There is quite a story behind the career of
Russian classical singer Boris Gmyrya, a native of the Ukraine;
I won't tell it here.
Gmyrya was a singing actor comparable to Chaliapin -- yes, really --
but in more recent times,
and on better high-fidelity studio recordings.

Here is Boris Gmyrya, accompanied by Lev Ostrin,
in a very brisk performance of the Mussorgsky's Song of the Flea.