Class 6: "Boris Godunov"

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6. Boris Godunov. The guilt-ridden Tsar. Modest Mussorgsky wrote two versions of Boris Godunov. The first (1869) is compact in structure and powerful and raw in its musical language, interweaving scenes showing the rise and fall of its title character with those featuring the Pretender who will eventually replace him, all set amid depictions of the ordinary Russian people who accept these great events without greatly investing themselves in them. Mussorgsky's second version (1872) was more conventionally lyrical, with an increased love interest for the Pretender. But to make it onto the international stage, the opera needed to be reorchestrated and partially recomposed by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1896.

Nowadays, though, most companies prefer the Shakespearean directness of Mussorgsky's 1869 original, with or without the inclusion of some scenes from the 1873 version, as in the production we shall play today. In the interests of time, however, we shall focus entirely on Boris Godunov's own scenes (three in all), playing the first and last of them complete, plus a representative excerpt from the middle one. It should be said, however, that though this gives a very good idea of the title role itself, it underplays the composer's unique skill in juggling so many disparate elements.

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Q AND A

Was Boris Godunov commissioned?
No, from what I have been able to find out, the first version was not commissioned, but written on spec. Mussorgsky had a day job as a civil servant, so he did not need a commission in order to make ends meet. And of course he had the encouragement of his friends. When the committee rejected his first version, the reason given was that it needed a significant female role, so I suppose there was the implication that they would consider it if he provided one, but no money changed hands. The Wikipedia article has an exhaustive treatment of this and related matters.

Does anyone perform the Rimsky-Korsakov version any more?
Apparently it lingered as the preferred version in Russia until the beginning of the present century, but even there producing companies now seem to have gone back to Mussorgsky’s original orchestration—however, I can find only references, not specifics. Actually, there were several attempts to "correct" Mussorgsky; the Wikipedia article mentioned above has details of the different versions.

What version is performed at the Met?
In 2010, the Metropolitan Opera put on (and simulcast) the 1875 version of the opera, in a production by Stephen Wadsworth. In 2021, however, it adapted the same physical production for use with Mussorgsky's original 1869 version, which it gave in a single act without intermissions.

VIDEO LINKS

All the clips shown in class are available on YouTube. In addition, the Tarkovsky/Gergiev production is available complete in two sections, with titles in English. I added three other complete productions to give some idea of the range out there. I give the Coronation Scene from the Andrzej Zulawski film that I used for the first title, plus a number of other clips from which I extracted the other titles; alas, that production is not available complete, even for purchase. *Asterisks indicate clips that were shown in class.

THE OPERA ON THE STAGE
	Tarkowsky production	* Acts One and Two * — Coronation scene * — Clock scene * Acts Three and Four * — Duma scene and death
	Other productions	* Bolshoi, 1978 (traditional, with English titles) * Saint Petersburg, 2012 (updated, with French titles) * London, 2020 (ugly updated production, no titles)
ANDRZEJ ZULAWSKI FILM
	Clips used for titles	* Trailer * Coronation Scene * Boris' Monologue * Backstage during filming


IMAGES
The thumbnails below cover the slides shown in class, though there may be a few small discrepancies. Click the thumbnail to see a larger image. Click on the right or left of the larger picture to go forward or back, or outside it to close.