Boris Godunov

[Harry]

A bit more than three hours I would say, but only one substantial soprano. She is confined to one act. That and Boris's son who is usually sung by a woman and does not have much to do. Apart from those, it is chorus and men's voices, most of them Bases, all the way.

That is good news

It will kill of cure you.

One soprano you say, I will visit the pub first.

I look forward to the lorry full of CDs, though regret the requirement of your demise that will so enrich me.

If you do not mind my irremovable name stickers in it, you are welcome to them.

Mike

[knight66]

"If you do not mind my irremovable name stickers in it, you are welcome to them."

Something by which to remember you!!!!


Mike

[Wendell_E]

So, I guess this is the production Harry's seeing?   If that's the case, since it's the original 1869 version, the "only one substantial soprano" (mezzo-soprano, actually) role Mike refers to won't be a problem, since that version doesn't have the Polish Act with Marina.  It also doesn't have the Kromy forest scene, so three hours is probably about right.

[Harry]

Absolutely correct, yes, that's the one.
Almost no sopranos huh, I get some pleasure out of it after all?
But A Mezzo is oke with me, so she may sing for all I care.

[Wendell_E]

But A Mezzo is oke with me, so she may sing for all I care.

If mezzos are OK, you should be in good shape.  There is one particularly whiny soprano, Boris's daughter, going on about her deaf fiancé, but it's a small role.  Boris's son is sung by a boy in the production you'll be seeing, and the other two female roles, the innkeeper and the nurse, are mezzo/alto roles.

[knight66]

I was not going to tell him that stuff! He needs to be tickled like a trout.

Mike

[Harry]

If mezzos are OK, you should be in good shape.  There is one particularly whiny soprano, Boris's daughter, going on about her deaf fiancé, but it's a small role.  Boris's son is sung by a boy in the production you'll be seeing, and the other two female roles, the innkeeper and the nurse, are mezzo/alto roles.

All that is good news! I will go to my first opera in 35 years.
First time for me!

[Harry]

I was not going to tell him that stuff! He needs to be tickled like a trout.

Mike

Ehh Mike word please!

[knight66]

Tickled like a trout....it means lured gently so you can be caught. Trout can be caught by hand by tickling them.....so I understand, I have never attempted it.

Mike

[karlhenning]

Tickled like a trout....it means lured gently so you can be caught. Trout can be caught by hand by tickling them.....so I understand, I have never attempted it.

What are you waiting for, Mike?

[knight66]

What are you waiting for, Mike?

I would need to be terminally bored and I am a long way from that just yet.

Mike

[Harry]

Tickled like a trout....it means lured gently so you can be caught. Trout can be caught by hand by tickling them.....so I understand, I have never attempted it.

Mike

Learned another amazing thing, well someday it will come in handy I guess!

[Brahmsian]

Just finished watching the new Metropolitan Opera production of Boris Godunov, starring Rene Pape in the title role, and conducted by Gergiev.  This was directed by Stephen Wadsworth.  It was on PBS Great Performances.

Only was able to catch about half of it, but what I did see and hear I really enjoyed.  Anyone else catch it?

[Superhorn]

   While the Karajan, Semkow, Abbado and other sets certainly have much to admire,I still consider the Gergiev set
the most authentically Russian and compelling.  This one actually contains both the shorter original version and the later
expanded one on a specially-priced five CD set.
   Gergiev and his Kirov cast,chorus and orchestra give you the rugged,unvarnished and raw experience that the others,far all their admirable qualities,don't provide.  Ditto the Gergiec DVD with a different cast including the English bass Robert Lloyd as Boris.
   

[Superhorn]

  I saw the whole performance, and thought it was the Met at its best.  Everything "clicekd" on this ocasion,
  and the standing ovation it got was genuinely deserved. It should be coming out on DVD before long, and don't
miss it !

[Brahmsian]

  I saw the whole performance, and thought it was the Met at its best.  Everything "clicekd" on this ocasion,
  and the standing ovation it got was genuinely deserved. It should be coming out on DVD before long, and don't
miss it !

Great!  I was very impressed with Rene Pape's performance.  And also with the guy who played "False Dmitry".

[Cato]

Amazon has no reviews of this CD yet: is this the one to have, or...?

[asin]B006IOOXGE[/asin]

[Todd]

Amazon has no reviews of this CD yet: is this the one to have, or...?

Probably not.  From those forces, the stripped-down 1869 version is better.  The Abbado version on Sony is probably my favorite long version.  Somewhat surprisingly, Karajan's version of the Rimskied version is also solid.

This reminds me, I need to revisit this opera . . .

[kishnevi]

Amazon has no reviews of this CD yet: is this the one to have, or...?

[asin]B006IOOXGE[/asin]

It's a re-issue--the original release was this one:
[asin]B00000DI3M[/asin]

I have it.  I like it, but I'm not going to say it's Da Bomb (or however you say "it's Da Bomb" in Russian).  I have two other recordings, and both are sonically subpar--Karajan conducting a Salzburg Festival performance on Opera d'Oro, and (originally EMI?) Brilliant Opera Collection release in which Boris Christoff sings about half the male roles--Boris, Pimen and I forget who else.  So it's better than the two I have, but that doesn't mean it the best available--far from it.

I've listened to it once--I had the impression that the Boris could have been more forceful.  Or, to put it in a more positive light, the other characters seemed to be more prominent than in the other recordings.  Of course, some of this might be due to the fact that this isn't the R-K version, but Mussourgsky's own revision.

If you do get it, bear in mind that you will need to download the libretto from Decca's website.  And there's only the most minimal track listing/synopsis included with the CDs.

[Todd]

..and (originally EMI?) Brilliant Opera Collection release in which Boris Christoff sings about half the male roles--Boris, Pimen and I forget who else.

That's got to be the Issay Dobrowen set.  Christoff's Boris is amazing, but as good as he is in the other roles, it becomes a bit monotonous hearing the same voice throughout.  But the clock scene is Da Bomb.  Haven't heard Fluffy's Salzburg set, but the studio set with a fine Ghiaurov in the lead and the VPO is lush sounding.