Evgeny Nesterenko

Glinka's "patriotic-heroic tragic opera" in four acts 'A Life for the Tsar' or 'Ivan Susanin' (as it was known during the Soviet era), recorded live at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1992, and starring Evgeny Nesterenko, Marina Mescheriakova, Alexander Lomonosov and Elena Zaremba, with the chorus and orchestra of the Bolshoi, conducted by Alexander Lazarev. The historical basis of the plot involves Ivan Susanin, a patriotic hero of the early 17th century who died in the expulsion of the invading Polish army for the newly elected Tsar Michael of Russia, the first of the Romanov dynasty, elected in 1613.

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Mussorgsky's quintessential Russian opera is captured live on stage in this performance by the Bolshoi Opera featuring Rimsky-Korsakov's revised vision and starring Evgeny Nesternko and Vladislav Piavko.

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Anniversary evening dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the founding of the State Academic Puppet Theater under the direction of S.Obraztsov and the 80th anniversary of Sergei Obraztsov.

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This 1981 Bolshoi production performed in the concert hall of The Kremlin is by far the best available, despite the more ‘historical’ picture and mono sound. The production itself is a very classic period production, with utterly authentic costumes and aptly dramatic sets. There are even horses on stage. The depiction of the Don Cossacks’ Khan Konchak and his tribe is colourful and historically informed in one. Needless to say, the scene of the Polovtsian Dances is spectacularly presented with great choregraphy and terrific dancing, in the league of the Spartacus of Bolshoi, no less.

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Performance of La Bohème in Teatro alla Scala, 1979.

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This performance, recorded live at the Bolshoi Opera in 1979, stars the great Russian bass Evgeny Nesterenko as Dosifei, the Old Believer at religious and psychological war with the new order, led by Prince Ivan Khovansky. The manipulative Khovansky is powerfully portrayed here by Alexander Vedernikov, another of the world’s greatest basses, little known outside of the Soviet Union. Marfa, one of Dosifei’s followers and a fortune teller, is sung by the legendary mezzo-soprano Irina Arkhipova in a performance of great authority and dignity. Russian opera at the Bolshoi is the genuine article and the remainder of the cast is equally impressive, from the mistrusting Prince Galitsyn of Evgeny Raikov to the clever, informing Shaklovity of Vladislav Romanovsky. The Bolshoi chorus and orchestra is conducted by Yuri Simonov.

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Universally acknowledged as the greatest of all Russian operas, this is a faithful and often dazzling production of the standard Rimsky-Korsakov version taped live at the Bolshoi in 1978. As Boris, the renowned Yevgeni Neterenko is as justifiably identified with the role in his generation as Chaliapin, London and Kipness were in theirs. Nesterenko gives a remarkably vivid, human portrait of the tormented half-crazed Tsar, and is supported by a first rate ensemble in a richly designed and costumed production that represents opera at its grandest. Particularly outstanding are Vladislav Piavko as the Pretender, Valery Yaroslavtsev as Pimen, Irina Arkhipova as Marina (a role generally associated with Vishnevskaya), Galina Kalinina as Xenia, and Alexsei Maslennikov as the Simpleton.

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Petrov to Kazarnovskaya

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