Customer Reviews

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov (Great Recordings of the Century)

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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.

I hope you're as tired as I am of all the cock-n-bull about Rimsky that we have to endure every time someone reviews Mussorgsky's opera. It is true that Rimsky turned it into a grand opera - it might even be the best work he ever did! But criticism of him fails the mark consistently. I have heard Shostakovitch's version, which sounds like Shostakovitch, and very little of 19th century opera survives. I have also heard Mussorgsky's own "unadulterated" product, and it feeble as an opera - more like a disjointed string of episodes, some good, some bad, and some disastrously inept. At best, it is suitable for a presentation of highlights. So why criticise Rimsky? Without him, there would be no Boris Godunov in the repertoire! Without him, Mussorgsky would be a cipher or a footnote in musical history!

The point is: the greatness and grandeur of Mussorgsky's conception actually survives in his completion.

So now that I got this off my chest, let's turn to Boris Christoff and his impersonation of Boris, Pimen and Varlaam. I doubt it was a happy choice. He sounds the same in all three roles. Until you get used to it and can follow it without a libretto, you can get confused about who is singing, especially when two of them are on stage at the same time. I actually prefer his earlier impersonation (mono only); but only marginally. His Boris is very impressive on all counts, and the stereo sound compensates for some slight reduction in the voltage of his portrayal. What a voice! What a tremendous range of expression!

The other singers are not up to the same standard. But then their roles are nowhere near as weighty or important. Lear is a seductive Marina; but Osunow sound a bit like an oaf, despite the strength of his tenor. The other outstanding singer is Anton Diakov: I hate Rangoni so much, that Diakov's portrayal must be perfect! The Chorus, especially imported from Bukarest on Christoff's recommendation, sing very well, but not conspicuously better than other choruses.

The orchestra and the conductor do a respectable job. You can't compare them with Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic. But Karajan did not have Christoff to sing for him. That might be a decisive criterion for the prospective buyer. The sound technology is also dated. When the orchestra played mezzo forte or lower, the sound is beautifully soft and ample. But (at least on my set) the climaxes are a bit raw, especially the bells in the prologue, which are altogether oversaturated and downright unpleasant to endure.

I can live with his set. Indeed I've lived with it for nearly 40 years now, buying it three times (LP, tape and CD). Still, I can't in good conscience overlook its limitations, as mentioned above. Younger audiences may not be as forgiving to them as I have grown to be. Therefore they may be advised to check out reviews of alternatives, before they make up their minds.

This version is badly cut,and purists may sneer at the Rimsky-Korsakoff arrangement, but it has two things going for it. The first thing is Boris Christoff. The second thing is Boris Christoff. (He sings three roles in this recording, which is a little confusing, but what the heck!) Christoff, with a rich and powerful bass-baritone, was one of the 20th century's leading exponents of the role of Boris Godunov. He is simply a force of nature in the title role, yet with the ability to shade his voice into heartrending beauty and sorrow. The rest of the cast is excellent. Andre Cluytens conducts with a terrific mix of power and sensitivity, and the quality of the recording is quite good. While this may not be everybody's first choice, it belongs on every opera lover's shelf simply because it gives us the chance to hear one of the greatest bass-baritones of the century in his signature role.

After listening to almost every available recording of Boris Godunov in print,and also some recordings out of print,I came to conclusion that the second EMI recording with Boris Christoff is still the best.It is the Rimsky-Korsakov version and it is much better ,then the so called Mussorgsky original. We know well that the 1869 version in seven scenes was rejected in February 1871 by the authorities of the Imperial Opera. We also know that the 1872 enlarged version was performed with success and then was also neglected.Thanks to Rimsky-Korsakov version ,which was until recent times the most successful version performed all over the world.Without his great work the opera. Boris Godunov,would probably be today little known opera ,like many other forgotten operas of great value. After all Rimsky-Korsakov was a great master of orchestration,just listen to his great orchestral woks ,Scheherazade,Capriccio Espagnol and Russian Easter Overture and you will know what I mean.

The present performance with Boris Christoff interpreting the three major bass roles with great skill and profound knowledge of Russian history and music is a great joy.He changes his dark voluminous voice to perfection and despite being recognizable he is different in every role.I like to inform you in case if you don't know that the great Russian conductor Issay Dobroven persuaded Boris Christoff to sing all three roles of Pimen Varlam and Boris Godunov.

The other roles are performed beautifully by Evelyn Lear "Marina",Dimitr Ouzounov"the False Dimitri",Anton Diakov"Rangoni" and the rest of the cast.Andre Cluytens leads the excellent chorus of the Opera of Sofia and Orchestre de la Societe DES Concerts du Conservatoire with great skill and profound knowledge.

I recommend this EMI studio recording to every music lover ,new commer or otherwise to experience and enjoy the splendor of a great Russian opera.

Sonically, an excellent recording and an excellent performance. Alexander Kipnis does a better Boris, in my opinion, but the Kipnis performance exists only in a truncated version on 78 RPM (long out of print).

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.

The revision of Korsakow was unfortunately used in all the world until the 70s.Mussorgsky was so modern that no one could understand his rhythms, his harmony and his orchestration .Korsakow didn't corrected, as the majority of people think, only the orchestration. He changed rhythms, harmony and the order of the scenes. Now this revision is part of the past.No one serious theater in the world uses it now. If you yet insist in hear this masterpiece in these criminal "revision" by Korsakow , this is the recording.The singers are good and the conductor is excellent.But if you want to know Boris in the way the author wrote, you must hear the recordings of Gergiev, Abbado, Fedoseyev , Tchakarow....But hearing this "soft" version you will hear less than the half of one of the most important operas of all the times.