as Marina. The rest of the cast,(and there are many), along with Claudio Abbado and The Berlin Philharmonic, make this version of Boris Godunov a magical experience.

A must have.......2000-03-27

Here you have a stong cast of singers doing their roles with great musicality and character. Claudio Abbado conducts the score with great care and love. Finally and most importantly you have the Berlin Philharmonic in all its sonic glory. The playing and colors that the orchestra produce are staggering. No orchestra has even come close to this level of playing. Details are clear and there is power aplenty when needed. It is clear why the Berlin Philharmonic is the worlds best.

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An uplifting experience
One of the best, and latest, of the Robeson recordings...
Paul Robeson Live
New version available in UK
Question

Paul Robeson Live at Carnegie Hall

Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000EFU
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Customer Reviews:

An uplifting experience.......2006-12-05

If one takes into account the time at which this recording was made, and the surrounding events affecting his life, one can truly appreciate the significance of this album. Experiencing oppression not only from the U.S. but later the Canadian government to travel abroad, Robeson was impeded, but not prevented from singing in the name of peace, human rights, and the rights of the common worker. Victory was at hand when on May, 9 1958, the date of this recording, Paul Robeson announced that his passport battle had been won. This is the recording of a triumphant gentleman, a loving, ecstatic audience, and very importantly, a talented and very attuned pianist (Alan Booth). With this in mind one can more greatly appreciate how special this concert was. The magic of this recording trancends Robeson's impeccable singing. It is the concert as a whole that makes it so spectacular. Listen to 'Joe Hill', think of Robeson's battle, and hear why it is so powerful. Or listen to 'O No John', Alan Booth pounding the keys on the last notes, and the audience's response. Every person in Carnegie Hall was riveted. Well worth the price, and an uplifting experience.

One of the best, and latest, of the Robeson recordings..........2006-10-17

This concert came along in 1958, when Paul's passport was restored and he was allowed to travel and make a living again, after several years of being on the Communist blacklist. His joy at performing once more for his traditional audience comes through in every track. That same year, he did a concert at his brother's church in Harlem, and when Columbia Records issued that one, it had another winner. Not long after those shows, Paul went overseas for five years, suffering a health crisis that brought him back to America in 1963, broken down and unable to perform consistently. He spent his last decade or so of life on the sidelines, living quietly with his sister in Philadelphia. This concert, then, along with the one at Mother Zion Church, is one of the final triumphs of one of the most interesting American lives. We know now that Paul's stubborn support of the Soviet Union in the Stalin era was a tragic flaw in his character, but he had magnificent gifts of voice and of acting presence, and had he come to the attention of audiences in 1957 instead of 1927, he would likely have earned millions as a singer and actor, and his political and social radical activism would have been a much smaller impediment to his career. If you already own some Robeson recordings, add this one because it represents him at the beginning of what was then "old age." If you own none, this concluding album is actually a fine starting point, because his earlier work suffers a bit from the primitive recording technology of the '30's and '40's.

Paul Robeson Live.......2006-07-11

Of course his baritone is fabulous. His rendition of Joe Hill is unforgettable - this was a song he sang for the builders' labourers on the site of the Sydney Opera House in around 1969 -also Old Man River, which he made his own. He should have sung this in the film of the musical Showboat but he was passed over for an inferior voice by the producers because he was a member of the Communist Party. A pity. He also sings some gospel on this CD, I'm not mad about religious songs but if you like them then you'll love this.

New version available in UK.......2006-02-18

This version is now redundant as Vanguard has released a version in 2005 with the original album cover for the first time and with new sleeve notes. The sound is also better. I purchased it from amazon.co.uk.

Question.......2005-09-29

I would like to buy Paul Robeson CD with "Old Man River" and "Kevin Barry (Irish)"

Average customer rating:

Russian favorites
Great Performances Of Tchaikovsky By Gergiev and Kirov
Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien, etc

Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Lyadov
Anatol Konstantinovich Lyadov , Boris Godunov orchestrated by Shostakovich (not Rimsky-Korsakov) , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Valery Gergiev , and St.Petersburg Kirov Orchestra
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

Russian favorites.......2004-10-13

The fabulous combination of Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra give us sumptuous, robust interpretations of these familiar pieces, that are the heart and soul of Russia in sound.
The first piece, from that most Russian of all composers, Modest Moussorgsky, is a scene from his magnificent opera "Boris Godounov", in which Boris is being crowned, with the guilt of knowing he has murdered the rightful heir to the throne, amid the cheers of the crowd, and the church bells ringing; this recorded version uses the arrangement by Dimitri Shostakovich, and includes the Chorus of the Kirov Opera.

"Slavonic March" was music made to inspire people to join the Slavic-Turkish war of 1876, and Tchaikovsky used as a basis for the melodies Serbian folk songs and the Russian anthem; it is followed by ballet music from one of Tchaikovsky's most beloved operas, "Eugene Oniegin". I especially like the wonderful waltz, and Gergiev's performance of it is glorious.
Anatol Lyadov's "The Enchanted Lake" is perhaps the least known piece on this CD; a dreamy, slow and delicate work that shimmers under Gergiev's baton, and it is an excerpt from an unfinished opera, which as the liner notes explain, was something Lyadov did often, leaving behind few finished compositions for posterity.

Once again using folk songs to inspire him, Tchaikovsky's "Capriccio Italien" is one of my favorite concert "war-horses" that no matter how many times heard, is always a thrill, almost in the same league as Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio Espagnol", and you won't hear it more expressively played than this. Recorded at the Concertgebouw in Haarlem, The Netherlands, in 1993, the sound is quite good and total playing time is 54'05.

Great Performances Of Tchaikovsky By Gergiev and Kirov.......2002-02-14

These are magnificient, passionate performances of some of Tchaikovsky's most popular "minor" compositions, such as the Slavonic March and Capriccio Italien. Those composed by other Russian composers are fine too. Gergiev leads the Kirov Orchestra in some of the most dynamic performances I've heard of these works, especially the Capriccio Italien. If I'm not mistaken, this was their first recording for Philips. It's a great introduction to the splendid chemistry and great musicianship of Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra; the latter most certainly one of the great European orchestras.

Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien, etc.......2001-03-06

Gergiev brings fire and refinement to these selections, especially the Marche Slave. Beware of Sony pawning off the "cla ssic Bernstein" recordings of Marche Slave and Capriccio Italien as the "Royal recordings" for HRM Charles. Despite the fancy gold ink on the cover, the 1960's recordings of Bernstein wither in both execution and recording quality of Gergiev and his Kirov Symphony.

Original Masters: Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1964-1975 [BOX SET]

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My own life is behind these recordings
Don't go for broke unless you're a die-hard Stokowski fan
More Sensational Stokowski

Original Masters: Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1964-1975 [BOX SET]

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00067R3BQ
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

My own life is behind these recordings.......2007-06-10

I can assure that one of the reason I love music is due to these recordings of Mr. Stokowsky. My father had the record of Scherezade and, though my father was an ignorant about cultivated music, he knew very well what to appreciate. We never argued when I played Beethoven's first symphony so loud, however, he always did when I played Rolling Stones so loud. I adore that he taught me to appreciate Rimsky-korsakov's music as well as Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Spagnolo so young. He was wise, on his way. I can't help to cry for him, listening to Borodin's Palatsovian dances, because, it is great music, and, having into account that I used to love it by Mr. Stokowsky's work, it doubles my crying and my remembrance. He loved the record so much. I love you, daddy.

Don't go for broke unless you're a die-hard Stokowski fan.......2006-09-22

When Stokowski began to make Phase 4 recordings for Decca in 1964, he was already 82, but he hadn't lost his energy or his tendency to shape music in outlandish ways. I mostly love him, but this box set duplicates recordings that can be found on the Cala label, which has been releasing everything Stokowski in the world, and on Decca single CDs if you go to the used market.

I mention this because the whole box set, Vol. 2 in the Original Masters series, continas some forgettable performances, in particular the rhythmically slack Beethoven Sym. 5 and 7, the over-highlighted Schubert 'Unfinished,' and a live Brahms First that seems manic and forced too much of the time. However, if you think of Stokowski having little to offer in the German classics, here is an exceptional Beethoven Ninth, one of the best things from his late career and wonderful in every way.

Decca knows that the crowd-pleasers are the gaudy, multi-miked Phase 4 versions of Scheherazade, as bombastic as you could imagine, and lots of Russian fare, including Stoki's signature synthesis from Boris Godunov. The 1812 Over., by the way, isn't over the top and yet needed to be. Finally, this German-Russian collection contains a thrilling disc of Wagner excerpts, much of it grossly over-miked, but at its core containing very impressive, vital interpretations.

In all, I'd select the Wagner, the Beethoven Ninth, and the legendary Scheherazade as the best things here. Buy them separately or take the plunge for this whole box, your choice.

More Sensational Stokowski.......2005-06-08

It took me a while to purchase this six-disc set in UNI's "Original Masters" series, but I finally did this past weekend. Classical music fans seem to either love or hate Leopold Stokowski (I, of course, love him), and unfortunately much of "Decca Recordings 1964-75, Volume 2" will be old news to serious devotees of the conductor. While I'm not familiar with the complete Decca back-catalog, at least three full discs worth of material have been previously available in the old "Weekend Classics" series -- Beethoven's 5th & 7th, Beethoven's 9th, and the Wagner selections. (I'm pretty sure the Rimsky-Korsakov material on disc five, and the Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky pieces on disc six have been issued prior too.) This is good news for those who came to collecting classical CDs late (like me) because while the Wagner is still available individually, the Beethovens have been fetching absurd prices in the Amazon Marketplace. The only material receiving its first international release is contained on disc 3 -- a Schubert "Unfinished" with the London Philharmonic from 1969 and a rousing live performance of the Brahms 1st with the London Symphony on the occasion of the conductor's 60th anniversary leading that body. The original instruments crowd will surely turn up their noses at these legendary performances, but me, I'll just sit back and listen to some more sensational sounding Stokowski.

Mussorgsky-Stokowski: Pictures at an Exhibition

Average customer rating:

FOR A HIGH CHOLESTEROL ORCHESTRAL DIET
Not much Stokowski there.
A Naxos Triumph!
Leopold, Leopold, Leopold
Extraordinary recording by the Bournemouth Symphony and José Serebrier

Mussorgsky-Stokowski: Pictures at an Exhibition

Manufacturer: Naxos
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Binding: Audio CD

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Entr'Acte To Act IV Of Khovanshchina
Symphonic Synthesis Of Boris Godunov
Promenade
Gnomus
Promenade
Il Vecchio Castello
Bydlo
Promenade
Ballet De Poussins Dans Leurs Coques
Samuel Goldberg And Schmuyle
Catacombs - Sepulchrum Romanum; Con Mortuis In Lingua Mortua
La Cabane Sur Des Pattes De Poule
La Grande Porte De Kiev
Solitude, Op.73, No.6
Humoresque, Op.10, No.2
Traditional Slavic Christmas Music

Customer Reviews:

FOR A HIGH CHOLESTEROL ORCHESTRAL DIET.......2006-11-17

Comparing the arrangements of Pictures at an Exhibition by Ravel and Stokowski is a fascinating exercise. They both seem so characteristic of the two arrangers. The cool French aesthete (though with his own hidden daemons just like Mussorgsky) paints with precision but with impressionist or even post-impressionist hues. Here is Monet, Cezanne or, in the bolder pieces, even van Gogh. The Londoner who liked to assume the persona of some sort of Slavic shaman/maestro is given to bolder, brasher colours - Kandinsky perhaps? Both are masters of the orchestra. Both remain true to the essentially Russian spirit of Mussorgsky - perhaps even more so in the case of Stokowski. Which perhaps explains why he developed the bizarre suspicion that the two 'French' pieces in the Suite - Tuileries and the Limoges Marketplace - were by Rimsky Korsakov and therefore left them out altogether. Maybe it was because Ravel had, naturally, succeeded in making them sound so French in his earlier version. For the rest, Stokowski is more than up for the grotesqueries of the Gnome, the deep Russian darkness of the catacombs, the wildness of Baba Yaga and the splendours of the Great Gate. But it is Ravel who gets closer to the heart of the old castle and Bydlo.

As for the performance, Serebrier was the Sorcerer's Apprentice, having been Stoky's assistant for some years, and he elicits truly Stokowskian sounds from the Bournemouth Symphony whose strings almost (but not quite) approach the velvety richness of the Master's Philadelphians.

The rest of their programme is equally rich fare. The orchestration of Night on the Bare Mountain, made famous in Disney's Fantasia, seems to me far superior to Rimsky Korsakov's and (un-PC though it is to say it) even to Mussorgksy's own. Serebrier rightly brings out the OTT string glissandi and biting brass. The Symphonic Synthesis of Boris is a cousin to the similar syntheses Stokowski made from Tristan and Parsifal and, like them, provides a rewarding distillation of the opera's music in purely orchestral garb. Here, Stoky seems to stay closer to Mussorgsky's original sound than Rimsky or Shostakovich. The disc ends with a trio of Beechamesque lollipops, all predictably gorgeous, especially Stokowski's own Traditional Slavic Christmas Music where his youthful experience as an organist seems to come through in the tiered orchestration.

Maybe this disc will not tax the listener's intellect overmuch, but it will provide him with enormous dollops of orchestral pleasure. And at a budget price.

Not much Stokowski there........2005-12-28

Compare to Stokowski's own interpretation, I just wonder how Serebrier change these intense transcriptions into dull, flat, and boring experience. His speed is so mechanical, and wash a lot of drama out of the work. If you don't want to be Stokowski, fine, but remember this is Mussorgsky, not Bach-Stokowski.

Although no one can be like Stokowski himself, Bamert still trying hard to sound like Stokowski in these transcriptions. Serebrier, on the other hand, trying to offer his own view. Pitifully, he falls far behind Stokowski.

One good thing about this recording is its wonderful sound. Rozhdestvensky did show us how harsh sound can ruin Stokowski's Pictures at an Exhibition. The good sound quality here makes the Pictures at an Exhibition still a valuable viewpoint. Ironically , it is the superb recording reveal how flat the interpretaions of Boris Godunov, A Night on Bare Mountain, and Entr'acte to ActIV of Khovanshchina are.

If you don't have Stokowski's own interpretion on your collection, I would like to stop you from buying this recording because of lack of the Stoki's excitement here. If you looking for a Stoki-like modern recording of Mussorgsky-Stokowski, I would recommend Bamert on Chandos over this. However, if you already have Stoki's own interpretion, Serebrier can still offer a different viewpoint of these transcriptions.

Some additional information..
A similiar viewpoint of Stokowski's Mussorgsky can also be found in Oliver Knussen's interpretation. The DG issue with a better orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and probabily better sound effect, too. The sound there is more tense.

A Naxos Triumph!.......2005-10-25

For half the price of at least two competing labels that I know of, you can have this recording of Stokowski's most beloved transciptions. I bought this release mainly for the "Symphonic Synthesis" which Stokowski created to bring more popularity to the massive complete opera. You get 24 minutes of shimmering sound, competing with anything in the symphonic genre. In fact everything sounds great on this disc. Meastro Serebrier,(a protege and life long friend of Stokowski) the Bournemouth Symphony, and the engineers are all in top form and dedicated. It is interesting to compare the differences of the Stokowski arrangements. He comes off more horrific than Rimsky-Korsakov on "Night on Bare Mountain", just have a listen to those exagerated screeches of brass. In "Pictures" Stokowski in his own words stated he wanted to take Ravels French out of the work and give it a more Russian feel. Balance, tempo, and detail in specific passages of each picture may or may not achieve this. I do think his version is more spacious overall, and less congested in the concluding "Great Gate of Kiev". Stokowski eliminates two annoying pictures stating he didn't think the composer wrote them in the score anyway! Recall that Rimsky-Korsakov's original piano version included them. Were they genuine? Three miniature bonus works are included. Most interesting is the Stokowski composition "Tradional Slavic Christmas Music" based on Slavic themes, is brief leaving one wanting for more.

Leopold, Leopold, Leopold.......2005-10-20

One of my favorite episodes of BUGS BUNNY (perhaps my only favorite, I was never a big LOONEY TOONS fan) has Bugs getting in trouble while singing the song "April Showers" in the presence of an opera star. The man finds the rabbit annoying, and Bugs being Bugs decides to get the best of him. On an evening when the buffoon is singing, Bugs dons a wig that resembles the hair style of a great conductor, a caricature of Leopold Stokowski. As soon as Bugs enters the area everyone is all a buzz because Leopold has arrived. Bugs grabs the baton and begins conducting. I was probably twelve or thirteen at the time, and I felt rather sophisticated because I knew who Leopold was other than one of the husbands of Gloria Vanderbilt.

Stokowski was one of the most famous conductors of his day, and he was a well known musical arranger as well. His day was a time when symphony orchestras had regular arrangers who transcribed famous keyboard pieces for orchestra. They somewhat fell out of fashion in the 1970's but today there seems to be a renewed interest in some of transcriptions, recognizing the contributions of the musical arrangers. This release by Naxos has some of Stokowski's arrangements of some of Mussorgsky's music as well as a few pieces by Tchaikovsky and an arrangement of Slavic Christmas music.

Overall, this is an interesting disc. The arrangement of "Night on Bald Mountain" is not as fulsome as the more familiar Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration, but the differences in the two do illustrate the interesting tidbits on the score. The same can be said for his orchestration of "Pictures at an Exhibition." The Ravel orchestration, today's performance standard, has more power, and perhaps because of its familiarity more of an appeal, but some of Stokowski's arrangements have a smoother sound which seems to be in keeping with an art gallery exhibit. His orchestral arrangement of music from BORIS GODUNOV plays like a symphonic poem and does capture the mood of the work.

Listeners will find this recording both interesting, enjoyable, and since the "Bald Mountain" arrangement is the same as the arrangement used in FANTASIA, perhaps a bit nostalgic. It will also give people a new appreciation of Mussorgsky as a composer. Maybe Naxos can release another Stokowski transcription disc with his arrangements of Bach's music.

Extraordinary recording by the Bournemouth Symphony and José Serebrier.......2005-08-28

This is one of the most extraordinary recordings of the decade, as announced by Felipe Marsans in his review in Diario Las Americas. The sound of this demonstration recording is spectacular! The performances are extraordinary, inspired,
magnificent from the opening track (Night on Bold Mountain) to the unexpected final track: an "original" work by Leopold Stokowski, based on a known ancient Christmas tune. The little Tchaikovsky item is something to make the listener cry, as is the Entre'Acte from Mussorgsky's opera Khovantchina. The Boris
is a masterpiece, and the performance is incredible in every sense. The Stokowski orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition, quite different from Ravel's and more Russian and tru to the original, will blow you off the room. I can't wait for the multy-channel versions to be released, on SACD and DVD Audio.
Extraordinary!
Stephen Bradbury
Oxford, UK

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Boris Christoff

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0006VYEIC
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Skorbit Dusha!
Yeshcho Odno Poslyedneye Skazanye
Nye Syetuy, Brat
Kak Vo Gorode Bylo Vo Kazane
Dostig Ya vyshey Vlasti
Uf! Tyazhelo!
Prosnulsa Ya... Oh/Dushno!
Zvon! Pogrebal Ny Zvon!
Nateshilsya Li Knyaz?
O Net, Net, Drug
U Lyudey-To V Domu'
dlya Beregov Otchizni Dal'Noy
Song Of The Viking Guest
Prince Yuri's Aria
Prince Gremin's Aria
Song Of The Volga boatmen
Mephistopheles' Song Of The Flea

Tracks:

Le Veau D'or Est Toujours Debout
Siegneur, Daignex Permettre
Qu'Attendez-Vous Encore?... Vous Qui Faites L'Endormie
Decidesti Il Suo Destin... Con Le Mie Guardie... O Tu La Cosa Mia Piu Cara
Uldino! Non Hai Veduto?... Mentre Gonfiarsi L'anima
Ella Giammai M'Amo!
Son Lo Spirito Che Nega
Berceuse, Op.16 No.1
None But The Lonely Heart, Op.6 No.6
Along The Petersky
I. With Nanny
II. In The Corner
III. The Beetle
IV. With The Doll
V. At Bedtime
I. Trepak
IV. The Field-Marshal

Average customer rating:

Terrific performance and good sound
Christoff Boris

Boris Godunov
Mussorgsky , Christoff , and Cluytens
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Verdi: Otello

ASIN: B00006I0DL
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

Andante/Nu, Shtozh Vy?
Na Kovo Ty Nas Pokidaesh
Pravoslavnyye! Nye Umolin Boyarin!
Slava Tebye, Tvorstu Vsevyshnemu, Na Zemle!
Moderato
Da Zdravstvuet Tsar Boris Feodorovich!
Skorbit Dusha!
Slava, Slava, Slava!
Yescho Odno Poslyedneye Skazanye
Bozhe Krepky, Pravy
Ty Vsyo Pisal I Snom Nye Pzabylsa
Nye Syetuy, Brat
A Syn Yevo Fyodor?
Davno, Chestnoy, Otyets
Zvonyat K Zautrenye
Allegro Con Brio.../Poymala Ya Siza Seleznya
Zheno, Mir Domu Tvoemu!
Kak Vo Gorode Bylo Vo Kazane
Kak Yedet Yon
Vy Shto Za Lyudi?
Ya Gramotny

Tracks:

Gdye Ty, Zhenikh Moy
Kak Komar Drova Rubil
Ekh, Mama, Mamushka, Vot Kak Skazochka!
Chevo? Al Lyuty Zvyer Nasyedku Vspolokhnul?
A Ty, Moy Syn, Chem Zanyat?
Dostig Ya Vyshey Vlasti
Ay, Kysh!...Shto Takoe?
Ny, Shot?...Popinka Nash Sidyel
Veliky Gosudar, Chelom Byu
Slykhal Li Ty, Kogda-Nibud'
V Ugliche, V Soborye Pred Vsyem Narodom
Uf! Tyazhelo! Day Dukh Perevedu
Na Vislye Lazurnoy, Pod Ivoy Tenistoy
Dovol'no! Krasotka Panna Blagodarna
Skuchno Marinye, Akh, Kak Skuchno-To!
A! Akh, Eto Ty, Moy Otyets!
Krasoyu Scoyeyu Pleni Samozvantsa!
Shto? Dyerzky Izhets!

Tracks:

V Polnoch...V Sadu...U Fontana
Tsaryevich!...Opyat' Za Mnoy!
Dovol'No! Slishkom Mnogo Upryokov
Polonaise.../Vashey Strasti Ya Ney Vyeryu, Panye
Lezuit Lukavy Krepko Zhal Menya
Dimitry! Tsaryevich Dimitry!
Tebya, Tebya Odnu, Marina
O Tsaryevich, Umolyayu
Vali Syuda!
Nye Soko Ketit Po Podnebyesyu
Trr...Zhelyezny Kolpak, Zhelyezny Kolpak!
Solntse, Luna Pomyerknuli
Domine, Domine, Salvum Fac Regem
Slava Tebye, Tsaryevichu, Bogom Spasyennomu
Lyeytes, Lyeytes Slyozy Gorkiye
Shtozh/ Poydom Na Golosa, Boyare
Zhal', Shuyskovo
Ya Sozval Vas, Boyare
Smiryenny Inok
Oy; Dushno! Dushno! Svyetu!
Proshchay, Moy Syn, Umirayu
Zvon! Pogrebal'ny Zvon!

Customer Reviews:

Terrific performance and good sound.......2007-06-03

If you are not preoccupied about exactly who wrote what notes in this version of the opera, this set will sweep you off your feet.

Christoff Boris.......2002-12-19

How I do love this recording! I got it on LP's eons ago. The CD re mastering is wonderful. Much more sonic detail.
I realize that we're now supposed to eschew (or even detest) the
Rimsky version of this opera (of which this recording is an example); but this Boris is still the one for me. Christoff (who sings three roles on this recording) is amazing as the tormented and guilt-ridden Czar. He floats the last few bars of the farewell to Feodor/prayer to a degree of breath-taking (No. Make that jaw-dropping) beauty I've not heard any other Boris do before or since this recording. Evelyn Lear is in sumptuous voice as Marina. The Dimitri and the rest of the cast are also admirable.
If one is not totally dedicated to the detestation of the Rimsky edition (or even if one is so dedicated), this is a Boris not to be missed.

Modest Moussorgsky: Boris Godounov (1869 Version & 1872 Version) - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Opera & Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Boris...Boris?
Had my copy
Outstanding performance(s) by Gergiev and his forces
One of the best from russia
beautiful...

Modest Moussorgsky: Boris Godounov (1869 Version & 1872 Version) - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Opera & Orchestra
Andrei Karabanov , Grigory Karasev , Yuri Laptev , Olga Borodina , Vladimir Galusin , and Kirov Opera & Orchestra
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DI3M
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Boris Godounov: Part 1, Scene 1: Courtyard In The Novodevichy Monastery - Orchestral Introduction - Well What Are You Waiting For?
Boris Godounov: Part 1, Scene 1 - For Whom Dost Thou Forsake Us?
Boris Godounov: Part 1, Scene 1 - People Of The Orthodox Faith
Boris Godounov: Part 1, Scene 1 - Glory To Thee, Our Lord
Boris Godounov: Part 1, Scene 2 Square In Moscow Kremlin (Coronation Scene) - Long Live Tsar Boris Feodorovich
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 2 - My Soul Is Sad
Boris Godounov: Part 1, Scene 2 - Glory! Glory! Glory!
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 1: Cell In The Chudov Monastery - Just One More Final Tale
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 1 - Lord, Our Heavenly Father - That Same Dream Again
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 1 - You Have Gone On Writing
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 1 - Holy Father, For A Long Time
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 1 - Boris! Boris!
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 2: An Inn At The Lithuanian Frontier - Can I Bring You Anything, Reverant Fathers?
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 2 - It All Happened In The Town Of Kazan
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 2 Why Don't You Join In The Singing?
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 2 - There He Goes - What Sort Of People Are You?
Boris Godounov: Part 2, Scene 2 - I Can Read

Tracks:

Boris Godounov: Part 3: Scene 1: The Tsar's Apartments In The Moscow Kremlin 'Terem' - My Dear Husband
Boris Godounov: Part 3: - That's Enough Now, My Precious Tsarevich
Boris Godounov: Part 3: I Have Achieved Supreme Power
Boris Godounov: Part 3: Yesterday Evening, Pushkin's Servant. . .
Boris Godounov: Part 3: No! Wait, Wait, Shuisky
Boris Godounov: Part 3: It Is Not Execution That I Fear
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 1 - A Square In Front Of The Cathedral Of St. Basil - What? Is Mass Over?
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 1: Trrr, Trrr, Tin Hat - The Moon Is On It's Travels
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 1 - What Is He Weeping About?
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2: Assembly-Hall In The Moscow Kremlin (Death Of Boris) - Boyars Of Noble Rank
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2 - What? Let Us Vote, Boyars
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2 - It's A Pity That Prince Shuisky Isn't Here
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2: Get Away . . . Get Away!
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2 - A Humble Monk
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2 - Once In A Deep Sleep
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2 - Leave Us! All Of You, Go!
Boris Godounov: Part 4, Scene 2 - O Lord! Look Down

Tracks:

Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 1: A Courtyard In The Novodevichy Monastery - Well, What Are You Waiting For?
Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 1: For Whom Dost Thou Forsake Us?
Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 1: People Of The Orthodox Faith
Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 1: Glory To Thee, Our Lord
Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 2: A Square In The Moscow Kremlin (Coronation Scene) - Long Live Tsar Boris Feodorovich
Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 2 : My Soul Is Sad
Boris Godounov: Prologue, Scene 2 : Glory! Glory! Glory!
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 1: A Cell In The Chudov Monastery - Just One More Final Tale
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 1 : Lord, Our Heavenly Father - That Same Dream Again
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 1: You Have Gone On Writing
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 1: Holy Father, For A Long Time
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 1: It Is The Bell For Matins
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 2: An Inn On The Lithuanian Frontier - I Caught A Grey Drake
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 2: It All Happened In The Town Of Kazan
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 2: Why Don't You Join In The Singing?
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 2: There He Goes - What Sort Of People Are You?
Boris Godounov: Act 1, Scene 2: I Can Read

Tracks:

Boris Godounov: Act 2: The Tsar's Apartments In The Moscow Kremlin (Terem) - Where Are You, My Dear Husband?
Boris Godounov: Act 2: Ah! That's Enough Now
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : So The Gnat Was Chopping Some Firewood
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : Ah, Nurse, Nanny
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : Ah! - What? Has A Wild Beast. . .
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : I Have Achieved Supreme Power
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : How Heavily Weighs The Right Hand Of The Fearful Judge
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : Ah, Shoo!
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : Our Little Parrot Was Sitting
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : My Son, My Own Dear Child!
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : Ah, The Most Illustrious Orator
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : Take Measures Immediately
Boris Godounov: Act 2 : At The Cathedral In Uglich
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 1: Marina Mnishek's Dressing Room At The Castle Of Sandomir - On The Azure Vistula
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 1: Enough!
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 1 : Ruzya, I Do Not Need You Today - How Tediously. . .
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 1 : Ah! It's You, My Father!
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 1 : Captivate The Pretender With Your Beauty!
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 1 : Your Eyes Have Started To Sparkle With A Hellish Flame
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2: The Garden Of The Mnishek Castle At Sandomir - At Midnight. . . In The Garden. . . Near The Fountain
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : Tsarevich!
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : A Humble, Sinful Pilgrim
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : Tsarevich, Conceal Yourself!
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : That Crafty Jesuit
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : The WIfe Of That Toothless Debauchee
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : It Is She! Marina!
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : But It Is Not For Amorous Conversations
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : You Alone, Marina I Worship
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : Leaders From All Corners Of Russia
Boris Godounov: Act 3, Scene 2 : O, Tsarevich, I Beg You, Do Nor Curse Me

Tracks:

Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1: Assembly-Hall In The Moscow Kremlin (Death of Boris) - Boyars Of Noble Rank
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : What? Let Us Vote, Boyars
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : It's A Pity That Prince Shuisky Isn't Here
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : Get Away. . . Get Away!
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : A Humble Monk
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : Once In A Deep Sleep
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : Leave Us! All Of You, Go!
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 1 : O Lord! Look Down
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2: A Forest Glade Near Kromy (Revolution Scene) - Over Here! Sit Him Down On The Stump!
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : Trrr, Trrr, Tin Hat! - The Moon Is On Its Travels
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : The Sun And The Moon Have Faded
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : Hurrah! Daring Boldness Has Broken Free
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : Domine, Salvum Fac Regem
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : Glory To You, Tsarevich!
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : We, Dmitry Ivanovich
Boris Godounov: Act 4, Scene 2 : Flow, Flow Bitter Tears!

Amazon.com essential recording

Besides being one of the best modern recordings of this masterpiece about a Macbeth-like czar who murders his way to the top, this five-disc set (sold for the cost of three) presents the opera both in its original 1869 version and in its 1872 revision, side by side. The former is clearly not finished: it needs more scenes (key characters have little stage time), and the ones that do exist don't always make their full dramatic impact. However, there's much brilliance even in nascent form, particularly with the composer's discreet breaks with traditional, functional harmony a full 30 years before Debussy. Even passages that sound inept do so eloquently, thanks to Valery Gergiev's seemingly telepathic rapport with Moussorgsky's psychologically penetrating dramaturgy. Key roles are often double cast, which gives vocal and interpretive variety and shows off just how rich the Kirov Opera is in bass voices. I prefer the earlier Boris (the lighter-voiced, more nuanced Nikolai Putilin) to the beefier Vladimir Vaneev in the later version. The later Grigory, Vladimir Galusin, shouts a bit but in a text-attentive way; besides, his character (the pretend czar) is likely to go for bombast. Borodina's Marina is relentlessly imperious and not sufficiently seductive--the one minor problem in this fine, studio-recorded set that signals a great sonic improvement over Kirov's more fatiguing outings in the Mariinsky Theatre. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Boris...Boris?.......2006-12-23

3 versions, what for! Bad versions, bad singers. You have Fedoseyev (original), Ermler and Melik Pashayev...It sounds much better. Great singers and orchestration

Martin

Had my copy.......2006-01-13

For sale for all of 10 minutes. Changed my mind, decided to keep it for the conducting and chorus, and the libretto is slighly better translated than Abbado's Sony release.
But for casting, I prefer the Sony/Abbado. Especially the Boris.
Hey I don't expect this review to be helpful, get them both and decide for youself.
Oh btw the 1869(2 cds) version is not necessary to hear. Have no idea why Gergiev would record it, as the 1872(3 cds) is the definitive complete version.
Also forget all this chat over the Rimsky editing, vs the REAL ORIGINAL and stuff. Makes no difference. What we are all after in this spectatular opera is the casting, chorus, conducting. Who cares which complete version it is, as long as it's done in a superior fashion.

Outstanding performance(s) by Gergiev and his forces.......2003-11-02

Every so often, a recording comes along in which the conductor's conception of an opera sweeps even defective or unsatisfying performances by solo principals before it. Such was the case of the Tullio Serafin "Ballo in Maschera," the Toscanini "Aida," Furtwangler's "Der Freischutz," Charles Dutoit's "Les Troyens," and this recording, which is actually two complete performances for the cost of one. Philips, then, has scored twice with such a gem - both this set and the 1980 Karajan "Falstaff" were recorded for that label.

Gergiev's "Boris"(es) present an astonishing combination of fire, sweep, drama and musicality in a way I have never heard before. From first note to last in both versions, one is struck by the amount of musical and orchestral detail he is able to bring out, making each scene not only "live" in a dramatic sense, but also pulling the loose threads and uneven scenes together in a way that gives this massive, rambling opera shape and focus. I am simply spellbound by this man's abilities, though I am sure that he must use Toscanini-like rages and epithets to achieve his "miraculous" results!

The Moscow reviewer below is correct: the earlier version of the Pimen-Dmitri scene does not use the original music or words when Grigory (the false Dmitri) awakes. But what does such a niggling detail matter in the face of such an powerful, musical reading?

As for the various performers: neither Nikolai Putilin nor Vladimir Vaneev will efface memories of Boris Christoff's rich, tight-focused voice, but strictly as vocal actors they compete with Christoff and then some. Putilin has the higher voice, more of a baritone really, so that his lowest passages present some problems, and he has the archtypical Slavic "wobble" which means that some of his notes sound a bit shaky; yet he has more voice and a better "ring" on the top than Fedoseyev, the pale-voiced Boris of the early-'80s Philips set. His counterpart in the 1982 version, Vladimir Vaneev, has an altogether darker timbre, more like a Russian Gottlob Frick, and is more of a bass, which means that he comes to some grief in the high-lying passages of the Coronation Scene, but otherwise he is splendid, vocally and histrionically.

The Pimen in both sets, Nikolai Ohotnikov, is absolutely splendid: a rich, warm, well-focused low bass, reminiscent at times of the legendary Lev Sibiriakov (now, there's a name that only die-hard collectors will know!). He, too, sings with tremendous feeling, and is in fact much better than Christoff's Pimen on either set (the 1952 Dobrowen version or the stereo Cluytens version)...for all his vocal gold, Christoff could not project the warmth or humanity of Pimen because he had none in his character. (Don't take my word for it, though: talk to anyone who performed with him, or read Nicolai Gedda's account in his autobiography.)

The 1869 Grigory, Viktor Lutsuk, has a bright, ringing voice and good interpretive skills, but he suffers even worse from Slavic wobble than Putilin. The 1872 Grigory, Vladimir Galusin, is of course one of the great singing-actors of our time, caught here in his early prime with a brighter-sounding top than we are used to.

The Moscow reviewer really seems to hate Olga Borodina's Marina. She sings gloriously but, as usual, with an all-purpose tone that does not show much characterization. Evgeny Nikitin has far and away the finest voice I have ever heard in the role of Rangoni, the underhanded Jesuit, but both singers were easily topped dramatically by Mariana Lipovsek and Serge Leiferkus on the Abbado recording. In fact, this is the greatest "Polish scene" I have ever heard. But there is one detail near the end that simply astonished me: when Marina, Grigory and Rangoni come together in their trio, their voices blend perfectly. This is something I thought I would never hear in a modern opera performance, and certainly not in "Boris"!

As Varlaam, Fyodor Kuznetsov is superb in both sets: this is the best and most rhythmically accurate "Town of Kazan" aria I've ever heard from anyone. As Chaliapin pointed out, Varlaam is not a buffoon, but a wandering pilgrim, a drunk who drinks to soothe his unnamed longings, and the "Town of Kazan" song is not so much a jolly comedy piece as an outburst of this longing for the unnamed, a way of bursting out. Kuznetsov captures this perfectly.

Konstantin Pluzhnikov is a superb Shuisky both vocally and dramatically. Olga Trifonova is a wiry-voiced Xenia but characterizes well. The small roles are all sung well. Evgeny Akimov as the Simpleton will not efface memories of Ivan Kozlovsky, the finest Simpleton on records (in the old Mark Riezen set), or Andrea Velis, who sang the role so well at the Met Opera revival of 1975, but he too is quite good.

The one thing you should remember when judging this recording is that Gergiev, unlike others who have recorded the opera, only used singers from his Kirov Opera company. Galsin and Borodina have become stars, but only after the fact. This is akin to Serafin's using only the Rome Opera cast for his 1943 "Ballo in Maschera," another recording that is remarkably excellent despite the stylistic shortcomings of Beniamino Gigli.

I cannot recommend this recording highly enough. If you have no other "Boris," this is the place to start; and even if you have Christoff, this is the place to go next!

One of the best from russia.......2002-06-21

This is russian music and singing at top level. Here you have Moussorgskys OWN versions and not the softer, in my opinion a bit duller Rimsky-Korsakov version.

I go for the so called (most) original, the last one here and if you just want one you can buy it as a one single opera cheaper but this set with two different versions is still a bargain and well worth its money.

I think this is THE most russian opera you could get and Moussorgsky was a genius. And how about Gergiev et al? They are not so bad either (they are VERY good about this) so do youself or a friend a favour and buy this.

beautiful..........2002-03-01

Quite splendid. Russian music - always thrillingly primeval, emotive presented in full here in one of its best examples. Conducting is very excellent and singers are always top cut, especially the basses. Varlaam is especially well sung by Kuzetsnov. And of course the two Boris's are brilliant, although I think the second one is a slight edge on the first.