Search - Modest Mussorgsky, Boris Khaikin, Leningrad Kirov Orchestra :: Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina

Spectacular Khovanshchina

V. Stasov | 03/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This obscure recording preserves the work of some of the most magnificent singers from the Soviet era. Boris Khaikin conducts a taut, dramatic reading of Moussorgsky's unfinished masterpiece. While many people think this opera is greater than Boris Godunov, I do not agree. I find the music and the dramatic unfolding of Boris to be vastly superior to Khovanshchina. But that does not mean that Khovanshchina is an inferior work. It is quite beautiful, although chaotic in its structure.



Mark Reizen, one of Stalin's favorite singers, delivers a powerful and majestically sung Dosifei, the leader of the hopeless Old Believers. His voice had that supernatural, deep resonance heard in so many great Russian basses - a quality that seems to be lost in today's musical world.



The acclaimed Sophia Preobrazhenskaja sings Marfa, the prophetic seer who surpasses Prince Andrei in knifing skills. As he prepares to stab her, she pulls out her dagger and disarms Andrei, the grossly infantile brat that his father, Prince Khovansky wants to put on the throne. Marfa is a kind of Russian Donna Elvira - a woman caught in the grip of helpless, unrequited love for a real scoundrel.



The story is difficult to follow, but it's worth the investment of time to absorb and digest its complexities. There is much glorious, tragically touching music in this opera, particularly the moving, heartbreaking prelude. I recommend this recording over the other few versions I've found. Gergiev's is useless - a dramatically flaccid production without the voices needed for this quintessential Russian work. Nebolsin's is a second runner-up to this, Khaikin's brilliantly sung and conducted performance."