Thursday, April 24, 2008

A Russian Epic

ImageKhovanshchina (Opus Arte)
Modest Mussorgsky’s epic chronicle of Russian history--specifically, the Moscow Uprising of 1862 and the subsequent warring between reactionary and progressive forces--is presented in a new production that premiered at the Barcelona Opera House in 2007. Director Stein Winge’s modernized staging is generally faithful to the composer’s original vision, and he ably dovetails the many expansive scenes of conflict and battle with the more intimate sequences. Russians Vladimir Ognovenko, Vladimir Galouzine, and Nikolai Putilin are in their element in the lead roles, and conductor Michael Boder leads the Barcelona orchestra and chorus in a flavorful reading of Dmitri Shostakovich’s completion of the original score. (Mussorgsky died before competing the opera.)
EXTRAS:
Director interview.

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