{"product_id":"christoff-boris-recordings-from-1949-1955","title":"Christoff, Boris: Recordings from 1949-1955","description":"\u003cb\u003eBoris Christoff\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eCD 1 \u003c\/b\u003e[70:19]  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eItalian Opera\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eWolfgang Amadeus MOZART \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e(1756 – 1791)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Don Giovanni \u003cbr\u003e  1.  \u003ci\u003eMadamina! Il catalogo e questo\u003c\/i\u003e [5:35] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eAntonio CALDARA \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e(1670 – 1736)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  2.  \u003ci\u003eCome raggio di sol\u003c\/i\u003e [3:12] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\" lang=\"SV\"\u003eVincenzo BELLINI \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e(1801 – 1835)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003eNorma\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e3. \u003ci\u003eIte sul colle\u003c\/i\u003e [10:13]\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003eLa sonnambula\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e4. \u003ci\u003eIl mulino! Il fonte! … Vi ravviso\u003c\/i\u003e [5:00]\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\" lang=\"SV\"\u003eGiuseppe VERDI \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e(1813 – 1901)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003eNabucco\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e5. \u003ci\u003eSperate, o figli! … D’Egitto la sui lidi\u003c\/i\u003e [4:58]\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e6. \u003ci\u003eOh chi piange? … \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003ci\u003eDel futuro nel bujo discerno\u003c\/i\u003e [4:47] \u003cbr\u003e  La forza del destino \u003cbr\u003e  7.  \u003ci\u003eIl santo nome di Dio\u003c\/i\u003e [6:54] \u003cbr\u003e  Simon Boccanegra \u003cbr\u003e  8.  \u003ci\u003eA te l’estremo addio … Il lacerate spirito\u003c\/i\u003e [5:53] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"DE\"\u003eErnani\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"DE\"\u003e9. \u003ci\u003eChe mai veggio! … Infelice … \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003ci\u003eL’offeso onor\u003c\/i\u003e [6:50] \u003cbr\u003e  Don Carlo \u003cbr\u003e  10.  \u003ci\u003eElla giammai m’amo … Dormiro sol\u003c\/i\u003e [9:14] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eArrigo BOITO \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e(1847 – 1918)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Mefistofele \u003cbr\u003e  11.  \u003ci\u003eAve Signor!\u003c\/i\u003e [3:55] \u003cbr\u003e  12.  \u003ci\u003eSon lo spirito che nega\u003c\/i\u003e [3:48]\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003eCD 2 \u003c\/b\u003e[71:56] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRussian Opera\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eModest MUSSORGSKY \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1839 – 1881)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Boris Godunov \u003cbr\u003e  1. Prologue: Coronation Scene [10:53] \u003cbr\u003e  2. Act 1. Pimen’s monologue [5:52] \u003cbr\u003e  3. Act 1. Varlaam’s song [2:33] \u003cbr\u003e  4. Act 2. Boris’s monologue [6:05] \u003cbr\u003e  5. Act 2. Clock scene [3:58] \u003cbr\u003e  6. Act 4. Farewell and Death of Boris [11:46] \u003cbr\u003e  Khovanshchina \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e7. Dosifey’s aria [6:22]\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\" lang=\"SV\"\u003eNikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"SV\"\u003e(1844 – 1908)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Sadko \u003cbr\u003e  8. Song of the Viking Merchant [3:46] \u003cbr\u003e  The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh \u003cbr\u003e  9. O vain illusion [4:27] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003ePyotr TCHAIKOVSKY \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1840 – 1893)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Eugene Onegin \u003cbr\u003e  10. Everyone knows love on earth [4:55] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eAlexander BORODIN \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1833 – 1887)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Prince Igor \u003cbr\u003e  11. Prince Galitsky’s aria [3:52] \u003cbr\u003e  12. Konchak’s aria [7:23]\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003eCD 3 \u003c\/b\u003e[72:25]\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRussian Songs and Sacred Music\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eAlexander SEROV \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1820 – 1871)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  1. Shrove Tuesday [4:39] \u003cbr\u003e  Traditional Songs \u003cbr\u003e  2. Song of the lumberjacks [5:00] \u003cbr\u003e  3. The Bandore [3:29] \u003cbr\u003e  4. Down Peterskaya Street [2:13] \u003cbr\u003e  5. Going down the Volga [3:40] \u003cbr\u003e  6. The lonely autumn night [5:22] \u003cbr\u003e  7. Psalm 137. By the waters of Babylon [5:25] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eMikhail\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eSTROKINE \u003c\/span\u003e(1832 – 1887)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  8. Prayer to St. Simeon [2:36] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003ePavel CHESNOKOV \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1877 – 1944)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  9. Lord have mercy on our people [4:00] \u003cbr\u003e  Trad. \u003cbr\u003e  10. The song of the twelve robbers [5:56] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eAlexander GRECHANINOV \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1864 – 1956)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  11. Litany [6:02] \u003cbr\u003e  Trad. \u003cbr\u003e  12. Siberian prisoner’s song [4:17] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eModest MUSSORGSKY\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Songs and Dances of Death \u003cbr\u003e  13. No 4 Field-Marshal Death [4:55] \u003cbr\u003e  14. The Grave [3:44] \u003cbr\u003e  15. Softly the spirit flies up to heaven [3:15] \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003eLISHKIN \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(? - ?)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  16. She mocked [3:32] \u003cbr\u003e  Trad \u003cbr\u003e  17. Song of the Volga boatmen [4:20]\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003eOne of the greatest singing artists ever recorded.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Some later recordings of Boris Christoff, expressive and dramatically convincing though they invariably are, can be vocally rather gruff. On these early examples there is very little of that characteristic. The overriding impression is, on the contrary, of an uncommonly sonorous voice with brilliant top notes and a beautiful pianissimo that few other basses have ever been able to muster. Where he sometimes momentarily falters is in the lowest reaches of the voice. He has all the notes that are required but they can sometimes be weak and even slightly unsteady. What impresses most of all is his ability to go to the core of the music, whether it be an aria or a simple song. Like his contemporary baritone colleague – and brother-in-law – Tito Gobbi he was a unique singing-actor, and created a number of deeply penetrating portraits of some of the great bass roles.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The first disc in this volume is devoted to Italian opera. It gives a rare opportunity to hear him in a Mozart role. Considering his histrionic powers one would expect his Leporello to be callous and cynical. It isn’t. This is a man-servant with a heart of gold and his warm reading of the catalogue aria leads us to believe that he feels compassion for poor Elvira. Well, there is a hint of a mocking laughter near the end, but that’s all.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Caldara aria, with Gerald Moore at the piano, is sung with restraint and honeyed tone. It is hard to believe that this finely honed reading comes from a man with such tremendous vocal resources.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The following six tracks are from a 1955 recital, recorded in Rome with the always responsive Vittorio Gui at the helm of the orchestra and chorus of the Rome Opera. The aria from  \u003ci\u003eNorma\u003c\/i\u003e, preceded by almost 3½ minutes orchestral introduction, is monumental with the male chorus really on their toes. The  \u003ci\u003eSonnambula\u003c\/i\u003e aria has similarities to Chaliapin’s recording but is warmer, though maybe less elegant than Siepi’s. As Zaccaria in  \u003ci\u003eNabucco\u003c\/i\u003e he has authority and sings with unerring dramatic intensity. In  \u003ci\u003eIl santo nome\u003c\/i\u003e from  \u003ci\u003eLa forza del destino\u003c\/i\u003e my favourite recording has always been Ezio Pinza’s from the late 1920s. Christoff’s reading may be deeper but Pinza’s noble tone still wins the day, if only by a hair’s breadth. Fiesco’s aria from  \u003ci\u003eSimon Boccanegra\u003c\/i\u003e has the nobility that may be lacking in the  \u003ci\u003eForza \u003c\/i\u003eexcerpt but his lowest notes are a bit sketchy.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The four remaining items on CD 1 are all from his earliest recording period, 1949 – 1951. The brilliance in the  \u003ci\u003eErnani \u003c\/i\u003earia is truly glorious and there is ‘go’ in the cabaletta. Karajan and the Philharmonia provide ideally refined background for Filippo’s monologue from  \u003ci\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/i\u003e – a reading that few have surpassed. He recorded the opera complete twice – first in the mid-1950s in the four-act version and then in the early 1960s in the five-act version – both times with Gabriele Santini conducting. The later of them, on DG, was my introduction to this opera and Christoff’s Filippo is still the one that looms in my memory. However I have to admit nowadays that his reading then was a bit cruder than on the earlier one. Best of all, though, is the version with Karajan, on this disc – inward and deeply moving. The two arias from  \u003ci\u003eMefistofele\u003c\/i\u003e are vital and outgoing with virtuoso playing from the Philharmonia.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Filippo was one of Christoff’s signature roles, but he is even more strongly connected with the title role in  \u003ci\u003eBoris Godunov\u003c\/i\u003e, which he also recorded twice. In fact he also sang both Pimen and Varlaam on both sets. On CD 2 we get some substantial excerpts from the first recording, conducted by Issay Dobrowen. It should be noted, though, that only tracks 1, 4 and 5 are from the complete set. Pimen’s and Varlaam’s solos as well as  \u003ci\u003eThe Death of Boris \u003c\/i\u003ewere recorded separately a couple of years earlier. In each of the numbers he surpasses all the existing competition, possibly bar Chaliapin, whose Boris was of similar status. Both singers’ readings are necessary listening for anyone who wants to come to grips with this ill-fated Tsar. The depth of feeling and insight is almost unbearable. Masterly is the only word for it. He also makes the most of the other Russian arias. I learnt these – and also most of the  \u003ci\u003eBoris Godunov\u003c\/i\u003e excerpts – through a DG recording with the great Finnish Bass Kim Borg in the mid-1960s, but good though he is – and I couldn’t resist a rehearing of some of them – he can’t quite challenge Christoff. The latter has more face. It should be said that a practically identical programme of Russian arias – these same recordings – was issued just about a year ago on EMI’s GROC label and readers who have already invested in that issue may hesitate about getting the present issue. The Italian programme is, to my knowledge, harder to come by separately and the Russian songs and sacred music on CD 3 is another asset. The first eleven were recorded with the admirable Feodor Potorzhinski Choir.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Many readers may have some favourite songs here and they are sensitively and beautifully sung with Christoff’s usual care for expression. Tracks 3 and 4 –  \u003ci\u003eThe Bandore\u003c\/i\u003e and  \u003ci\u003eDown Peterskaya Street\u003c\/i\u003e are particular favourites with me, and the  \u003ci\u003eSong of the twelve robbers\u003c\/i\u003e is another dear friend. Even better as an interpretation is the  \u003ci\u003eSiberian prisoner’s song\u003c\/i\u003e; this is a performance with penetrating psychology, not just superb singing. This and the three Mussorgsky songs, all four recorded in 1951 with Gerald Moore at the piano, are among the greatest song interpretations ever set down. Strong words, no doubt, but I can’t really see any valid counter-arguments. Hans Hotter and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau were on the same exalted level but not necessarily better. The encore,  \u003ci\u003eSong of the Volga boatmen\u003c\/i\u003e, is also masterly in the total control of dynamics.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e To me Boris Christoff was unable to sing a dull tone. He is without doubt one of the greatest singing artists ever recorded. As always Nimbus also provide well researched biographical notes by Alan Bilgora. And the sound is as good as the original shellacs or early LPs allowed. Don’t miss this one!\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -- Göran Forsling, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ctitle\u003e3414060.zz1_BORIS_CHRISTOFF_Boris_Christoff.html\u003c\/title\u003e  \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eBORIS CHRISTOFF \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Boris Christoff (bs); various assisting artists \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NIMBUS 7961\/3, mono (3 CDs: 214:40) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMOZART \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eDon Giovanni: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMadamina! Il catalogo e questo. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCALDARA \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eCome raggio di sol. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBELLINI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eNorma: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIte sul colle, o Druidi. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLa sonnambula: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIl mulino!…Vi ravviso. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eVERDI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eNabucco: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eSperate, o figli!…d’Egitto la sui lidi; Oh chi piange? … Del futuro. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLa forza del destino:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003e Il santo nome di Dio. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSimon Boccanegra: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIl lacerato spirito. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eErnani:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003e Che mai veggio! … Infelice. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eDon Carlo: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eElla giammai m’amo…Dormiro sol. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBOITO \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eMefistofele:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003e Ave Signor; Son lo spirito che nega. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eRIMSKY-KORSAKOV \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSadko: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eSong of the Viking Merchant. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eInvisible City of Kitezh:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003e O Vain Illusion. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMUSSORGSKY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eBoris Godunov: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePrologue, Coronation Scene; Pimen’s Monologue; In the Town of Kazan; I Have Attained the Highest Power; Clock Scene; Farewell and Death of Boris. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSongs and Dances of Death: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eField Marshal Death. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eKhovanschina: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDosifey’s Aria. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eThe Grave. Softly the Spirit Flies up to Heaven. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBORODIN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003ePrince Igor: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePrince Galitzky’s Aria. Khan Kontchak’s Aria. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eSEROV \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eShrove Tuesday. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCHESNOKOV \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLord, Have Mercy on Our People. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eGRETCHANINOV \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLitany. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eSTROKINE \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003ePrayer to St. Simeon. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eLISHKIN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eShe Mocked Me. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eFOLK SONGS \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSong of the Lumberjacks. The Bandore. Down the Petersky. Going Down the Volga. The Lonely Autumn Night. Psalm 137, “By the waters of Babylon.” Song of the 12 Robbers. Siberian Prisoner’s Song. Song of the Volga Boatmen \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThis stupendous collection of really top-drawer recordings, all made between 1949 and 1955, catches Boris Christoff in his magnificent early prime. This was the era in which he was first, and most often, compared to Feodor Chaliapin, and with good reason: In many of these scenes and arias, he lifted Chaliapin’s interpretations wholesale from the old records. Of course, if he hadn’t had a great dramatic instinct and hadn’t been such a riveting stage actor, the comparison might have faded away, and imitation certainly is the sincerest form of flattery. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWithout going into each CD in too much detail, what I found interesting was that some of the little mannerisms that became his trademarks—particularly that little downward portamento on low notes at the ends of phrases—were far less noticeable in the 1949–50 recordings than later on. He was also less “snarly” during this period. By the time 1955 rolled around, it seemed as if everything he sang had an undercurrent of menace or a snarl in the voice, however magnificent the sound of his instrument, but the early recordings of Varlaam’s song from \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eBoris Godunov\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and Leporello’s catalog aria from \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Giovanni\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e have more lightness and humor about them. The 1950 version of King Philip’s “Dormiro sol” from \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Carlo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is very slowly conducted by Herbert von Karajan, but Christoff, again, responds with a much subtler and less overbearing interpretation than he did on his 1952 recording of the complete opera with Stella, Filippeschi, and Gobbi (who was his brother-in-law, something I didn’t know). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThroughout his career, Christoff was as legendary for his arrogant and aloof treatment of colleagues as for his brilliant stage characterizations, but in the biographical notes it is mentioned that he was, even in his late 20s, a shy and often reluctant solo singer. It’s quite possible that in addition to the vocal training he received, his teacher Riccardo Stracciari also influenced his high-handedness by feeding his ego. There never seemed to be any real reason for his acting this way—every single one of his colleagues admired his talent and considered him one of the finest singing-actors of his time—but Christoff persisted in treating each and every one of them like crap. One might have thought that his developing a brain tumor in the late 1960s and having to fight his way back to sing again, which he did and gloriously so with no loss of tone or power, might have humbled him a little, but by all reports this was not so. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eCD 3 contained the greatest surprise for me, an entire album with Russian choir and (on some numbers) a balalaika orchestra, similar in concept and layout (though with completely different songs) to Nicolai Gedda’s best-selling album of the early 1960s, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eEvening Bells.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e Again, Christoff is at his best here, including two more Chaliapin specialties, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDown the Petersky\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and the Gretchaninov \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLitany.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e Perhaps the most surprising track of all, to me, is the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003earie antiche\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e of Caldara, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eCome raggio di sol,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e sung with wonderful lightness to Gerald Moore’s typically splendid accompaniment. Since the death of Nimbus’s founder, Shura Gehrman, the label seems to be laying off a little on the swamp of echo-reverb it adds to older recordings. These tracks all have just enough reverb to make the performances sound lifelike and less two-dimensional than they did in their original release (on EMI). Despite the fact that the booklet fails to give the first names of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eany \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eof the conductors, this set is highly recommended. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Lynn René Bayley \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Prima Voce","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705252028696,"sku":"710357796128","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1631934.jpg?v=1777674033","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/christoff-boris-recordings-from-1949-1955","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}