Boris Godunov
Mussorgsky was never quite satisfied with his epic opera about a man who has waded through blood to reach the throne of Russia and then is haunted--ultimately to death--by the memory of his crimes. He revisedBorisseveral times and died leaving it still in need of further work. This was supplied by his friend Rimsky-Korsakov, who unfortunately revised some of the primitive strength out of the music, confronting anyone who wants to recordBoriswith some hard decisions. Mstislav Rostropovich follows Mussorgsky's original score, using more than one draft and letting the listener choose between alternate treatments of some key moments. His cast is carefully chosen and matches his own energy and dedication in a very powerful performance.--Joe McLellan