Boris Godunov (excerpts) / Pictures at an Exhibition (Rec 1961)

"At mid-price this is a find: a truly great version of Pictures and one of the great Borises at the height of his powers. Not to be missed."
(Bargain of the Month MusicWeb August 2006)

All Selections Available For The First Time On CD!

"Although far from esteemed by critics, Ormandy was beloved by audiences, and this Pictures at an Exhibition shows why. The playing by the Philadelphia Orch. is incredibly plush and easy to listen to, and Ormandy keeps the music's tension down. As remastered here, the original CBS sonics do full justice to the playing--from the first Promenade one is aware that so far as execution goes, Ormandy's reading can stand up to Reiner's classic recording with the Chicago Sym. on RCA. Musically, however, Reiner is much more incisive and dramatic.

George London made headlines in the Cold War as the first American to be invited to sing the role of Boris Godunov in the Soviet Union, and these excerpts from the opera demonstrate his beautiful tone and rock-solid intonation, without a trace of wobble. London doesn't try for Boris Christoff's scenery-chewing anguish (who could hope to match that?), but in its resonance and richness, this is a treasurable recording."
(Amazon.com)

Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) was music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 42 years - from 1938, when he took over from Leopold Stokowski, until 1980. Together Ormandy and the orchestra made numerous critically acclaimed recordings for Columbia Records covering a broad range of the orchestral repertory. In 1973 they made an unprecedented visit to China.