Excerpts from Boris are not exactly thick on
the ground in the UK catalogue since the deletion, some time ago,
of the Erato issue featuring Raimondi as Boris and Rostropovich
conducting. With that in mind, as well as for its own virtues,
I warmly welcomed the Cala issue of Stokowski directing scenes
from the opera with Nicola Rossi-Lemeni as both Boris and Pimen;
the review appears elsewhere
on this site. That issue was of the Rimsky orchestration,
whereas this issue, of similar length, is of the Shostakovich
that purists feel is somewhat truer to the composer’s original
melodic construction. That is as maybe, but what is certain is
that whatever version is used, it loses much of its essential
Russian character if, as here, it is sung in another language,
in this case German. John Tomlinson, the renowned British bass-baritone,
who has sung Boris in Russian and English, contends that the Russian
language in its construction and vocal production is particularly
helpful to the bass voice in projection and characterisation,
sentiments with which I agree wholeheartedly. I have admiration
for Theo Adam as a singer, but to my ears he is tonally and stylistically
unsuited to the part of Boris as represented on this disc albeit
it is a role he has sung on stage, perhaps in German also. The
supporting cast are all adequate whilst the recording is vivid,
and the conducting and chorus are vibrant.
The summary synopsis in the booklet is excellent
and with other background material is in English and German. It
could easily and gainfully have been track related. This disc
is really only for Boris addicts or those wanting to sample particular
singers or the version.
Robert J Farr
Leipzig Radio Chorus