Opera Archive – Boris Godunov with Gedda 2PM EST

Mar 2, 2010 by admin

Boris Godunov (Russian: Борис Годунов, original orthography Борисъ Годуновъ, Borís Godunóv)
is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint 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, and is based on the drama of the same name by Alexander Pushkin, and on Nikolay Karamzin’s History of the Russian State.

Boris Godunov, among major operas, shares with Verdi’s Don Carlos the distinction of having the most complex creative history and the greatest wealth of alternative material. The composer created two versions—the Original Version of 1869, which was rejected for production by the Imperial Theatres, and the Revised Version of 1872, which received its first performance in 1874 in Saint Petersburg. These versions constitute two distinct ideological conceptions, not two variations of a single plan.

Several composers, chief among them Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, have created new editions of the opera to “correct” perceived technical weaknesses in the composer’s original scores. Although these versions held the stage for decades, Mussorgsky’s individual harmonic style and orchestration are now valued for their originality, and revisions by other hands have fallen out of fashion.

Boris Godunov comes closer to the status of a repertory piece than any other Russian opera, surpassing even Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and is the most recorded Russian opera.

Performers: Nicolai Gedda, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Krakow Philharmonic Chorus, Jerzy Semkow, Bozena Kinasz
Composer: Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
Conductor: Jerzy Semkow

Setting

* Time: The years 1598 to 1605
* Place: Moscow; the Lithuanian frontier; a castle in Sandomir; Kromï

Scenes
Shishkov’s design for the Novodevichiy Monastery Scene (1870)

The Courtyard of the Novodevichiy Monastery near Moscow (1598). There is a brief introduction foreshadowing the ‘Dmitriy Motif’. 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 (“To whom dost thou abandon us, our father?”). The people are bewildered about their purpose and soon fall to bickering with each other, resuming their entreaties only 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 (“Orthodox folk! The boyar is implacable!”), and requests that they pray that he will relent. An approaching procession of pilgrims sings a hymn (“Glory to Thee, Creator on high”), 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. [Original 1869 Version only: The people discuss the statements of the pilgrims. Many remain bewildered about the identity of this Tsar. The police officer interrupts their discussion, ordering them to appear the next day at the Moscow Kremlin. The people move on, stoically exclaiming "if we are to wail, we might as well wail at the Kremlin".]
Bocharov’s design for the Cathedral Square Scene (1874)

[Cathedral] Square in the Moscow Kremlin (1598). The unforgettable orchestral introduction is based on bell motifs. From the porch of the Cathedral of the Dormition, Prince Shuysky exhorts the people to glorify Tsar Boris. As the people sing a great chorus of praise (“Like the beautiful sun in the sky, glory”), 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 delivers a brief monologue (“My soul grieves”) 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 (“Glory! Glory! Glory!”). A crowd breaks toward the cathedral. The police officers struggle to maintain order. The people resume their shouts of “Glory!”

Night. A Cell in the Chudov Monastery [within the Moscow Kremlin] (1603). Pimen, a venerable monk, writes a chronicle (“Yet one last tale”) 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. [Original 1869 Version only: 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.
Shishkov’s design for the Inn Scene (1870)

An Inn on the Lithuanian Border (1603). There is a brief orchestral introduction based on three prominent themes from this scene. [Revised 1872 Version only: The Hostess enters and sings the 'Song of the Drake' ("I have caught a gray drake"). It is interrupted towards the end by approaching voices.] The vagrants Varlaam and Misail, who are dressed as monks and are begging for alms, and their companion Grigoriy, who is in secular garb, arrive and enter. After exchanging greetings, Varlaam requests some wine. When the Hostess returns with a bottle, he drinks and launches into a ferocious song (“So it was in the city of Kazan”) 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 (“Where are you, my bridegroom?”). Her nurse and brother Fyodor attempt to cheer her up with some songs (“A gnat was chopping wood” and “A song of this and that”). 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 (“I have attained supreme power”). At the end of this arioso 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 investigate. The boyar-in-attendance brings word of the arrival of Prince Shuysky, and reports a denunciation against him for his intrigues. Fyodor returns to relate a whimsical tale (“Our little parrot was sitting”) involving a pet parrot. Boris takes comfort in his son’s imagination and advises Fyodor, when he becomes Tsar, to beware of evil and cunning advisors such as Shuysky. Shuysky now enters with grave tidings. A Pretender has appeared in Lithuania. Boris angrily demands to know his identity. Shuysky fears the Pretender might attract a following bearing the name of Dmitriy. Shaken by this revelation, Boris dismisses Fyodor. Clearly on the edge of madness, he asks Shuysky whether he has ever heard of dead children rising from their graves to interrogate Tsars. Boris seeks Shuysky’s assurance that the dead child he had seen in Uglich was really Dmitriy. Shuysky confirms this in a brief and beautiful aria (“In Uglich, in the cathedral”). But he gives hints that a miracle has occurred. Boris begins choking in a paroxysm of guilt and remorse, and gives a sign for Shuysky to depart. A clock begins chiming. Boris hallucinates (Hallucination or ‘Clock’ Scene). 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.
Shishkov’s design for the Scene in Marina’s Boudoir (1870)

The Boudoir of Marina Mniszech in Sandomir [Poland] (1604). Maidens sing a delicate, sentimental song (“On the blue Vistula”) 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 (“How tediously and sluggishly”), of Dmitriy, and of her thirst for adventure, power, and glory. The Jesuit Rangoni enters, bemoans the wretched state of the church, 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. As Rangoni ominously tells her she is in the thrall of infernal forces, Marina collapses in dread. Rangoni demands her obedience.
Shishkov’s design for the Scene in the Garden of Mniszech’s Castle (1870)

Mniszech’s Castle in Sandomir. A Garden. A Fountain. A Moonlit Night (1604). Woodwind and harp accompany a pensive version of the ‘Dmitriy Motif’. The Pretender dreams of an assignation with Marina in the garden of her father’s castle. However, to his annoyance, Rangoni finds him, bringing 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 (Polonaise). Marina flirts, dancing with 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 duet (“O Tsarevich, I implore you”), she tells him she loves him. Rangoni slithers out of hiding to savor his accomplishment.

The Square before St. Basil’s Cathedral 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 yuródivïy enters, pursued by urchins. He sings a nonsensical song (“The moon is flying, the kitten is crying”). The urchins greet him and rap on his metal hat. The yuródivïy 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 (“Benefactor father (Give us bread)”), the hungry people beg for bread. As the chorus subsides, the yuródivïy’s cries are heard. Boris asks why he cries. The yuródivïy reports the theft of his kopek and asks Boris to order the boys’ slaughter, just as he did in the case of the Tsarevich. Shuysky wants the yuródivïy seized, but Boris instead asks for the holy man’s prayers. As Boris exits, the yurodivïy declares he cannot pray for Tsar Herod. The yuródivïy then sings his lament (“Flow, flow, bitter tears!”) about the fate of Russia.
Shishkov’s design for the Faceted Palace Scene (1870)

The Faceted Palace in the Moscow Kremlin (1605). A session of the Duma is in progress. [Original 1869 Version only: The assembled boyars listen as Shchelkalov, reading the Tsar's ukaz, informs them of the Pretender's advance, and requests they decide his fate.] After some arguments, the boyars agree (“Well, let’s put it to a vote, boyars”), in a powerful chorus, that the Pretender and his sympathizers should be executed. Shuysky, 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 Shuysky of spreading lies. However, a dishevelled Boris now enters, echoing Shuysky: “Begone child!” The boyars are horrified. After Boris comes to his senses, Shuysky informs him that a humble old man craves an audience. Pimen enters and tells the story (“One day, at the evening hour”) of a blind man who heard the voice of the Tsarevich in a dream. Dmitry 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 (“Farewell, my son, I am dying”), and gives him final counsel. In a very dramatic scene (“The bell! The funeral bell!”), 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 taunts him, then bows in mock homage (“Not a falcon flying in the heavens”). The yuródivïy enters, pursued by urchins. He sings a nonsensical song (“The moon is flying, the kitten is crying”). The urchins greet him and rap on his metal hat. The yuródivïy 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 (“The sun and moon have gone dark”). They enter. The crowd gets worked up to a frenzy (“Broken free, gone on a rampage”) denouncing Boris. Two Jesuits are heard in the distance chanting in Latin (“Domine, Domine, salvum fac”), praying that God will save Dmitriy. They enter. At the instigation of Varlaam and Misail, 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 (“Glory to thee, Tsarevich!”) 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 Yuródivïy, who sings a plaintive song (“Flow, flow, bitter tears!”) of the arrival of the enemy, of woe to Russia, and of starving people.