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In the Forum: Musical Discussions
In the Thread: Opera “Boris Godunov”
Post Subject: Stokowski and MussorgskyPosted by steverino on: 4/27/2015
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 Romy the Cat wrote:
People who read my site know that I consider Mussorgsky as the most remarkable naturally talented composer among all composers guild. Next week it will be the Modest’s 170 birthday and my WGBH will broadcast Oliver Knussen leads Cleveland with Leopold Stokowski's "Boris Godunov" - Symphonic Synthesis, based on Boris Godunov. Wow, Stoky did the Godunov’s suites!!! I never knew it and it was what I also was pitching, claiming that it MUST to be composed. I am so enthusiastic to hear it as I have my own version! Did anybody hear the Stokowski's versions? Any recommendations for existing recordings. Did Stokowski's conduct his own orchestras with this work? I never was a fun of Stokowski's Mussorgsky and I am VERY fascinated what he did with Godunov.



I always thought that Stokowski was very attuned to Mussorgsky. I think he was the first conductor of the original Boris Godunov version by Mussorgsky as opposed to the R-K orchestration. His Boris Suites are a good "synthesis" of the Boris opera musical highlights in the manner of Wagner Ring syntheses.  I also think Stokoski's orchestration of Pictures At an Exhibition is much more Russian than the Ravel orchestration which basically makes it another Ravel composition.

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