National Theatre Belgrade: Seven Great Russian Operas from 1955 - Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov (2019)

This Edition presents the “Magnificent Seven” and the “encore” in optimum technical quality. In the mid-Fifties of the last century, with the Cold War freezing relations between East and West, the English record label Decca decided to record a series of Russian operas with the Belgrade National Opera. Belgrade in the Yugoslavia of those days under Josip Tito was more open to “the West” than the Warsaw Pact countries gathered under the wing of the Soviet Union. The deal had been struck by former Decca manager and successful promoter of east European folklore in the USA, record executive Gerald Severn. Thanks to his excellent contacts, Decca director Arthur Haddy eventually obtained a visa and travelled to Belgrade to find a suitable recording venue, which turned out to be the cinema in the House of Culture in the city centre. These were the early days of stereophony and so recordings were usually made both in stereo and in mono. The stereo LP made its first official appearance in 1958 (by which time the shellac disc was effectively obsolete, having been displaced by mono LPs since their introduction in 1948) and it would be many years before there was a mass audience for stereo listening.
‘The outstanding principal is Miro Brajnik, possessor of a fine, ringing tenor. His is the most compelling Dmitri on records.’ High Fidelity
‘The minor characters are well differentiated and well sung. The chorus is splendid and extremely well recorded. The various planes of sound are brilliantly engineered, creating the illusion of distant pilgrims, passing monks, the immediacy of a big crowd and especially the great bells’ clangour. The Revolutionary scene is magnificent choral recording and here Baranović is splendidly vigorous.’

Performer:
Boris Godunov: Miroslav Čangalović
Feodor Borisovich: Sofija Janković
Xenia Borisovna: Zlata Sesardić
Xenia’s Nurse: Milica Miladinović
Prince Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky: Stepan Andrashevich
Andrej Shchelkalov: Dušan Popović
Pimen: Branko Pivnički
Pretender: Miroslav Brajnik
Marina Mnishek: Melanija Bugarinović
Varlaam: Žarko Cvejić
Missail: Stepan Vukicević
Hostess of the inn: Biserka Kalučić
Simpleton: Nikola Jančić
Nikitich: Ilija Gligorijević
Khrushchov: Zhika Milosavliević
Lewicki: Dragomir Ninković
Czernikowski: Ivan Murgaški
Chorus and Orchestra of the National Theatre, Belgrade
Conductor: Krešimir Baranović
Bonus:
Boris Godunov: Mark Reizen
Gottesnarr/Simpleton (Yurodivij): Ivan Koslowski
Schuiski/Shuisky: Nikander Hanajen
Mitjucha: Ivan Sinajew
Chor & Orchester des Staatlichen Akademischen Großen Theaters der UdSSR
Conductor: Wassili Nebolski

Track List:
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
Boris Godunov
CD1:
01. Prolog. Erstes Bild. Was soll das? / No! How then!
02. Mitjuch, hör, Mitjuch / Mitjuch, say, Mitjuch
03. Schweigt jetzt! Steht auf! / Silence! Rise up!
04. Chor der Pilger: Lob, Ehr' und Preis / Glory to Thee Most High
05. Zweites Bild. Lang lebe der Zar Boris Feodorowitsch! / Long live Tsar Boris Feodorovich!
06. Wie bang ist mir! / My soul is sad!
07. Erster Akt. Erster Bild. Noch eine Kunde, die letzte / Just one more page
08. Höre unser Flehen / God of truth and justice
09. O murre nicht / Regret not that
10. Man ruft zur Morgenandacht / I hear the martin bell
11. Lied der Schenkwirtin: Zweites Bild. Hab' gefangen ich / Once I caught a drake
12. Sag, was stimmt so traurig dich / Why so grave and melancholic
13. Warlaams Lied: Hört, was einst in der Stadt Kasan geschehen / Here's what happened at the town of Kazan
14. Sag, warum singst du nicht mit? / Why don't you sing along?
15. Wandernde Mönche, ziehn ehrbar unsre Straße / We are peaceful hermits, honest monks we are
16. Warum siehst du mich so aufmerksam an? / Why do you stare and watch me so closely?
CD2:
01. Zweiter Akt. Das Lied von der Mücke: Wo weilst du, Teurer / Where are you, my darest
02. Mück' und Wanze lebten beid' / Once a gnat was cutting wood
03. Das "Klatschhändchenspiel": Sag', ob der mein Märlein gefällt / I'll tell you a tale
04. Herrgott! - Was gibt's? / Ah! Me! What now? - Monolog des Boris
05. Rezitativ und Arie: Die höchste Macht ist mein / I have achieved the power
06. Erlaubt, mein Herr und Zar / Most gracious Lord and Tsar
07. Sei ruhig, Zar, dein Reich ist stark / Undoubtedly my Tsar, your throne is safe
08. Szene mit dem Glockenspiel: Hu! Ish erstick'! / Ouf! I suffocate!
09. Dritter Art. Zweites Bild. Im Garten…heut' Nacht…am Springbrunnen / In the garden at midnight by the fountain
10. Nein, nicht glaub' ich Euren süßen Worten / Nay, my lord, I do not believe in your passion
11. Dimitri! Zarewitsch! Dmitri / Dimitri! Zarewitsch!
12. Mich könnte nur der gold'ne Zarenthron verführen / But without the throne of Moscow
CD3:
01. Vierter Akt. Erstes Bild. Schleppt ihn hierher! / Bring him overe here!
02. Nicht ein Falke, in Lüften sich wiegend / No falcon is flying in skies
03. Trrr…trrr…! O seht auf den Kopf / Trrr…trrr…! Ha! Old saucepan cap
04. Sonne und Mond verfinstern sich / Dark is the sun and dark is the moon
05. Domine, Domine, salvum fac Regem Demetrium Moscoviae
06. Wir, Dimitri Iwanowitsch / We, Dimitri Ivanovich
07. Fließet, fließet, heiße, bittre Tränen / Flow, ah flow my bitter tears
08. Zweites Bild. Auf, das Urteil sei gefällt / Well, the council should begin
09. Schad', Schuiski fehlt im Rate / I'll luck! Schuiski's not here
10. Ich rief nach euch, Bojaren / E've called you together, boyars
11. Pimen Erzählung: Ein frommer Diener des Herrn / A peaceful monk
12. Abschied und Tod des Boris: Leb wohl, mein Sohn, o, ich sterbe / Farewell my son, I am dying
13. Hilf mir, Gott! O mein Gott! / God in heaven! O my God
14. Horch… horch, man läute schon die Totenklag'! / Hark! This is the passing bell
Appendix CD-Premiere: Szene vor der Basiliuskathedrale in Moskau (instrumentiert von Michail Ippolitow-Iwanov)
15. Was? Ist die Mess' zu Ende? / What? Is mass finished already?
16. Trrr…trrr…! O seht auf dem Kopf / Ha! Old saucepan cap
17. A-ah! A-ah! - Boris! Hör Boris! / A-a! A-a! - Boris! A Boris!
18. Fließet, fließet, heiße, bittre Tränen / Flow, ah flow my bitter tears