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Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina

Import

KRESIMIR BARANOVIC (Artist) Format: Audio CD
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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Audio CD, Import, June 15, 2018
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Editorial Reviews

A first release on CD for the first recording in stereo (and entirely complete) of Mussorgsky's tragic chronicle of faith, rebellion and repression in 17th-century Russia. With this and six companion issues to be released during the course of 2018, Eloquence makes available for the first time on CD the seven complete Russian operas recorded in 1955 by Decca with the company of the Belgrade Opera. Fresh from a successful tour of Boris Godunov in Switzerland the previous year, the Belgrade Opera in 1955 was keen to make an impression on an international public. At the same time, the Decca company perceived a cost-effective but artistically assured opportunity to expand both it's small but rapidly growing stereo catalogue and it's opera discography with classics of the Russian opera repertoire which it had previously not been possible to record in the original language. In the event, the stereo versions were held back for the US market. They were only released in Europe in the 1960s, by which time the Belgrade Opera had acquired an international reputation for excellence thanks both to the mono issues and to the company's tours of the major European operatic centres. The role of Prince Ivan Khovansky on this recording is taken by Žarko Cvejic (1907-1994), a longstanding member of the Belgrade Opera who also sung the role at the company's Edinburgh Festival residency in 1962. Cvejic is joined by other Belgrade stalwarts such as Melanija Bugarinovic, who also won acclaim as Erda at Bayreuth around this time, and Miroslav Cangalovic, an acclaimed Boris of his day, as the dignified leader of the Old Believers, Dosifey. The booklet for this newly remastered release prints both a synopsis and an essay by Peter Quantrill giving full historical context to the Belgrade opera recordings.

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.67 x 5 x 1.02 inches; 6.49 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Eloquence Australia
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ WA-36324392
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2018
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2018
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Eloquence Australia
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07DD5GDVD
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • richard J. weyhausen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Khovanshchina never sounded better
    Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I was more than impressed with this performance. Burgarinovic is a superb Marfa (I never thought anyone could match Arkhipova, but this lady certainly gives it her all). And Cangalovic, a bass I had not known much about until investing in this Belgrade series, is truly special. His diction and his emphasis on just the right lines to indicate his zealous mindset sold me on Dosefei from the outset. Then there's Drago Starc as Golitsin ... Wow. In fact, there is no weak member of this cast and the chorus handles all those ensembles magnificently. And for audio purists, the stereo is plain-out awesome. I can't recommend this recording more. I had to order all the Belgrades as they became available and I have not at all been disappointed. I saw these sets back in the day as LPs and sort of shrugged them off as possibly second rate. Thank God I finally discovered how wonderful they are.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • drh8h
    4.0 out of 5 stars This series is surprising.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    As an achievement of early stereo recording, this performance has to be heard to be believed. The Decca engineers surpass just about anything you will hear from the 1950s or even today. Far better than many of the opera recordings they or anyone were making in Italy around the same time. The Marfa and Dosifey, if without the depth of sound of the greatest singers, are very impressive. The orchestra is technically weak and sounds a little underpowered in places, but they and the conductor make it up in spirit. The entire Belgrade series has had many pleasant surprises. Anyone looking for second versions of these operas, with enthusiastic performances, with some good and excellent singing and only a few klinkers, beautifully recorded, should investigate. I initially questioned Eloquence's decision to resurrect these largely forgotten performances, but no more.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Roland Graeme
    1.0 out of 5 stars Adequate performance, which isn't good enough
    Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2018
    If you want a recording of the Rimsky-Korsakov performing edition of this opera, I'm afraid this won't do. There are a few good singers in the cast, and the choral singing is highly competent. But the orchestra is simply not a front-line ensemble, and one of the pleasures of the Rimsky-Korsakov version is the instrumentation. Less than justice is done to it here. Worse, the conducting is dull and plodding. I was astonished to hear episodes which I thought were surefire sound so lacking in tension. The early stereo sound is impressive, but the clarity only exposes the performance's weaknesses. Boris Khaikin's stereo recording on Melodiya is the one to get. If price is a consideration, then the Brilliant Classics set conducted by Atanas Margaritov is superior to this Eloquence reissue. (But it's no longer listed on the label's website, so grab it if you can find it.) Khaikin's old mono recording, available inexpensively on Naxos, is also a fine performance, and the recording sounds acceptable for its age. Valery Gergiev's recording, originally on Philips, now on Decca at a reduced price, uses the Shostakovich version of the score. None of these recordings includes a libretto.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • melbapatti
    5.0 out of 5 stars The first stereo version of Khovanshchina
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2018
    This recording was a revelation to me. The modern recordings I’ve heard do NOT sound superior to this excellent (very, very early!) stereo performance, and unlike the previous reviewer, I found the singing of the principles to be beautiful, steady, resonant and unforced, especially the Marfa. That alone makes this bargain priced set worth having. The chorus is absolutely brilliant, and the orchestra playing is certainly highly professional. Furthermore this set has the atmosphere of the grand tradition where singers KNOW their roles from the inside out. No lip service here. I find it puzzling when people listen to opera for the conducting and orchestra playing. I’ve been to well-sung, badly conducted performances where no one CARED the conducting was bad and the evening was a triumph anyway. I’ve been to brilliantly conducted, badly sung performances and alas, the opera failed completely. There is much pleasure to be had from this set.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Liebhaber
    5.0 out of 5 stars impressiv
    Reviewed in Germany on June 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    eine sehr impressive Aufnahme
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  • BATAIL Patrice
    5.0 out of 5 stars Rien à ajoutet
    Reviewed in France on March 20, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Cette version était depuis longtemps introuvable en cd.
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  • Amazon カスタマー
    1.0 out of 5 stars いつもながら、エロクエンスレーベルの音質は最悪です❗
    Reviewed in Japan on September 25, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    1955年のデッカのステレオ録音が初CD化されたということで喜んだのも束の間。発売元が悪名高いエロクエンスレーベル。1956年のデッカステレオ録音のエーリヒ・クライバーのフィガロの結婚レベルの高音質を期待したのですが、いざCDが届いて再生してみるといつもながらのエロクエンスレーベル特有の線の細い貧弱な音質でガッカリでした。このレーベルは「安かろう悪かろう」の代表格で、いつも過去の様々な名演奏の初CD化でコアなファンをぬか喜びさせます。他のレーベルからは全く出ないから、いつも懲りずに購入するのですが、全曲聴き通すには辛い音質で、すぐにお払い箱になってしまいます。もう少し、まともな音質で復刻出来ないものでしょうか？コアなファンからの痛切な願いです。
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