Search - Alexander Borodin, Valery Gergiev, Olga Borodina :: Alexander Borodin: Prince Igor

OK - but there are better so look for them!!

Judith A. Weller | LaVale, MD United States | 05/10/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"While this is a competent reading of the score -- there are certainly better recordings. Unfortunately the recording industry has allowed Gergiev to dominate the Russian Repetoire and he is not necessarily the best conductor for all operas.There are 2 older recording from the Bolshoi released by Le Chant Du Monde under license from Melodiya which are far superior in conduction and voice. There is a 1952 with the great Alexander Pirogov as Glalinski, Andrei Ivanov as Igor and Mark Reisen as Kontchak. The director is Alexander Melik-Pachaiev -- one of the greatest conductor who ever conducted at the Bolshoi.There is also a 1976 recording from the Bolshoi which has Mark Ermler conducting and has Artur Eisen as Galitski, and Alexander Vedernikov as Kontchak, and Ivan Petrov as Igov. It has a good set of women's voice in the great Tougarinova as Jaroslavna.Frankly I prefer either of these 2 recordings to Gergiev. While they may be digitally remastered there is a sumptuousness and authority in voice and direction which Gergiev can't match. To me Gergiev it must too driven a conductor who wants to dominate the score and this gives a hard edge to his work."

From a Veteran Prince Igor Listener

Presto Rubel | Brimfield, MA | 11/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This version of Prince Igor has some fantastic perks, and some drawbacks. If you are new to this opera, buy the Tchakarov version (Sony, The Russian Opera) first. Then pick this up, and enjoy its advantages. If you are a veteran listener, buy this one.

The key problem with this version is with the singer who plays Igor. A strong, resonant basso is essential to Russian opera. In this case, Igor is virtually missing, his voice and interpretations are so weak. And yet, his character should be key to the opera. This Igor rushes the tempo and often doesn't take advantage of dramatic moments. He lacks resonance and depth. His projection is insufficient.

Galitsky's basso performance is variable. He does superbly in his duet with Yaroslavna. But later, he lacks depth and resonance, and doesn't take advantage of dramatic opportunities. Sometimes his voice is nasal.

Konchak's vibrato is too rapid, and clouds his voice. His low notes are weak.

Igor's son Vladimir has a fine voice, and uses it very expressively. I'd usually found this character to be bland, but not in this case.

Konchakovna's voice is occasionally so nasal that it is grating and painful to listen to, especially in her initial solo. Later, she improves, but her voice is too soft.

Yaroslavna is one of the crowning points of this recording. She has a truly lovely voice, and is very skilled and expressive. For veterans of this opera, her performance alone is worth buying this version.

But there are other reasons to buy it as well. The chorus is very strong, and has beautiful Slavic pronunciation. Excellent choirs are essential to Russian opera. The orchestra gives fresh, exuberant interpretations to the music, although occasionally at too fast a tempo. The recording quality is excellent.

I was very intrigued by the new sections of music included in this recording. Listen to them. What do you think?

The altered ending, which became a reiteration of the beginning, worked well for me. I was never happy with the original ending.

May I offer a request? Please, will someone make Ovlur's part into the gem that it is? I was raised on the Popovich version of Igor, by the Belgrade National Opera Orchestra. The director made Olvur's part into a piquant, deeply touching moment of light in the darkness of Igor's imprisonment under Konchak. Every conductor since then has rushed the part and ignored its possibilities.

Prince Igor is, quite honestly, my favorite piece of music. It introduced me to the rich, melodious, unique sounds of Russian music. It is more enticing than Boris Godunov, and is an excellent introduction to Russian opera."

A Great Performance of a Powerful Work

Timothy Kearney | Hull, MA United States | 10/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Russian opera has many grand epic historical works in the repertoire, and after BORIS GODOUNOV, PRINCE IGOR may be the best known. As a matter of fact, if BORIS was not performed so regularly on operatic stages, chances are PRINCE IGOR would be staged more often. Some of its music is among classical music's most familiar: The Polovtsian Dances and overture are well known pieces in concert halls and are often included in recorded classical music compilations. Yet these familiar works are only part of the larger opera. There are beautiful arias and duets, powerful choral scenes, and challenging music that requires great vocal abilities. Many opera lovers only know a few of the opera's excerpts, but those familiar with the entire recorded work know it's a fascinating, moving, and exciting work.



One of the challenges of PRINCE IGOR is its length. It's over three hours long and it can have a tendency to be a bit lethargic. This recording shows this doesn't have to be the case. There are a number of recordings of this work, and in the past I have owned to others: The EMI recording with Boris Christoff and the Sony set under the direction of Tchiakarov. Both of these sets have wonderful attributes, but the Christoff set has cuts and the Sony set, while beautiful, is somewhat slow and tends to drag at points. This set, another great recording by the Kirov Opera under the direction of Valery Gergiev, seems like something that can actually work on stage. The pace is exciting and the musicianship superb. This may be due to the fact that this recording is based on the edition used by the Kirov so the performers are well versed in the music. The strongest voices are those of the four principals: Mikhail Kit as Igor, tenor Gegam Grigorian as Igor's son Vladimir, soprano Olga Borodina as the Polovtsian princess and love interest of Vladimir and Galina Gorchakova as Igor's wife Yaroslavna. While all the performers are admirable, I especially enjoyed Gorchakova's ability to have a beautiful yet melancholy sound to her voice as she sang a role of a woman fearing for the lives if her husband and son. Grigorian and Borodina's love duet is sumptuous. The deep voices necessary for Russian opera, especially for the role of Igor, are excellent. The orchestra is nearly perfect and the chorus, which has to be powerful one moment and plaintive the next, handles the challenges well. In short it's a vibrant and pleasurable work.



The liner notes are helpful too. PRINCE IGOR has a complicated history. Composing was Borodin's second job. By profession he was a chemistry professor. PRINCE IGOR is not bad for what was for all intents and purposes an avocation. Borodin died before completing the work so Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazounov completed the work based on Borodin's notes and sketches. Who did what and how much of the opera is what Borodin intended is the subject of great debate, but the performance notes on the edition explain it all, or at least some and includes a bibliography for those interested in further info.

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