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