Es de celebrar que el sello Br Klassik rescate algunos de los más famosos conciertos muniqueses de los domingos, que la Rundfunkorchester ofrecía desde los cincuenta en diferentes localizaciones de la capital bávara. Dedicados especialmente a las voces más punteras del momento, en ellos, los cantantes se podían permitir el lujo de alejarse de su repertorio y desempolvar algunas partituras olvidadas, o bien revalidar sus más aplaudidas interpretaciones. Precisamente esto es lo que ocurre con el disco dedicado a Nicolai Ghiaurov, que centra su aparición de 1966 en Mefistófeles, Felipe II, Boris o Fiesco y la de 1969 en recuperar páginas rusas menos conocidas y una rareza bizetiana, La Jolie Fille de Perth.

It is appropriate that the other new release on the Great Singers Live series from the Münchner Rundfunkorchester (also on BR Klassik) is of the great Bulgarian bass Nicolai Ghiaurov.

Ghiaurov often sang with Freni and was married to her from 1977 until his death from a heart attack on June 2, 2004, at the age of 74. His final stage performance was earlier that year. (In addition to his own performances, he coached Freni in the Russian roles for which she won acclaim.)

The Ghiaurov recordings were made in 1966 and 1969, when he was in his prime. From the first notes from Gounod’s “Faust” it is clear that he possessed a commanding voice, not quite as dark as Boris Christoff’s, his fellow bass from Bulgaria.