I ordered a CD of a performance that was made in the 60ies. So I expected that my CD would be a copy, based on an analog recording. It feels like either the original recording was a little bit off in terms of its speed (a tad too fast) or the speed issue was due to some glitch during the coping/burning process. Overall, it’s nice to have the option of having your own copy of old, “out of print” performances.

Sound quality had a buzzing in background on some tracks

The singers here are all excellent: no Wobblers, etc. They sound like they learned their roles for this performance and so aren't completely immersed in their characters, but singing in their native language they all know what's happening and what they're supposed to do. This recording would be recommendable just for that. What's really interesting is the edition of the score being used. Don Carlo has had many textual oddities since its premiere, but this version has music I've never heard anywhere. Basically this is the four act edition with the addition of the ballet music in the second act. However there are numerous additions throughout. The Carlo/Rodrigo duet has a slightly altered ending. Ebola, Rodrigo, and Elisabetta get both verses of their Act One arias. The Phillip/Rodrigo scene is the familiar version until the last line where they sing an alternative I've never heard. I don't speak Russian so I can't tell you what they're singing about either. The biggest change is at the end of the prison scene that has music for Carlo I've never heard even in the original French version.There are also cuts in different scenes, but these more or less conform to past editions. The Monk does not appear in the last scene, for example. Fascinating performance and

Fascinating performance and edition. And the singers really are very fine!

I was interested about DON CARLO in other language (Rusian now)

What to say? Bolshoi Theatre at it's best. Great singers, orchestra and rather unknown but very good conductor. I enjoyed hearing Don Carlo in Russian. Grab it!

The Russian language adds a dolorous dimension that suits this like a crypt in a Monastery

This is just what I expected, a gorgeously sung but strange edition of the score. There are numerous cuts and several passages that I can't identify, but the performance trumps all such issues.

Great voices, but a lot of rather generalised emotions. For instance, Philip's monologue sounds fantastic, but I'd been listening to Boris Christoff a couple of days ago & the emotion is just not there; likewise in the great confrontation with Carlo at the end of the previous act, there's just not a strong sense of authority, nor does the Inquisitor scene really lift off. Elisabetta & Rodrigo too are well-sung, but I'd like to see more characterisation. I rather like Andjaparidze as Carlo; perhaps it works because Carlo is a rather simple character! Arkhipova is the only one I really felt got beneath the music to define a character. That sounds all rather negative, but in fact the sound is good, the voices are fabulous, and the piece comes alive nicely.