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In the Forum: Musical Discussions
In the Thread: Opera “Boris Godunov”
Post Subject: Interesting threadPosted by steverino on: 4/26/2015
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Nice thread about old Boris. Like you I have no problem with R-K's version of the opera. Once Mussorgsky added the Polish scenes and all the romantic cooing he moved the opera into 19th C grand opera for which R-K was perfectly attuned and did a good job. If Mussorgsky had just kept the original version then I think R-K would have been more superfluous. The Karajan is surprisingly good. As you say everything went right. Essential. I also like the Dobrowen. The London and Melik Pashaev seem quite good to me and I guess I like it more than you. I think the Anarchy scene is particularly well done. The recording is a bit strange with a very distant or oddly mic'ed orchestra.
I will have to check out the Golavanov based on your recommendation. I always assumed it would be a terrible recording but you say it is good so I will get it. I haven't heard the Fedoseyev. Why do you call that a strange performance? It is sad that the original Mussorgsky version has never received the kind of performance that the R-K version got. I have never liked the Semkow, Abbado or Gergiev performances so Fedoseyev was sort of the last hope for the orginal version.
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