While listening to this record, I found out that this is actually a mono record. I have spent lots of time listening to it, because I really like the bass voice of Boris Christoff. But it never really grabbed me somehow, and I blamed the fifties recording quality. Now I know more: it is also because it is mono.
A huge collection of all songs from Moussorgsky. I think the opera’s themselves are excluded, but songs, and some separate cycles (Songs and dances of death come to mind) are included. Also included in the box is an 84 page textbook with explanation for every one of the songs, with texts in four languages. This work is a study.
Boris Christoff was born in 1914 in Bulgaria. He was discovered early as little boy in the cathedral choir of Sofia. In later years he turned out to be a very distinguished singer on stage, but an off stage nightmare. His frequent rows with his colleagues cost him many contracts and gave him a bad reputation.