Mussorgsky, Modest: Boris Godounov (Historic Recording)

Boris Godounov by Modest Mussorgsky
Cast: Boris Christoff, Eugenia Zareska, Ludmila Lebedeva, Lydia Romanova, Andre Bielecki, Kim Borg, Nicolai Gedda, Gustav Ustinov, Wassili Pasternak, Stanislav Pieczora, Raymond Bonte and Eugene Bousquet with the Russian Choirs of Paris and French National Radio Orchestra conducted by Issay Dobrowen.
Libretto by Alexander Pushkin
Label: His Master's Voice
Catalogue number: SLS 5072
Country of Issue: UK
Date: 1977
Historic recording from 1952
Electronic Stereo
Analogue
Format: LP Boxed Set (4 discs plus booklet)
Label design: 3rd style red label, horizontal lines and monochrome logo
Discs: Near Mint, unmarked
Outer box: EX:   main front and back fine, scuffs on edges esp;ecially bottom edge (just shelf scuff)
Inner sleeves: original, polylined,  creased and marked, included,  but new antistatic sleeves provided.
Booklet: full size 24pp, near mint
While the outer box shows wear on the edges due to being moved and shelved, the discs are unmarked and as new.  The original inner sleeves (included) are creased and marked so we have provided new antistatic sleeves. Acquired by us in 2007 as part of a large collection but never played since.

Boris is Mussorgsky's most popular opera  and one of the most acclaimed of all Russian operas. The composer began work in 1868,  enlarging and extending it in 1871-2.  It was first performed at the MArinsky Theatre in 1874. Immediately successful, it fell into relative obscurity until re-orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov in three stages, effectively producing a whole new verfsion of the opera in 1896.  Though criticised by purists,  the new version gave Boris a new lease of life and it has remained a staple of the repertoire  ever since. This recording, made in Paris with Russian soloists and chorus in 1952, has remained in the catalogue for 70 years. This version is an electronic stereo remastering issued by HMV at full price in 1977.