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BIS-2320
Originally recorded in 2019
Classical
Opera
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About
Modest Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov stands out among the major works of the opera repertoire in having an extremely complex creative history. The original libretto, by the composer himself, was based closely on Pushkin’s Shakespeare-inspired drama about the ill-fated Russian ruler. Mussorgsky completed the score in 1869, and submitted it to the committees of the Imperial Theatres. It was rejected, however, primarily because of the lack of a female lead and therefore a love interest, but Mussorgsky’s unadorned style has also been mentioned as a reason. In 1871 the composer therefore reworked the opera extensively, adding new scenes – and a female principal in the form of the Polish princess Marina Mniszek – and changing the overall structure from seven scenes into a prologue and four acts. The revised Boris was completed in 1872, and two years later it was finally performed in St Petersburg, while the Moscow audience had to wait until 1888, seven years after the death of its composer. In order to promote the work, Mussorgsky’s colleague and friend Rimsky-Korsakov undertook to revise the work, making the orchestration more traditional and colourful and softening a number of harsh harmonies. It was the Rimsky-Korsakov version that took the opera out of Russia and without it, the opera would not be as widely known as it is today. In recent times, however, several opera houses have begun performing the more abrasive original version from 1869, and it is this ‘Ur-Boris’ that has been recorded here. It is performed by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under its principal guest conductor, Kent Nagano. They are joined by a cast of mainly Russian vocal soloists, headed by Alexander Tsymbalyuk as Boris, a role he performed under Nagano already in 2013 at the Bayerische Staatsoper. In the opera, as in Pushkin’s drama, the Russian people plays a hugely important role – here performed by the Göteborg Opera Chorus.
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Reviews
“…What compels here is Nagano’s attention to mood and atmosphere, his measured but forward-moving pacing, and obvious feeling for the poetry and drama of a sepulchral score illuminated by moments of baleful beauty. The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra play with a suitably raw, Russian amalgam of pulse-slowing gravitas and heart-on-sleeve sentiment, the exemplary Göteborg Opera Chorus managing to be both involving, intimate participants and luminously incisive commentators. There’s supporting strength, too, in Sergei Skorokhodov’s nuanced Grigory, Alexey Tikhomirov’s characterful Varlaam, Hanna Husáhr’s delicate Xenia and the solid Pimen of Mika Kares. Mussorgsky aficionados will need no recommending to seek this out, newcomers will welcome Nagano’s tempered approach and the becoming richness of orchestral and choral contributions lent additional clarity and immediacy by a wonderfully engineered, involving recording.” ****½
Performance ***** Recording *****
“… Nagano is scrupulous in his attention to detail… Nagano makes Musorgsky’s remarkable soundworld with its dark strings, growling brass and ever-present bells utterly compelling… Of course the principal character in this great drama is the chorus, and the Gothenburg Opera Chorus are superb…”
“This recording of Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov does not use the frequently played version of 1872, but the shorter original version of 1869, in which the conductor has made further cuts. Thus the opera is reduced to 125 exciting minutes in which there is nothing that would have a disturbing effect. The first version of Boris Godunov is a dramatic and gloomy account of the tsar’s rise and fall. This allows Nagano to present the events in a powerfully gripping and highly expressive performance. From the first to the last minute the orchestra glows in colours that create a dark, tense atmosphere. Soloists and choir sing no less intensively. The intensity of the Gothenburg Opera Chorus is fascinating, and the impeccable casting of all roles with good and even excellent voices contributes to the overall superb impression. In the title role the very sensitive Alexander Tsymbalyuk convinces with his warm, smooth voice in an impressive, very coherent interpretation, which expresses the unstable character of Boris and his melancholy very well. With his dark voice the Finnish bass Mika Kares sings the Pimen powerfully and expressively. Maxim Paster sings the Shuisky with a likewise very expressive voice. All other roles are more than satisfactorily cast.” *****
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