Borodin: Prince Igor
Borodin was a dilettante in the very best sense of the word; he wrote  this sprawling, complicated opera with its incredible melodic splendors in his  spare time. Unfortunately, he never quite decided where he was going with it,  and various other composers have tried assorted fixes to make it work  dramatically. This version has a splendid cast singing an uncredited ("at  the initiative of Artistic Director Valery Gergiev") cut-and-paste score-- with a handy three-page guide to who wrote or orchestrated what--that is missing  some familiar moments but makes more dramatic sense. It's also resplendently  sung by some of the finest voices from the glory days of the Kirov (right after  the fall of Communism, just before the singers discovered Western contracts and  pay scales), including Galina Gorchakova at her best, and it's tautly conducted  by Gergiev.Sarah Bryan Miller