In Rimsky-Korsakov’s version, the orchestra often sounds more colourful that in mine. He uses brighter timbres and chops up the melodic lines too much. I juxtapose the basic orchestral groups more often, and stress more sharply the dramatic ‘outbursts’ and ‘splashes’. Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestra sounds calmer and more balanced. I don’t think that’s appropriate to Boris. He should have followed the mood changes of the characters with more flexibility. And besides, I feel that the meaning of the choruses is more easily made clear by setting off the melody. In Rimsky-Korsakov’s version the melody and the subvoices usually blend, which perhaps obliterates their meaning. << less