This 1977 performance of the most famous Russian opera was remastered in 1993 and is made available in 2008 through the good graces of EMI Classics. Boris Godunov, the tragic story of a troubled Tsar, was first performed in 1874, after Mussorgsky made changes to satisfy the censors. This particular recording is a conflation of both the first and the finally approved versions from Mussorgsky’s hand. Featuring the fine vocal performances of Martti Talvela, Nicolai Gedda, Leonard Mróz, and Aage Haugland, this 3CD copy of the opera is supported by the Polish Radio Chorus of Krakow and the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jerzy Semkow. The liner notes provide background and overview of the story, and are given in English, German, and French. The opera itself is, of course, sung in Russian.
The box, liner notes, sleeves and CDs are all in good condition.