Boris Godunov (opera)
Boris Godunov (Russian: Борис Годунов, Borís Godunóv) is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky. The work was composed between 1868 and 1872, in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera, and is considered his masterpiece. Its subject is the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar from 1598 to 1605. The libretto was written by the composer, based on the drama of the same name by Aleksandr Pushkin, and on Karamzin's History of the Russian State. The composer created two distinct versions. The Original Version of 1869 was not approved for production. Mussorgsky completed a Revised Version in 1872, and this version eventually received its first performance in 1874. The music is written in a uniquely Russian style, drawing on the composer's knowledge of Russian folk music, and rejecting the influence of German and Italian opera.
Composition History
In the autumn of 1868, Vladimir Nikolskiy, a professor of Russian literature and an authority on Pushkin (1799–1837), suggested to Mussorgsky the idea of composing an opera on the subject of Pushkin’s drama Boris Godunov, which had finally been approved for performance in 1866.
Original Version of 1869
Mussorgsky began work in October 1868 preparing his own libretto. Pushkin’s drama consists of 24 scenes, written predominantly in blank verse. Mussorgsky adapted the most theatrically effective scenes, often preserving Pushkin’s verses, and augmented these with his own lyrics. He was assisted by a study of History of the Russian State by Karamzin, to whom Pushkin’s drama is dedicated. Mussorgsky worked rapidly, composing the vocal score and then the full score in about 14 months, at the same time holding down a civil service job. The Original Version was completed by December 15, 1869. The score was submitted to a committee of the Imperial Theaters in 1870, but was rejected for performance, ostensibly for its lack of a significant female role, but also, it is believed, for its novelty.
Revised Version of 1872
Mussorgsky began recasting and expanding Boris in 1871. Three scenes were added (the two Sandomir scenes and the Kromï Scene), one cut (the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene), and another recomposed (the Terem Scene). The modifications resulted in the addition of an important female role (Marina Mniszech) and the expansion of existing female roles (additional songs for the Hostess, Fyodor, and the Nurse). The Revised Version was finished June 23, 1872, and submitted to the Imperial Theaters in the autumn.
Initial Performances
Mussorgsky's friends took matters into their own hands by arranging the performance of three scenes at the Mariinskiy Theater on February 5, 1873. The response of the public and critics was enthusiastic, paving the way for the first complete performance, which took place on January 27, 1874. Although the audience response to the premiere was very favorable, the critical reaction was hostile. The performance was cut, partly due to problems with the censors, and partly due to the demands of Eduard Nápravník, the conductor. This practice set a precedent for subsequent performances.
Publication History
| Year | Editor | Publisher | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 | Modest Mussorgsky | Vasiliy Bessel & Co. | Vocal Score |
| 1896 | Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov | Vasiliy Bessel & Co. | Rimsky-Korsakov 1896 |
| 1908 | Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov | Rimsky-Korsakov 1908 | |
| 1928 | Pavel Lamm & Boris Asafyev | ||
| Dmitriy Shostakovich | Shostakovich 1940 | ||
| 1975 | David Lloyd Jones | Oxford University Press |
Early Performance History
Performances of Excerpts
Cathedral Square Scene (Coronation Scene)
- Date: Feb 05, 1872
- Place: Russian Music Society, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Conductor: Eduard Nápravník
Polonaise from Act III
- Date: Apr 03, 1872
- Place: Free School of Music, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Conductor: Mily Balakirev
Three Scenes: Cell Scene, Scene in Marina's Boudoir, Scene in the Garden of Mniszech's Castle
- Date: Feb 05, 1873
- Place: Mariinskiy Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Conductor: Eduard Nápravník
This performance was an enormous success with both the public and the critics.
First Performance of the Complete* Opera
- Date: Jan 27, 1874
- Place: Mariinskiy Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Producer: Gennadiy Kondratyev
- Scene Designers: Matvey Shishkov, Mikhail Bocharov
- Conductor: Eduard Nápravník
The entire Cell Scene was cut from the first performance, and there were substantial cuts to the 3rd and 4th Acts.
The hall was sold out. The performance was a great success with the public. Students sang choruses from the opera in the street. The critical reaction, however, was exceedingly hostile [see Critical Reception in this article for details].
Original Interpreters
| Role | Feb 05, 1873 | Jan 27, 1874 | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boris | Ivan Melnikov | bass or baritone | |
| Fyodor | ? | mezzo-soprano | |
| Kseniya | V. Raab | soprano | |
| The Nurse | Schoeder | mezzo-soprano or contralto | |
| Shuyskiy | Vasiliyev | tenor | |
| Shchelkalov | Sobolev | baritone | |
| Pimen | Vasiliyev | bass | |
| Grigoriy | Fyodor Komissarzhevskiy | Fyodor Komissarzhevskiy | tenor |
| Marina | Yuliya Platonova | Yuliya Platonova | mezzo-soprano |
| Rangoni | Palechek | bass | |
| Varlaam | Osip Petrov | Osip Petrov | bass |
| Misail | Gennadiy Kondratyev | Dinzhikov | tenor |
| The Hostess | Dariya Leonova | Abarinova | mezzo-soprano |
| The Yurodivïy | Bulakhov | tenor | |
| Nikitich | Sariotti | bass | |
| Mityukha | Lyadov | bass | |
| Boyar-in-attendance | Sobolev | tenor | |
| Khrushchov | Matveyev | tenor | |
| Lavitskiy | Vasiliyev | bass | |
| Chernikovskiy | Sobolev | bass |
Subsequent Performances
Later performances of Boris Godunov tended to be heavily cut – including the removal of the entire Novodevichiy, Cell, and Kromi scenes. The work was performed 21 times during the composer's lifetime, and 5 times after his death (1881) before being withdrawn from the repertory (November 8, 1882). Premiere performances outside St. Petersburg included:
| Date | City | Opera House | Conductor | Boris | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 1888 | Moscow | Bolshoy Theater | Korsov | ||
| Dec 07, 1898 | Moscow | Solodovnikov Theater | Shalyapin | Rimskiy-Korsakov | |
| May 19, 1908 | Paris | Paris Opera | Shalyapin | Rimskiy-Korsakov | |
| Mar 19, 1913 | New York | Metropolitan Opera | Toscanini | Didur | Rimskiy-Korsakov |
| Jun 24, 1913 | London | Drury Lane | Shalyapin | Rimskiy-Korsakov |
Critical Reception
As the most daring and innovative member of the group of composers known as the Mighty Handful, Mussorgsky frequently became the prime target for conservative critics and rival composers, and was often derided for his supposedly clumsy and crude musical idiom. Reviews of the premiere performance of Boris Godunov were, with one exception, mainly hostile. Some critics dismissed the work as "noisy", "chaotic", and "a cacophony".
Even his friends Balakirev and Cui, leading members of the Kuchka, either failed to understand the giant step forward in musical and dramatic expression that Boris Godunov represented, or minimized the composer's accomplishment. Cui betrayed Mussorgsky in a notoriously scathing review of the premiere performance:
"Mr. Mussorgsky is endowed with great and original talent, but Boris is an immature work, superb in parts, feeble in others. Its main defects are in the disjointed recitatives and the disarray of the musical ideas.... These defects are not due to a lack of creative power.... The real trouble is his immaturity, his incapacity for severe self-criticism, his self-satisfaction, and his hasty methods of composition..." (César Cui, 1874)
Although he found much to admire, he criticized the composer for a poorly constructed libretto, and found the opera to exhibit a lack of cohesion between scenes, making it more a musical Shakespearean chronicle than an opera. He also claimed Mussorgsky was so deficient in the ability to write instrumental music that he dispensed with composing a prelude.
Although Boris Godunov is usually praised for its originality, for the dramatic power of its choruses, for its sharply delineated characters, and for the powerful psychological portrayal of Tsar Boris, it has received an inordinate amount of criticism for technical shortcomings: weak or faulty harmony, counterpoint, part-writing, and orchestration. The perception that Boris needed "correction" due to Mussorgsky's "poverty of technique" prompted his friend Rimsky-Korsakov to revise it after his death. His edition supplanted the composer's Revised Version of 1872 in the world's opera houses for some 75 years [see Versions by Other Hands in this article for more details].
Recently, however, a new appreciation for the rugged individuality of the composer's style has resulted in increasing performances and recording of his original versions. In the minds of many, Boris Godunov is the greatest of all Russian operas because of its originality, power, and theatricality, regardless of any cosmetic deficiencies it may possess.
Features
- Narrative and dramatic impetus
- Relative lack of deadwood
- Skillful musical characterization
- Psychological depth of the main character(s)
- Socio-political subtext
- Thematic development
- Use of borrowed themes (e.g. from Salammbô)
- Use of leitmotive
- Modal melodies influenced by Russian folk and liturgical music
- Speech melody
Versions
Authentic Editions
- The Original Version of 1869 is rarely heard. Its main attractions are that it provides an interesting alternative in the Terem Scene to that of the 1872 version, it contains the dramatic Scene at the Cathedral of Vasiliy the Blessed (St. Basil's Scene), and it is not disfigured by any of the cuts the composer made in later versions of the work. The terse Terem Scene of the 1869 version and the momentum and unrelieved tension of the two subsequent and final scenes make this version more dramatically gripping to some critics.
- The Revised Version of 1872 is longer, is richer in musical and theatrical variety, and presents the title character in a somewhat more sympathetic and tragic light in the central Terem Scene. However, some critics maintain that the addition of songs to the Terem Scene and the insertion of the Sandomir scenes immediately following it actually weaken rather than enhance the drama. This version has made a strong comeback in recent years, and is becoming the dominant version.
- The Vocal Score of 1874 was published at the time of the premiere of the opera, and is essentially the 1872 version with some minor musical variants and small cuts.
Editions by Other Hands
- Rimskiy-Korsakov 1896
- The Rimsky-Korsakov Version of 1908 has been the most traditional version over the last century. It resembles the Vocal Score of 1874, but the order of the last two scenes is reversed [see Versions by Other Hands in this article for more details].
- Dmitriy Shostakovich (1940)
- Karol Rathaus and John Gutman [in English] (1953)
Comparison of the Authentic Versions
The distribution of scenes in the authentic versions is as follows:
| Scene | Original Version of 1869 | Revised Version of 1872 |
|---|---|---|
| The Courtyard of the Novodevichiy Monastery | Part 1, Scene 1 | Prologue, Scene 1 |
| Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin | Part 1, Scene 2 | Prologue, Scene 2 |
| A Cell in the Chudov Monastery | Part 2, Scene 1 | Act 1, Scene 1 |
| An Inn on the Lithuanian Border | Part 2, Scene 2 | Act 1, Scene 2 |
| The Tsar's Terem in the Moscow Kremlin | Part 3 | Act 2 |
| Marina's Boudoir in Sandomir | Act 3, Scene 1 | |
| The Garden of Mniszech's Castle in Sandomir | Act 3, Scene 2 | |
| At the Cathedral of Vasiliy the Blessed | Part 4, Scene 1 | |
| The Palace of Facets in the Moscow Kremlin | Part 4, Scene 2 | Act 4, Scene 1 |
| A Forest Glade near Kromï | Act 4, Scene 2 |
Compared to the 1869 version, the 1872 version has lost one scene (Vasily the Blessed) and gained three (the two Sandomir scenes and the Kromï Scene). The composer initially replaced the Vasily the Blessed Scene with the Kromï Scene. However, on the suggestion of Nikolskiy, he transposed the order of the last two scenes, concluding the opera with the Kromï Scene rather than the Palace of Facets Scene. This gives the overall structure of the opera a wonderful symmetry:
People - Boris - Grigoriy - Boris - Grigoriy - Boris - People
Later, Rimskiy-Korsakov transposed the last two scenes back again in his revision. Critics often mention that in doing so he shifted the focus of the opera away from a tragedy of the Russian people and toward the tragedy of an individual.
Mussorgsky also rewrote the Terem Scene for the 1872 version, modifying the text, adding new songs and plot devices, modifying the psychological treatment of the title character, and recomposing the music of the entire scene.
Other important modifications in the 1872 version are:
- Prologue, Scene 1 (Novodevichiy Scene) – The conclusion is cut (in the Synopsis below, the bracketed portion).
- Act 1, Scene 1 (Cell Scene) – Pimen's narrative of the scene of Dmitriy's murder is cut. In addition, the composer added some offstage choruses of monks.
- Act 1, Scene 2 (Inn Scene) – The addition of the 'Song of the Drake' (just after the introduction).
- Act 4, Scene 1 (Palace of Facets Scene) – The cut of 'Shchelkalov's Address' (just after the introduction).
Performance Practice
A conflation (composite) of the 1869 and 1872 versions is sometimes made when staging or recording Boris Godunov. This typically involves choosing the 1872 version and augmenting it with the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene (St. Basil's Scene) from the 1869 version. This strategy is popular because the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene is generally acknowledged to be too fine to omit. However, since the composer transferred the scene of the Yurodivïy and the urchins from the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene to the Kromï Scene when revising the opera, restoring the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene to its former location creates a problem of duplicate scenes, which can be partially solved by cuts.
The Rimsky-Korsakov Version can be augmented with the Ippolitov-Ivanov reorchestration of the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene from the composer's 1869 Version.
In another example of conflation, there is the option to restore the cuts the composer himself made in writing the 1872 version [see Comparison of the Authentic Versions in this article for more details].
Historical Basis of the Plot
An understanding of the drama of Boris Godunov may be facilitated by a basic knowledge of the historical events surrounding the Time of Troubles, the interregnum period of relative anarchy following the end of the Ryurik Dynasty (1598) and preceding the Romanov Dynasty (1613). Key events are as follows:
- 1584 - Ivan IV "The Terrible", the first Grand Prince of Muscovy to use the title Tsar (Caesar), dies. Ivan’s successor is his feeble son Fyodor, now Fyodor I, who cares only for spiritual matters, and leaves the affairs of state to his capable brother-in-law, boyar Boris Godunov, now de facto regent.
- 1591 - Ivan’s other son Dmitriy dies under mysterious circumstances in Uglich. An investigation, ordered by Godunov and carried out by Prince Vasiliy Shuyskiy, determines that the Tsarevich, while playing with a knife, had an epileptic seizure, fell, and died from a self-inflicted wound to the throat. Dmitriy's mother, Maria Nagaya, exiled with him to Uglich by Godunov, claims he was assassinated. Rumors linking Boris to the crime are circulated by his enemies.
- 1598 - Tsar Fyodor I dies. He is virtually the last representative of the Ryurik Dynasty that has ruled Russia for 7 centuries. Patriarch Job nominates Boris to succeed Fyodor I as Tsar, despite the rumors that Boris ordered the murder of Dmitriy. Boris agrees to ascend the throne only if elected by the Zemskiy Sobor. This the assembly does unanimously, and Boris is crowned the same year.
- 1604 - A pretender to the throne appears, claiming to be Tsarevich Dmitriy, but believed to be in reality one Grigoriy Otrepyev. He gains the support of the Polish aristocracy, and, obtaining a force of soldiers, he marches on Moscow. Crossing into Russia, Dmitriy’s invasion force is joined by disaffected Cossacks. However, after a few victories, it loses momentum.
- 1605 - Boris dies of unknown causes. He is succeeded by his son Fyodor, now Fyodor II. The death of Boris gives new life to the campaign of the False Dmitriy, who enters Moscow. Boyars who flock to his side murder Fyodor II and his mother.
- 1606 - False Dmitriy I is murdered, and is succeeded by Vasiliy Shuyskiy, now Vasiliy IV.
- 1610 - Vasiliy IV is deposed, and dies two years later in a Polish prison. Another pretender claiming to be Dmitriy Ivanovich, False Dmitriy II, is murdered.
- 1612 - Yet a third pretender, False Dmitriy III, appears. He is captured and executed.
- 1613 - The Time of Troubles comes to a close with the accession of Mikhail Romanov, son of Fyodor Romanov, who had been persecuted under Boris Godunov's reign.
Note: The culpability of Boris in the matter of Dmitriy's death can neither be proved nor disproved. Karamzin accepted his guilt as fact, and Pushkin and Mussorgsky after him assumed it to be true, at least for the purpose of creating a tragedy in the mold of Shakespeare. Modern historians, however, tend to acquit Boris of the crime.
Roles
| Russian | English | Description | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Борис Годунов | Boris Godunov | Tsar of Russia | Bass or Baritone |
| Фёдор | Fyodor | The son of Boris | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Ксения | Kseniya | The daughter of Boris | Soprano |
| Мамка Ксении | The Nurse | Kseniya's nurse | Contralto |
| Князь Василий Шуйский | Prince Vasiliy Shuyskiy | A boyar | Tenor |
| Андрей Щелкалов | Andrey Shchelkalov | The Secretary of the Duma | Baritone |
| Пимен | Pimen | A monk, chronicler | Bass |
| Самозванец под именем Григория | Grigoriy Otrepyev | The Pretender | Tenor |
| Марина Мнишек | Marina Mniszech | The daughter of the Sandomir Voyevoda | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Рангони | Rangoni | A Jesuit | Bass |
| Варлаам | Varlaam | A mendicant, vagrant | Bass |
| Мисаил | Misail | A mendicant, vagrant | Tenor |
| Хозяйка корчмы (Шинкарка) | The Hostess | The hostess of the inn | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Юродивый | The Yurodiviy | A holy fool | Tenor |
| Никитич | Nikitich | A police officer | Bass |
| Митюха | Mityukha | A peasant | Bass |
| Ближний боярин | Boyar-in-Attendance | A palace boyar | Tenor |
| Хрущов | Khrushchov | A boyar | Tenor |
| Лавицкий | Lavitskiy | A Jesuit | Bass |
| Черниковский | Chernikovskiy | A Jesuit | Bass |
| Peasants, policemen, pilgrims and cripples, people of Moscow, boyars, streltsï, bodyguards, monks, Sandomir maidens, Polish nobles, urchins, vagabonds, soldiers | Chorus, Silent Roles | ||
Synopsis
Note: Shishkov and Bocharev designed the scenes used in the first complete performance in 1874. Some of their work accompanies the synopsis below.
The Courtyard of the Novodevichiy Monastery near Moscow (1598). The curtain opens on a crowd in the courtyard of the monastery, where the weary regent Boris Godunov has temporarily retired. Nikitich the police officer orders the assembled people to kneel. He goads them to clamor for Boris to accept the throne. They sing a chorus of supplication. The people are bewildered and soon fall to bickering with each other, and only resume their entreaties when the policeman threatens them with his club. Their chorus reaches a feverish climax. Andrey Shchelkalov, the Secretary of the Duma, appears from inside the convent, informs the people that Boris still refuses the throne of Russia, and requests that they pray that he will relent. An approaching procession of pilgrims and cripples sings a hymn, exhorting the people to crush the spirit of anarchy in the land, take up holy icons, and go to meet the Tsar. They disappear into the monastery. [The people discuss the statements of the pilgrims. Many remain bewildered. The police officer interrupts their discussion, ordering them to appear the next day at the Moscow Kremlin. The people move on.]
[Cathedral] Square in the Moscow Kremlin (1598). The air pulsates with the tolling of bells. From the porch of the Cathedral of the Dormition, Prince Shuyskiy exhorts the people to glorify Tsar Boris. As the people sing a great chorus of praise, a solemn procession of boyars exits the cathedral. The people kneel. Boris appears on the porch of the cathedral. The shouts of "Glory!" reach a crescendo and subside. Boris addresses the people with a brief monologue betraying a feeling of ominous foreboding. He prays for God's blessing, and hopes to be a good and just ruler. He invites the people to a great feast, and then proceeds to the Cathedral of the Archangel to kneel at the tombs of Russia's past rulers. The people wish Boris a long life. A crowd breaks toward the cathedral. The police officers struggle to maintain order. The people resume their shouts of "Glory!"
A Cell in the Chudov Monastery [within the Moscow Kremlin] (1603). Pimen, an aged monk, writes a chronicle of Russian history. The young novice Grigoriy awakes from a horrible (and prophetic) dream, which he relates to Pimen, in which he climbed a high tower, was mocked by the people of Moscow, and fell. Pimen advises him to fast and pray. Grigoriy voices his regret that he retired so soon from worldly affairs to become a monk. He envies Pimen's early life of adventure. Pimen speaks approvingly of Ivan the Terrible and his son Fyodor, who both exhibited great spiritual devotion, and draws a contrast with Boris, a regicide. [At Grigoriy's request, Pimen tells the vivid details of the scene of the murder of Dmitry Ivanovich, which he witnessed in Uglich.] Upon discovering the similarity in age between himself and the murdered Tsarevich, Grigoriy immediately conceives the idea of posing as the Pretender. As Pimen departs for Matins, Grigoriy declares that Boris shall escape neither the judgment of the people, nor that of God.
An Inn on the Lithuanian Border (1603). After a brief introduction, [the Hostess sings the Song of the Drake. It is interrupted towards the end by the approaching voices of the vagrants Varlaam and Misail, who are begging for alms, and their companion Grigoriy, who is in secular garb]. The three travelers arrive and enter. After exchanging greetings, the rascally Varlaam requests some wine. When the Hostess returns with a bottle, he drinks and launches into a ferocious song of Ivan the Terrible's siege of Kazan. The two monks quickly become tipsy, and soon begin to doze. Grigoriy quietly asks the Hostess for directions to the Lithuanian border. Policemen appear in search of a fugitive heretic monk (Grigoriy) who has run off from the Chudov Monastery declaring that he will become Tsar in Moscow. Noticing Varlaam's suspicious behavior, the lead policeman thinks he has found his man. He cannot read the edict he is carrying, however, so Grigoriy volunteers to read it. He does so, but, eyeing Varlaam carefully, he substitutes Varlaam's description for his own. The policemen quickly seize Varlaam, who protests his innocence and asks to read the edict. He haltingly reads the description of the suspect, which of course matches Grigoriy. Grigoriy brandishes a dagger, and leaps out of the window. The men set off in pursuit.
The Interior of the Tsar's Terem in the Moscow Kremlin (1604). Kseniya, clutching a portrait of her betrothed who has died, sings a brief aria. Her nurse and brother Fyodor attempt to cheer her up with some songs. Boris suddenly enters in an agitated state, briefly consoles Kseniya, and then sends her and her nurse to their own quarters. After encouraging his son to resume his studies, he gives vent to his emotions in a long and fine monologue. At the end of this aria he reveals that he has been disturbed by a vision of a bloody child begging for mercy. A commotion breaks out in his children's quarters. Boris sends Fyodor to ascertain the nature of the disturbance. The boyar-in-attendance brings word of the arrival of Prince Shuyskiy, and reports a denunciation against him for his intrigues. Fyodor returns to relate the whimsical tale of his pet parrot's escape. Boris advises Fyodor to beware of evil and cunning advisor's such as Shuyskiy when he becomes Tsar. Shuyskiy enters just at that moment, bearing grave tidings. A Pretender has appeared in Lithuania. Boris angrily demands to know his identity. Shuyskiy fears the Pretender might attract a following bearing the name of Dmitriy. Boris is shaken by this revelation. Clearly on the edge of madness, he asks Shuyskiy whether he has ever heard of dead children rising from their graves to interrogate Tsars. Boris wants Shuyskiy's assurance that the dead child he had seen in Uglich was really Dmitriy. Shuyskiy confirms this in a brief and beautiful aria. But he gives hints that a miracle has occurred. Boris begins choking in a paroxysm of guilt and remorse, and gives a sign for Shuyskiy to depart. A clock begins chiming. Boris hallucinates. The spectre of the dead Dmitriy reaches out to him. Addressing the apparition, he denies his responsibility for the crime: "Begone, begone child! Not I... the will of the people!" He collapses, praying that God will have mercy on his guilty soul.
Marina's Boudoir in Sandomir (1604). Maidens sing a delicate, sentimental song to entertain Marina as her chambermaid dresses her hair. Marina declares her preference for heroic songs of chivalry. She dismisses everyone. Alone, she sings of her boredom, of Dmitriy, and of her thirst for adventure, power, and glory. The Jesuit Rangoni enters and attempts to obtain Marina's promise that when she becomes Tsaritsa she will convert the heretics of Moscow (Russian Orthodox Church) to the true faith (Roman Catholicism). When Marina wonders why this should be her burden, Rangoni angrily declares that she shall stop short of nothing, including sacrificing her honor, to obey the dictates of the church. Marina expresses contempt of his hypocritical insinuations and demands he leave. Rangoni ominously tells her she is in the thrall of infernal forces. Marina collapses. Rangoni demands her obedience.
Mniszech's Castle in Sandomir. A Garden. A Fountain. A Moonlit Night (1604). The Pretender dreams of an assignation with Marina in the garden of her father's castle. To his annoyance, Rangoni finds him. However, he brings news from Marina. She begs to speak with him. The Pretender resolves to throw himself at Marina's feet, begging her to be his wife and Tsaritsa. He entreats Rangoni to lead him to Marina. Rangoni, however, first wants the Pretender to consider him a father, allowing him to follow his every step and thought. The Pretender agrees not to part from him if he will only allow him to see Marina. Rangoni convinces the Pretender to hide as the Polish Nobles issue from the castle dancing a polonaise. Marina flirts, dancing on the arm of an older man. The Poles sing of taking the Muscovite throne, defeating the army of Boris, and capturing him. They return to the castle. The Pretender comes out of hiding. Marina appears and calls to him. He is lovesick. She, however, only wants to know when he will be Tsar, and declares she can only be seduced by a throne and a crown. The Pretender kneels at her feet. She tells him to be off, and calls him a lackey. Having reached his limit, he tells her he will depart the next day to lead his army to Moscow and to his father's throne. Furthermore, as Tsar he will take pleasure in watching her come crawling back looking for her own lost throne, and will command everyone to laugh at her. She quickly changes her tune, and as they sing a love duet, she finally admits she loves him. Rangoni slithers out of hiding to savor his accomplishment.
The Square before the Cathedral of Vasiliy the Blessed in Moscow (1605). A crowd mills about before the Cathedral of the Intercession (Vasiliy the Blessed) in Red Square. Many are beggars, and policemen occasionally appear. A group of men enters, discussing the anathema the deacon had declared on Grishka (Grigoriy) Otrepyev in the mass. They identify Grishka as being the Tsarevich. With growing excitement they sing of the advance of his forces to Kromï, of his intent to retake his father's throne, and of the death he will mete out to the Godunovs. A yurodivïy enters, pursued by urchins. He sings a nonsensical song about the moon, a crying kitten, and praying to God. The boys (urchins) greet him and rap on his metal hat. The yurodivïy has a kopek, which the urchins promptly steal. He whines pathetically. The Tsar's retinue issues from the Cathedral. The boyars distribute alms. In a powerful chorus, the hungry people beg for bread. As the chorus subsides, the yurodivïy's crys are heard. Boris asks why he cries. The yurodivïy reports the theft of his kopek and asks Boris to order the cutting of the boys' throats, just as he did in the case of the Tsarevich. Shuyskiy wants the yurodivïy seized, but Boris instead asks for the holy man's prayers. As Boris exits, the yurodivïy declares he cannot pray for Tsar Herod. The yurodivïy then sings his lament about the fate of Russia.
The Palace of Facets in the Moscow Kremlin (1605). A session of the Duma is in progress. [The assembled boyars listen as Shchelkalov informs them of the Pretender's advance and requests they decide his fate.] After some arguments, the boyars agree, in a powerful chorus, that the Pretender and his sympathizers should be executed. Shuyskiy, whom they distrust, arrives with an interesting story. Upon leaving the Tsar's presence, he observed Boris attempting to drive away the ghost of the dead Tsarevich, exclaiming: "Begone, begone child!". The boyars accuse Shuyskiy of spreading lies. However, just at that moment, Boris enters, echoing Shuyskiy: "Begone child!". After Boris comes to his senses, Shuyskiy informs him that a humble old man craves an audience. Pimen enters and tells the story of a blind man who heard the voice of the Tsarevich in a dream. Dmitriy instructed him to go to Uglich and pray at his grave, for he has become a miracle worker in heaven. The man did as instructed and regained his sight. This story is the final blow for Boris. He calls for his son, declares he is dying, and gives him final counsel. In a very dramatic and moving scene, he dies.
A Forest Glade near Kromï (1605). Tempestuous music accompanies the entry of a crowd of vagabonds who have captured the boyar Khrushchov. The crowd bows to him in mock homage. The yurodivïy enters, pursued by urchins. He sings a nonsensical song about the moon, a crying kitten, and praying to God. The boys (urchins) greet him and rap on his metal hat. The yurodivïy has a kopek, which the urchins promptly steal. He whines pathetically. Varlaam and Misail are heard in the distance singing of the crimes of Boris and his henchmen. They enter. The crowd gets worked up to a frenzy denouncing Boris. Two Jesuits are heard in the distance chanting in Latin, praying that God will save Dmitriy. They enter. The vagabonds prepare to hang the Jesuits, who appeal to the Holy Virgin for aid. Processional music heralds the arrival of Dmitriy and his forces. Varlaam and Misail evidently do not recognize him as the companion they chased into Lithuania, and glorify him along with the crowd. The Pretender calls those persecuted by Godunov to his side. He frees Khrushchov, and calls on all to march on Moscow. All exeunt except the Yurodivïy, who sings a plaintive song of the arrival of the enemy, of darkness falling, and of woe to Russia.
Principle Arias and Numbers
Boris Godunov is essentially a "number opera". Prominent arias and numbers are:
- Introduction (Orchestra)
- Chorus:"To whom dost thou abandon us, our father?" (People)
- Aria: "True believers! The boyar is unrelenting!" (Shchelkalov)
- Chorus: "Glory to Thee, Creator on high" (Pilgrims)
- Chorus: "Glory to the red sun in the sky" (People)
- Monologue: "My soul grieves" (Boris)
- Chorus: "Glory! Glory! Glory!" (People)
- Aria: "Yet one last tale" (Pimen)
- Song: "I have caught a gray drake" (Hostess, Varlaam, Missail)
- Song: "It happened in the city of Kazan" (Varlaam)
- Aria: "Where are you, my bridegroom?" (Kseniya)
- Song: Song of the Gnat (Fyodor, Nurse)
- Duet: "A song of this and that" (Fyodor, Nurse)
- Monologue: "I have attained supreme power" (Boris)
- Song: Song of the Parrot (Fyodor)
- Aria: "In Uglich, in the cathedral" (Shuyskiy)
- Scene: Hallucination ('Clock') Scene (Boris)
- Chorus: "On the blue Vistula" (Maidens)
- Aria: "How tedious and dull" (Marina)
- Dance: Polonaise (Marina, Polish nobles)
- Duet: "O Tsarevich, I implore you" (Marina, Dmitry)
- Chorus: "Benefactor father (Give us bread)" (People)
- Chorus: "Well, let's put it to a vote, boyars" (Boyars)
- Aria: "One day, at the evening hour" (Pimen)
- Aria: "Farewell, my son, I am dying" (Boris)
- Scene: "The bell! The funeral bell!" (Boris, Fyodor, Chorus)
- Chorus: "Not a falcon flying in the heavens" (Vagabonds)
- Chorus: "Glory to thee, Tsarevich!" (Varlaam, Misail, Vagabonds)
- Song: "Flow, flow, bitter tears!" (Yurodivïy)
Versions by Other Hands
- "I worship Boris Godunov and hate it. I worship it for its originality, power, boldness, independence, and beauty. I hate it for its shortcomings, the roughness of its harmonies, the incoherences in the music."
- "Although I know I shall be cursed for so doing, I will revise Boris. There are countless absurdities in its harmonies, and at times in its melodies."
- "Having arranged the new version of Boris Godunov I had not destroyed its original form, had not painted out the old frescoes forever. If ever the conclusion is arrived at that the original is better, worthier than my revision, then mine will be discarded and Boris Godunov will be performed according to the original score."
"Maybe Rimsky-Korsakov's harmonies are softer and more natural, his part-writing better, his scoring more skillful; but the result is not Mussorgsky, nor what Mussorgsky aimed at. The genuine music, with all its shortcomings, was more appropriate. I regret the genuine Boris, and feel that should it ever be revived on the stage of the Mariinskiy Theatre, it is desirable that it should be in the original."
"Besides re-scoring Boris and correcting harmonies in it (which was quite justifiable), he introduced in it many arbitrary alterations, which disfigured the music. He also spoilt the opera by changing the order of scenes".
After Mussorgsky's death (1881), his friend Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov undertook to put his scores in order, completing Khovanshchina, reconstructing Night on Bald Mountain, and "correcting" some songs. Next, he turned to Boris.
He started in 1892 by rescoring the Coronation Scene, and completed the remainder by 1896. He later completed another revision in 1908, this time adding some music to the Coronation Scene, and replacing the ending of Act III. These revisions went beyond mere reorchestration. He made substantial modifications to harmony, melody, dynamics, etc., even changing the order of scenes.
Rimsky-Korsakov has come under fire from some critics for altering Boris. The defense usually made by his supporters is that without his ministrations, Mussorgsky's opera would have faded from the repertory due to difficulty in appreciating his raw and uncompromising idiom. Therefore, Rimsky-Korsakov was justified in making improvements to keep the work alive and increase the public's awareness of Mussorgsky's melodic and dramatic genius. The validity of this argument cannot be proven. It must be admitted that some listeners simply find Rimsky-Korsakov's glossy version more aesthetically pleasing. His version of Boris Godunov remains the one usually performed today in Russia, while in the West, Mussorgsky's earthier original (1872) has become more popular, its dark colors and rough edges being widely felt as more in keeping with the character of the story.
The opera was also reorchestrated by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1939–1940. He confined himself largely to reorchestrating the opera, and was more respectful of the composer's unique melodic and harmonic style.
Discography
IMPORTANT! THIS LIST NEEDS CORRECTIONS AND COMPLETION!
There are plenty of recordings of Boris Godunov to choose from. Most recent recordings (circa last 25 years) use the composer’s 1872 version as a base. Classic recordings of yesteryear use the Rimsky-Korsakov version of 1908.
The recordings below are listed in reverse chronological order. All recordings are complete or near complete except those of Shalyapin (Chaliapin), which are listed because they are of important historical interest.
Key:
- [A] = Abridged
- [C] = Conflated
- [E] = Excerpts
- [L] = Live Recording
- [M] = Monoaural Recording
Original Version of 1869
- Gergiev, Kirov Opera & Orchestra, Putilin (1997)
Revised Version of 1872
- Gergiev, Kirov Opera & Orchestra, Vaneyev (1997)
- Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker, Kotscherga (1993) [C]
- Tchakarov, Sofia Festival Orchestra, Ghiaurov (1991) [C]
- Kitayenko, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Haugland (1990) [A]
- Rostropovich, National Symphony Orchestra, Raimondi (1990) [C]
- Fedoseyev, USSR Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra, Vedernikov (1983) [C]
- Semkov, Polish Radio Orchestra, Talvela (1976) [C]
Rimsky-Korsakov Version of 1908
- Ermler, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, Nesterenko (1985)
- Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic, Ghiaurov (1970) [C]
- Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic, Ghiaurov (1966) [L]
- Melik-Pashayev, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, London (1963)
- Cluytens, Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, Christoff (1962)
- Dobrowen, Christoff (1952) [M]
- Golovanov, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, Pirogov (1949) [M]
- Golovanov, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, Reizen (1948) [M]
- Bellezza, Royal opera House of Covent Garden, Shalyapin [E] [M]
Shostakovich Version of 1959
- Melik-Pashayev, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, Petrov (1962)
References
- Mussorgsky, 'Master Musicians' Series, M.D. Calvocoressi, G. Abraham, J.M.Dent & Sons, Ltd., London 1946
- Modest Mussorgsky: His Life and Works, M. D. Calvocoressi, Rockliff, London, 1956
External links
- Libretto
- Upcoming performances of Boris Godunov from Operabase.com