nathaniel Sett
My first introduction to Boris was this recording. I MUCH prefer the original version. Music professors argued with me that "I like timbre". Rimsky-Korsakov was a genius, in his OWN music. The time that Boris is set was rough, uncivilized, and Russia was very much unlike the West. The music SHOULD be rough edged. This was before the palaces of Peter the Great, before the time of Catherine the Great, when 90% of the population were peasants. This original version ends and focuses on that-the Russian people, not just the death of Boris. Bravo to whoever posted this!