A performance that makes the skin crawl....
B. Cathey | Wendell, NC United States | 04/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is arguably the finest sung BORIS GODUNOV on discs. It features the unexcelled Boris of Pirogov, the superb Pimen of Maxim Mikhailov, and the shattering Simpleton of Ivan Kozlovsky. Melodiya later re-recorded the role of Boris with Mark Reizen, inserted him for Pirogov, and released the performance again. (That issue is also available I think.) The sound on these Arlecchino discs is adequate, if dated (1948-49); however, I understand that Preiser Records is releasing this performance as well (April 2002), so it might well be worth the wait to hold on until the Preiser edition is available. In any event, if you have a more modern Boris (perhaps the Semkow, or Rostropovich, or von Karajan), this performance will come as a revelation...."