Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov 1869; Boris Godunov 1872
by Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra

From EyeKanFly 04/28/2021 16:59 | #269080

Modest Mussorgsky wrote 2 versions of Boris Godunov, his only opera. The first "draft" from 1869 was rejected by theaters due to the lack of an important female role. The revised 1872 version included a new act and introduced a love story.

Partially due to the 2 versions, partially due to the numerous re-imaginings and by other prominent composers (Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich), and partially due to the wealth of source material that the opera is based on (Pushkin's play, Karamzin's history text), and partially due to its length, Boris Godunov is one of the most complex and confusing operas out there. It is rarely performed in either of its original versions since there are so many revisions to choose from. The 1872 version premiered in 1874 in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theater, while the original 1869 version premiered in 1928 at the same location (though renamed the Kirov Theater in Leningrad under the Soviet Union). In between, Rimsky-Korsakov's versions were often performed instead of either of Mussorgsky's, especially outside of Russia/USSR. The edited versions which have attempted to combine the 1869 and 1872 versions into a "super cut" are often criticized for failing to maintain the intended narrative while also overdoing the role of Dmitriy.

This set by the Mariinsky Theater's in-house orchestra and opera company contains recordings of BOTH original versions: the 1869 version and the revised 1872 version. If you have 5 hours to spare, this is a wonderful set. Both are important in Russian music history, and the Kirov opera puts on wonderful performances.

When adding this album to BEA, I've tried to name the track titles to be as faithful as possible to the 1998 CD version (first edition of this release), however there are some errors and inconsistencies, some of which I've corrected for clarity (and my own sanity).

The Roman numeral refers not to the ACT number but the "Part" number, thus I is the prologue rather than Act I. Parts I, II, and III correlate to each other in both releases. Part IV (Act III.) in the 1872 version is the new act, so Part V in the 1872 version correlates to Part IV in the 1869 version. 1. or 2. refer to the scene number. Not all Acts/Parts have multiple scenes. The CD release incorrectly regarded I. 2., II. 1., and II. 2. as all part of the same scene and I've corrected this here.

If you listen to one version of this opera, I HIGHLY recommend the 1872 version in this set. However, the 1869 version in this set is one of the only recordings of that version and is certainly worth listening to as well.