Boris Godunov
Nobleman Boris Godunov accumulates power in Russia, first as regent, then as tsar. But the ghosts of the past catch up with him and he ends up losing not only his power but his sanity. Russia sinks ever deeper into a mire of corruption, intrigue and coups.
In his grand choral opera, Modest Mussorgsky deals with a theme that offers poignant parallels to today’s world: the extremes to which one man’s thirst for power can lead. The director Kirill Serebrennikov incorporates his own experiences in Russia presenting his take on an opera about political turmoil and its consequences. Serebrennikov’s production focuses on the effect on the people of high-stakes political scheming. Conductor Vasily Petrenko makes his Amsterdam debut leading the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. A top-flight cast is led bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny, celebrated for his ability to get into the skin of his characters both vocally and dramatically, sings the title role for the first time.
CAST
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Boris Godunov
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Tomasz Konieczny
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Feodor
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David van Laar
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Xenia
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Inna Demenkova
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Nurse
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Polly Leech
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Prince Vassily Ivanovich Shuisky
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Ya-Chung Huang
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Andrei Shchelkalov
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Jasurbek Khaydarov
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Pimen
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Vitalij Kowaljow
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Grigori Otrepjev
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Dumitru Mîțu
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Marina Mnishek
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Raehann Bryce-Davis
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Rangoni
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Gevorg Hakobyan
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Varlaam / Mitiukha
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Shenyang
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Missail / Boyar
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Steven van der Linden
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The Hostess of the Inn
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Eva Kroon
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Yurodivy
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Odin Lund Biron
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Nikitich, a police officer (Hauptmann)
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Roger Smeets
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Orchestra
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Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
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Chorus
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Chorus of Dutch National Opera
Nieuw Amsterdams Children’s Chorus
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Music
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Modest Mussorgsky
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Libretto
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Modest Mussorgsky
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Edited by
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David Lloyd-Jones
© by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd on behalf of Oxford University Press
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Stage direction, set and costume design
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Kirill Serebrennikov
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Conductor
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Vasily Petrenko
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Co-director and choreographer
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Evgeny Kulagin
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Co-set designer
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Olga Pavliuk
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Co-costume designer
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Tatiana Dolmatovskaya
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Lighting designer
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Sergey Kucher
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Video designer
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Yurii Karikh
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Dramaturgy
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Daniil Orlov
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Chorus master
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Edward Ananian-Cooper
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Children Chorus Master
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Pia Pleijsier
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Multi-camera recording director
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Michael Beyer
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Multi-camera recording editor
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Geert Braam
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Music recording director
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Lodewijk Collette
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Sound mix and recording engineer
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Ramón Schoones
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VIDEOS
STORY
Prologue
The Russian people are urged to implore Boris Godunov to stay in power and accept the throne. A day of national celebration arrives. Boris Godunov has chosen to remain in power to preserve the country’s stability. The people praise their tsar and rejoice.
Act 1
The elderly Pimen is writing a history of Russia. He is visited by Grigory, who confides in him about the nightmares that haunt him. In response, Pimen recounts stories of former rulers, including the tale of the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry — an event that cleared the way for Boris Godunov’s rise to power.
Shaken yet exhilarated, Grigory leaves Pimen and falls in with two wandering drunkards, Varlaam and Missail, who are pestering the Hostess for more to drink. She warns Grigory that the authorities are looking for a fugitive and that the police have become increasingly ruthless. Just then, patrolmen arrive. Grigory manages to slip away.
Act 2
Xenia mourns the death of her fiancé with unrelenting grief. Her younger brother Fyodor tries in vain to comfort her. Only the presence of Tsar Boris brings her some peace. But Boris himself is deeply troubled — all around him he sees ruin, betrayal and denunciation. Worse still, Prince Vasily Shuisky arrives with grim news: a man claiming to be Tsarevich Dmitry is laying claim to the throne. The very mention of Dmitry sends Boris into a steep mental decline.
Act 3
Marina Mnishek, a proud and ambitious noblewoman, dreams of ruling Russia. She has no interest in romance; talk of suitors falling at her feet only bores her. The scheming courtier Rangoni spins a web of intrigue: Marina must form a romantic alliance with the Pretender — the False Dmitry — and together they will seize the Russian throne. Marina cannot resist Rangoni’s persuasion and agrees to play along. Surrounded by allies and advisors, she celebrates the coming downfall of Boris — and her own rise to power.
The Pretender, however, trembles with love for Marina. She means more to him than the throne.
Act 4
Boris continues to rule, while the people endure a life of strife, toil and deprivation. A group of children mocks the Simple Man, who scolds them — but then hears a rising chorus of voices crying out for help, and for bread. Their plea swells into a demand. In the crowd, the Simple Man sees Boris himself.
Prince Shuisky tells his subordinates that he has recently seen the tsar — and that Boris’s mental state is a cause for grave concern. As if to confirm his words, Boris appears and begins to ramble incoherently. Shuisky summons Pimen, supposedly to soothe Boris. But Pimen’s tale of the murdered Tsarevich Dmitry delivers the final blow: Boris’s illness overwhelms him and, after prolonged mental and physical torment, he dies.
With Boris’s death, the Time of Troubles descends in full. The Simple Man foresees the catastrophe to come — and weeps for Russia’s fate.
GALLERY
