I have been enjoying this film from 1959 on an old VHS for some time now, but the quality of the video is very quickly fading due to so much watching. Sadly, this Khovanshchina is very difficult to find, and if there is a performance of the opera that does deserve to be on DVD, it's this one. As much as I did love the Vienna and Bolshoi productions, I don't put them in the same league as this one. I do agree that giving Shaklovity's aria to somebody else undermines Shaklovity's character to just a schemer when he is more than that. Other than that, the film is great. It is handsomely mounted, some of the settings are really stunning, and the staging is compelling and moving, despite half of it being cut Dosifei's Act 5 aria really resonated with me here. Stroyeva's direction is superb, making the most of the splendid locations and the direction of the actors. Musically, it is impeccable, the many hauntingly sombre parts of Khovanshchina are played with authority and pathos. The actors do much to make their roles interesting, that of Shaklovity still gives menace. The singing is sonorous, commanding and often very beautiful. Of the overall performances, the standout is Mark Reizen as Dosifei, his singing and acting are both noble and incredibly affecting especially in Act 5. All in all, this Khovanshchina is really wonderful, but it is deserving of a DVD. 9/10 Bethany Cox
2 Reviews
The Definitive Version
schweinhundt196724 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
It really wouldn't be logical or fair to attempt to compare a 1950s Soviet production with one of the same era from MGM or Warner brothers.My guess is that the Soviet film industry was nowhere near as advanced technically or sophisticated as those in the West.So,we find ourselves having to deal with a less advanced group,still doing a good job of carrying off this film.And they do a good job.
A film can really open up what was originally a story designed for the stage-changes in location,scenes can incorporate greater vistas,and the action can be larger or more intimate,as the director decides.And,of course,with dubbing,we can have fine actors without operatic voices carrying off the show.Bravo,to each and every one of them!
There were some things going on with regard to the synopsis of the story,and the dialog,as seen in the titles,that might be somewhat puzzling.The Old Believers,a fundamentalist sect of the Russian Orthodox Church, are reduced to a group of migrants wandering around doing good deeds.Not quite what the composer and librettist intended.
The director,for the most part,remains faithful to the libretto,but there were some changes I found puzzling.The sinister Boyar Shaklovity's aria is given to an anonymous,although dramatically noticeable peasant.This reduces the Boyar to merely a schemer and malign personage.While certainly nobody's idea of a protagonist,and a sneak,spy,and underhanded intriguer,his aria also reveals him as one who loves Russia in his own way.As an agent of Tsar Peter the great,his role is to discover,stymie,block and eventually destroy those reactionary elements who seek to keep Russia in feudalism.And the aria shows him to be more complex than a mere villain and assassin.So,giving it to someone else changes the focus of this character.
However,in this production,they DO get the assassination right.Shaklovity appears at Prince Ivan's house,accompanied by 2 retainers who wait in the vestibule.The wily Boyar flatters and dupes the brutish Khovansky into attending the Council meeting.The Prince dons his ceremonial robes and paraphernalia,and strides to the door.Shaklovity then signals to his waiting henchmen,who then fall upon the Prince with their daggers,killing him.Well done!
A film can really open up what was originally a story designed for the stage-changes in location,scenes can incorporate greater vistas,and the action can be larger or more intimate,as the director decides.And,of course,with dubbing,we can have fine actors without operatic voices carrying off the show.Bravo,to each and every one of them!
There were some things going on with regard to the synopsis of the story,and the dialog,as seen in the titles,that might be somewhat puzzling.The Old Believers,a fundamentalist sect of the Russian Orthodox Church, are reduced to a group of migrants wandering around doing good deeds.Not quite what the composer and librettist intended.
The director,for the most part,remains faithful to the libretto,but there were some changes I found puzzling.The sinister Boyar Shaklovity's aria is given to an anonymous,although dramatically noticeable peasant.This reduces the Boyar to merely a schemer and malign personage.While certainly nobody's idea of a protagonist,and a sneak,spy,and underhanded intriguer,his aria also reveals him as one who loves Russia in his own way.As an agent of Tsar Peter the great,his role is to discover,stymie,block and eventually destroy those reactionary elements who seek to keep Russia in feudalism.And the aria shows him to be more complex than a mere villain and assassin.So,giving it to someone else changes the focus of this character.
However,in this production,they DO get the assassination right.Shaklovity appears at Prince Ivan's house,accompanied by 2 retainers who wait in the vestibule.The wily Boyar flatters and dupes the brutish Khovansky into attending the Council meeting.The Prince dons his ceremonial robes and paraphernalia,and strides to the door.Shaklovity then signals to his waiting henchmen,who then fall upon the Prince with their daggers,killing him.Well done!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
