Customer Reviews

Mussorgsky: Boris Godounov (1869 & 1872 Versions)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

I don't know where the previous reviewer got his information- but BOTH versions here are COMPLETE. I know the opera well and there is nothing missing here from the second version... and the first version is also complete- it is what Moussorgsky had completed by 1869.

These are complete as MOUSSORGSKY wrote them- not the versions with other composers orchestrations (namely Rimsky-Korsakov). Like Khovanschina- Rimsky-Korsakov's version of Boris ruins the opera. These versions are how Moussorgsky invisioned this masterpiece- and that's whose vision should be most important. The only liberty I allow is the KHOVANSCHINA with orchestrations by Shostakovich because he stayed close to what he believed Moussorgsky wanted- Rimsky-Korsakov did what he thought was right.

The Kirov Opera recordings by Philips are magnificant- and Boris fits nicely into place. Great vocals (by real RUSSIANS), great orchestra, and great conducting. The only recording that marvels this one is Abbado's but unfortunately it's the Rimsky-Korsakov version. I have both recordings and give Abbado's the orchestral edge due to the Vienna Philharmonic's presence, but Gergiev's version (and conducting) suceeds all else on the Abbado version. Both are commendable but seeing that you get two complete versions for the price of one with this set- your search should end here.

The first version is very cool to hear as it is hardly ever recorded. The St. Basil's scene is WONDERFUL and is quite possibly my favorite scene of both versions of Boris. This scene alone is worth hearing the first version... It's tighter and meaner than the second version - as Putilin's Boris interpretation shows. He is more fierce than Vaneev, which makes sense- because initially in the first version Boris was not made into a somewhat victim that Moussorgsky made him into in the second version.

I could ramble all day but this recording is simply, overall the best recordings I have heard of this- one of my most beloved operas. Boris is the one great Russian masterpiece....this allows you a glimpse into Moussorgsky's creation of love.

Thinking of buying it = do so. You can't beat getting FIVE HOURS of great and grand Russian music.

When Moskvich (see below) talks about this not being complete- he must be referring to the Coronation Scene. When Rimsky-Korsakov orchestrated Boris one of the things he did was expand the Coronation Scene- which is wrong because you are not getting what Moussorgsky intended but what his good friend chose to put in.

Both versions here are complete as the way Moussorgsky wrote them and intended them to be. They are better off in this state. Would you want to hear a Mozart opera that was reorchestrated by another composer? Absolutely not! The same applies here.

Also- in my previous review I had accidentally said "Abbado's" recording when I was referring to Karajan's recording on DECCA with the Vienna Philharmonic. I rate this PHILIPS recording first, followed by Karajan's, then Abbado's.

Since it appeared in 1998, this two-for-one Boris Godunov has been widely acclaimed. I'd just like to praise the original 1869 version, which is harsher, more compact, and more visceral than all its successors. Here is the Gramophone's brief account of the opera's evolution:

"Mussorgsky composed seven scenes: outside the Novedevichy Monastery, Coronation outside the Kremlin, Pimen's Cell, the Inn, the Tsar's rooms in the Kremlin, outside St Basil's Cathedral, Boris's Death in the Kremlin. When these were rejected by the Imperial Theatres in 1872, he made various revisions. To meet objections about the lack of female roles, he added the two scenes with the Polish princess Marina Mniszek; he also substituted the final Kromy Forest scene for the St Basil's scene (causing a problem by duplicating the episode with the yurodivy, or holy fool). He made a large number of adjustments, some minor, some more significant (such as dropping Pimen's narration of the murder of the young Tsarevich), and one huge, the complete rewriting of the original fifth scene, in the Kremlin, sometimes known as the Terem scene (terem is an obsolete word for a room in a tower). This was the work he resubmitted, and which was first performed in St Petersburg in 1874. Rimsky-Korsakov's famous version (which does much more than reorchestrate) was first heard in 1896, and for many years superseded its predecessors. "

We are used to a central character who expresses many sides of Tsar Boris, but Putilin gives us the raw, villainous Boris that Mussorgsky wanted to convey originally, before he humanized him in various ways, but chiefly throughhis love of his sonFyodor. I found myself riveted to that chatacter, and I agree with those who say that the 1869 and 1872 operas aren't different versions but different works. Gergiev's account is the only one available of the original boris, so it's all the more wonderful that his recording contains so much dramatic fire and passion.

My previous review did not have enough information, which may have confused the readers. When I was talking about the recording as incomplete, I meant not the coronation scene, which is correct, but scene in Pimen's cell. In the first version, Grigoriy wakes to different music and words, while in this recording it is the same in both versions. The same applies to Grigoriy's vow ("Boris, Boris, vsio pred toboy trepeschet...").

The second version is actualy to full. For one thing, the second version's first act ends on the prayer of the beggars, while Gergiev ends it with the peasant scene, which Mussorgskiy cut. The same goes for the last scene, which starts with the boyars' chorus ("Chto-zh, poydem za golosa, boyare...")but Gergiev begins it with Schelkalov's recitative "Sanovitye boyare..." It is a wonderfull piece (like everything Mussorgskiy wrote), but since the composor himself cut it, why put it back.

I must disagree with the people who say that Rimskiy-Korsakov's version is worse than Mussorgskiy's. They are impossible to compare, since they are two different operas. Rimskiy-Korsakov did not just change the orchestral texture and words, but wrote some extra music as well. Most Russian theaters, with the obvious exeption of Mariinskiy, prefer to use the Rimskiy-Korsakov version, since it is easier to put on stage.

Khovanschina, which was not orchestrated by Mussorgskiy is a more difficult subject. Rimskiy's version is of course better than Shstakovich's, which sounds as a long funeral march, but my ideas on Khovanshina are shown in my review of it.

The best singers on this set are Nikolay Putilin (first version), Konstantin Pluzhnikov (both versions), Vladimir Galuzin (second version), Yevgeniy Nikitin (Second version) and Vasiliy Gerello (both versions). The second Boris, Vladimir Vaneyev sounds more like a Varlaam, than the tsar, while Nikolay Okhtnikov's Pimen is very thin and unstable. Olga Borodina is one of the worst Marina's ever recorded.

The best recording of the Mussorgskiy version is the one by Vladimir Fedosseyev, with Alexander Vedernikov, Vladislav Pyavko, Irina Arkhipova and Vladimir Matorin. The best Rimskiy-Korsakov version is the one by Melik-Pashayev, made in 1962. It has a wonderfull cast (Petrov, Arkhipova, Ivanovskiy, Reshetin, Kibkalo, Shulpin, Gheleva and Ivanov) and the greatest choral work ever recorded.

It might sound politically incorrect, but I have to admit that I prefer the Rimsky-Korsakov version to the earlier versions of Boris Godunov; I find the former more dramatically musically cogent, better orchestrated and put together. That one is available in recordings by e.g. Melik-Pashaev, and is not included in this set - this set with Gergiev and the Kirov contains the other two versions of the opera; the original 1869 one and Mussorgsky's substantial 1872 revision, which is indeed substantial by adding characters and rewriting whole scenes; both storyline, character development and music are in fact different enough that the versions should probably be thought of as different operas; hence this set is really two very good operas for the price of one (Rimsky's revision being a different opera yet again).

Even the idiom is slightly different between the two works, and the role of Boris is substantially changed. Thus it seems appropriate that the role be assigned to different singers. Putilin, in the 1869 version, has a strong, slightly booming voice, sounding often appropriately bitter and dark-hearted - no match for Talvela in the role, perhaps, but generally very good. Vaneyev in the 1872 version is mellower and more human-sounding, providing much beautiful singing but in the end perhaps not enough dark power to really convince as the central character - it might also bother some listeners that he is rather free in his take on Mussorgsky's note values on several occasions, delivering what is more like speech than singing the actual notes; I wasn't, in fact, that bothered by this (a price I am willing to pay for having a well-developed character), but the potential listener should be warned. The other singers are the same between the two versions, except for Grigory - Lutsiuk is darkly powerful in the 1869 version, Galusin fiercer and more urgent-sounding in the more substantial 1872 role.

Nikolai Okhotnikov gives us one of the strongest performances of the set(s) as Pimen; full of character and subtly colored. Olga Borodina is also superb in all respects, and Kuznetsov as Varlaam is thoroughly convincing, giving us a more melodic interpretations than most rivals. Pluzhnikov's Shuisky is also worth mentioning in particular, giving a well-sung and superbly interpreted, nuanced part. The rest of the cast is overall more than decent, without any noticeable weak link.

Gergiev provides red-blooded and urgent readings, and is able to make much of the differences in idiom and character between the versions. The Orchestra of the Kirov opera also plays their hearts out, sounding almost driven at times but still able to shape the various melodic contours and providing color and textural nuances to impressive effect. The only real pity is that the chorus is somewhat overpowered at times. Still, and despite a few shortcomings (no one should miss Talvela in the title role), this is indeed an essential recording, urgently recommended.

Boris Godunov is really one of the most important operas of all times. With L'Orfeo (Monteverdi) ,Don Giovanni, Tristan, Pelleas , Wozzeck , we are with this opera at a very high level . Fortunately , after 1975 we normally hear this opera as the author wrote , not with the modifications of Korsakow , that aren't one "orchestration " but one important change in Harmony, rhythms, and sequence of the scenes . Maybe we can consider the work of Korsakow important in a time when the modernity of the music was really incomprehensible( Napravnick , the conductor of the premiere was a very bad musician as he conducted but acted against the work and after the death of Mussorgsky he did the same thing with Khowantscina : he refused the last opera Mussorgsky to be played in S. Petersburg) . But I would know how it were a soft version of Tristan and Wozzeck . Now that we can hear the opera as the composer wrote . we are happy to hear the two versions that Mussorgsky wrote of his opera. For the first time in disc we can hear the first version of the Kremlin act and the beginning of the Scene that end the end of the First act of the last version ( the end of the second act in the primitive version).
This recording is really important for the accuracy of the difference of versions , and I think very intelligent not make the cuts in the second version.
Gergiev is with this opera one fantastic conductor. As we can hear in the fantastic DVD with Lloyd, he conducts formidably and convince us that the orchestration original is very good.
The two versions in one album resolve one important problem : the scene of the simpleton normally is omitted from the last scene .The solution of Abbado cutting the end of the scene of Saint Basil is very bad ( but I love this recording too).
The singers are very good, the chorus and the orchestra are fantastic . This is one album that I really recommend, and it is one of the discs that I would bring to a desert island....

Worth every penny! Gergiev's Boris is marvelous; full of the rich emotion that makes the story so powerful. I feel that Mussorgsky's original version is more powerful and that Rimsky's orchestration takes away from the real effect of the work. No doubt why this is considered the greatest Russian opera. If you don't know it, you should enrich yourself by listening to this opera, whoever is doing it!

When Moskvich (see below) talks about this not being complete- he must be referring to the Coronation Scene. When Rimsky-Korsakov orchestrated Boris one of the things he did was expand the Coronation Scene- which is wrong because you are not getting what Moussorgsky intended but what his good friend chose to put in.

Both versions here are complete as the way Moussorgsky wrote them and intended them to be. They are better off in this state. Would you want to hear a Mozart opera that was reorchestrated by another composer? Absolutely not! The same applies here.

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.