Episode 4

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Modest Mussorgsky.

He concentrates on two works from Mussorgsky's last decade - his final song cycle, Songs and Dances of Death, in which the grim reaper visits a varied cast of human characters in a variety of guises, always with the same end result; and his opera Khovanshchina, left unfinished at his own death in 1881.

Songs and Dances of Death (1875-7)
Aage Haugland (bass)
Paul Rosenbaum (piano)
Point PCD 5088 Trs 1-4

Joshua - also known as Jesus Navin (1874-7)
Elena Zaremba (mezzo-soprano)
Berlin Philharmonic
Prague Philharmonic Chorus
Claudio Abbado (conductor)
DG 445 238-2 Tr 5

Khovanschina (1872-80) - Act 4, Sc 1 (live recording)
Ivan Khovansky ...... Aage Haugland
A Confidant of Golitsyn ...... Bojidar Nikolov
Shaklovity ...... Anatolij Kotscherga
Concert Chorus of the Vienna State Opera
Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Bratislava
Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Claudio Abbado (conductor)
DG 429 758-2, CD 3 Trs 1-3

Khovanschina - close of Act 5 (live recording)
Dosifei ...... Paata Burchuladze
Andrei Khovansky ...... Vladimir Atlantov
Marfa ...... Marjana Lipovsek
Concert Chorus of the Vienna State Opera
Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Bratislava
Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Claudio Abbado (conductor)
DG 429 758-2 CD 3 Trs 9, 10.