CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Tchaikovsky - Mazeppa / Putilin, Aleksashkin, Diadkova, Loskutova, Lutsiuk, Gergiev, Kirov Opera

starring: Kirov Ballet, Kirov Opera, Nikolai Putilin, Sergei Aleksashkin, Larissa Diadkova

Release Date April 13, 2004
Mazeppa is truly a great find. It is yet another restored Russian gem given new brilliance by conductor Valery Gergiev and the Kirov. I had only been familiar with Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" and "Queen of Spades" in various productions and came to cherish each as great opera. The only other of his operas I had seen was "Maid of Orleans" which was not as sucessful as the others. So I thought Mazzeppa would be another "ho-hum" of historical interest and no more. What a surprise! This is a majestic epic of the wild times in Russian history and the legendary hero of Ukrainian history. It is full of drama, blood and thunder that would be found in the later Prince Igor, Boris and Khovanshchina. The orchestration of Mazeppa is grand and lush as ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Borodin - Prince Igor

starring: Nikolai Putilin, Galina Gorchakova, Olga Borodina
directed by: Valery Gergiev, Yevgeny Sokovnin, Irkin Sabitov

Release Date September 09, 2003
I prefer the Provatorov version on VHS. This Igor is not convincing. Energy is missing. Gergev is just good...not terrific.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Tchaikovsky - Pique Dame

starring: Vladimir Galouzine, Hasmik Papian, Nikolai Putilin, Irina Bogatcheva, Ludovic Tezier
directed by: Lev Dodin

Release Date September 25, 2007
I bought this DVD two months ago despite the perceptive and helpful observations of others. I thank you, and should have been forewarned, but I wanted a performance by Vladimir Galuzin as Gherman. This was the only one around. I watched this DVD twice straight through, and I'm sure I won't look at the whole thing again. It should be reserved for old opera hands with strong stomachs and a high tolerance for cognitive dissonance. It should NOT be one's first or only experience of a wonderful opera.

Just a couple of points to add to criticism already made. Little is gained by Lev Dodin's "new dramaturgy" and a lot is taken away. Pushkin's original story only ends in the mental hospital - it is mentioned in the last lines of the novella - and the story ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Opera Highlights, Vol. 1 - Norma, La Gioconda, Il Trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Forza del Destino, La Cenerentola, L'Elisir d'Amore, Orlando Furioso

starring: Marilyn Horne, Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Joan Sutherland, Galina Gorchakova

Release Date May 29, 2007
Perfect combination of styles and voices within a high quality level ,taken from live performances of Operas in key theatres all over the world

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Verdi - La Forza del Destino / Gergiev, Gorchakova, Putilin, Marinsky Theatre St. Petersburg (Original 1862 Version)

starring: Valery Gergiev, Galina Gorchakova, Nikolai Putilin

Release Date November 20, 2001
The original Marinsky Forza is presented in a new DVD under the brilliant baton of Valery Gergiev. This offering contains every jot of music that Verdi wrote for this unusual opera. It also contains many of the dramatic scenes cut from all productions of FORZA in recent times. Some of these scenes are a bit egrigious. Most shocking of these additions is the suicide by drowning of Don Alvaro. The three principals are splended in their energy and naturalistic perforemance. The tenor is a slavic version of a young Pavarotti. I would highly recommend this DVD!