Boris Godunov (opera)

Boris Godunov (opera)

Boris Godunov ( _ru. Борис Годунов, original orthography Борисъ Годуновъ, "Borís Godunóv") is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). The work was composed between 1868 and 1874 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 Aleksandr Pushkin, and on Nikolay 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 his knowledge of Russian folk music and rejecting the influence of German and Italian opera.

History

Composition history

"Note: Dates provided in this article for events taking place in Russia before 1918 are Old Style."



By the close of 1868, Mussorgsky had already started and abandoned two important opera projects — the antique, exotic, romantic tragedy "Salammbô", written under the influence of Serov's "Judith", and the contemporary, Russian, anti-romantic farce "The Marriage", influenced by Dargomïzhsky's "The Stone Guest". [Calvocoressi and Abraham (1974: p. 106)] Mussorgsky's next project would be a very original and successful synthesis of the opposing styles of these two experiments — the romantic-lyrical style of "Salammbô", and the realistic style of "The Marriage".

In the autumn of 1868, Vladimir Nikolsky, a professor of Russian literature and an authority on Pushkin, suggested to Mussorgsky the idea of composing an opera on the subject of Pushkin’s drama "Boris Godunov". [Calvocoressi (1959: p. 137)] "Boris" had finally been approved for performance by the state censors in 1866.

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 first the vocal score, and then the full score in about 14 months, at the same time working as a civil servant. 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 conventional prima donna and first tenor roles, but also, it is believed, for its novelty.

Mussorgsky began recasting and expanding "Boris" in 1871, adding three scenes (the two Sandomir scenes and the Kromï Scene), cutting one (the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene), and recomposing another (the Terem Scene). The modifications resulted in the addition of an important female role (Marina Mniszech), the expansion of existing female roles (additional songs for the Hostess, Fyodor, and the Nurse), and the expansion of the role of the Pretender. The Revised Version was finished June 23, 1872, and submitted to the Imperial Theaters in the autumn.

Mussorgsky's friends took matters into their own hands, arranging the performance of three scenes (the Inn and both Sandomir scenes) at the Mariinsky Theater on February 5, 1873. The response of the public and critics was enthusiastic:

This triumph paved the way for the first complete performance of the opera, which took place on January 27, 1874. The Mariinsky Theatre was sold out, and the performance was a great success with the public. Students sang choruses from the opera in the street. This time, however, the critical reaction was exceedingly hostile [see Critical Reception in this article for details] .

Initial performances of "Boris Godunov" featured significant cuts. The entire Cell Scene was cut from the first performance, and there were substantial cuts to the 3rd and 4th Acts. How much Mussorgsky cooperated in making the cuts is not known with accuracy. After protracted difficulties in obtaining the production of his opera, he was compliant with the demands of the conductor Nápravník in ruthlessly excising large sections and even entire scenes from the work, and went so far as to defend these mutilations to his own supporters. Later performances tended to be even more heavily cut, including the removal of the entire Novodevichiy, Cell, and Kromï scenes.

Performance history

"Note: Dates provided in this article for events taking place in Russia before 1918 are Old Style."

Performances of Excerpts

* The Cathedral Square Scene (Coronation Scene) was performed on 5 February 1872, by the Russian Music Society in Saint Petersburg, conducted by Eduard Nápravník.
* The Polonaise from Act III was performed on 3 April 1872, at the Free School of Music in Saint Petersburg, conducted by Mily Balakirev.
* Three scenes from the opera – the Inn Scene, Scene in Marina's Boudoir, and Scene in the Garden of Mniszech's Castle – were performed on 5 February 1873, at the Mariinsky Theater, Saint Petersburg, conducted by Eduard Nápravník. The cast was as follows:

:Hostess – Darya Leonova, mezzo-soprano:Pretender – Fyodor Komissarzhevsky, tenor:Varlaam – Osip Petrov, bass:Marina – Yuliya Platonova, soprano:Rangoni – Gennadiy Kondratyev, baritone

Saint Petersburg Premiere (World Premiere)
* "Date": 27 January 1874
* "Place": Mariinsky Theater, Saint Petersburg, Russia
* "Conductor": Eduard Nápravník
* "Producer": Gennady Kondratyev
* "Set Designers": Matvey Shishkov, Mikhail Bocharov

Moscow Premiere
* "Date": 16 December 1888
* "Place": Bolshoy Theater, Moscow
* "Conductor": Ippolit Altani
* "Set Designer": Karl Valts (Waltz)

Original Interpreters



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 Nikolsky, he transposed the order of the last two scenes, concluding the opera with the "Kromï Scene" rather than the Faceted Palace Scene. This gives the overall structure of the opera the following symmetrical form:

"People - Boris - Grigoriy - Boris - Grigoriy - Boris - People"

Later, Rimsky-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 from a tragedy of the Russian people to the tragedy of an individual.

Mussorgsky also rewrote the Terem Scene for the 1872 version, modifying the text, adding new songs and plot devices (the parrot and the clock), modifying the psychological treatment of the title character, and virtually 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 'Song of the Drake' is added (just after the introduction).
* Act 4, Scene 1 (Faceted Palace Scene) – 'Shchelkalov's Address' is cut (just after the introduction).

Editions by Other Hands

* Rimsky-Korsakov, 1896
* Rimsky-Korsakov, 1908
* Emilis Melngailis, 1924
* Dmitri Shostakovich, 1940
* Karol Rathaus, 1952

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] .

Performance practice

A conflation (composite) of the 1869 and 1872 versions is often 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, because 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. Most performances cut the robbery of the Yurodivïy in the Kromï Scene, but duplicate his lament that ends each scene.

Other examples of conflation:
* The Rimsky-Korsakov Version is often augmented with the Ippolitov-Ivanov reorchestration of the Vasiliy the Blessed Scene (first performed in 1927).
* Conductors sometimes elect to restore the cuts the composer himself made (or sanctioned) in writing the 1872 version [see Comparison of the Authentic Versions in this article for more details] .

Instrumentation

Mussorgsky Orchestration
* "Strings:" Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
* "Woodwinds:" 2 Flutes, 1 Flute/Piccolo, 1 Oboe, 1 Oboe/English Horn, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons
* "Brass:" 4 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba
* "Percussion:" Timpani, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tambourine, Cymbals, Tam-tam
* "Other:" Piano, Harp
* "On/Offstage:" 1 Trumpet, Bells

Rimsky-Korsakov Orchestration:
* "Strings:" Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
* "Woodwinds:" 2 Flutes, 1 Flute/Piccolo, 1 Oboe, 1 Oboe/English Horn, 2 Clarinets, 1 Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, 2 Bassoons
* "Brass:" 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba
* "Percussion:" Timpani, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tambourine, Cymbals
* "Other:" Piano, Harp
* "On/Offstage:" 1 Trumpet, Bells, Tam-tam

Shostakovich Orchestration:
* "Strings:" Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
* "Woodwinds:" 2 Flutes, 1 Flute/Piccolo, 2 Oboes, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinets, 1 Clarinet/E-flat clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 2 Bassoons, 1 Bassoon/Contrabassoon
* "Brass:" 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba
* "Percussion:" Timpani, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Cymbals, Tam-tam, Triangle, Bells, Glockenspiel, Xylophone
* "Other:" Piano, Harp, Celesta
* "On/Offstage:" 4 Trumpets, 2 Cornets, 2 Horns, 2 Baritone Horns, 2 Euphoniums, 2 Tubas, Balalaika and Domra ad libitum

Roles and setting

Source: [http://100oper.nm.ru/ 100 Опер] , Издательство «Музыка», Ленинград

Roles

Historical Notes
* Fyodor Shalyapin (Chaliapin) made several recordings of individual arias that are of important historical interest. These date from 1911, 1922, 1923, 1928, and 1931, and were made with various conductors and orchestras.
* The first full length recording of the opera is the 1939 performance by Panizza and the New York Metropolitan Opera, with Pinza as Boris, sung in Italian.
* The first full length recording in Russian is that of 1948 by Golovanov and the Bolshoy, with Reyzen.
* Performances using the Rathaus orchestration were captured in 1953 with Stiedry and London, 1954 with Stiedry and Siepi, and in 1956 with Mitropoulos and London. All are performed with the New York Metropolitan Opera and are sung in English.
* Mussorgsky's orchestration was first recorded in a performance in 1957 under Jochum and the Symphonieorchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks, with Hotter as Boris, sung in German.
* The 1869 Original Version of Act II was first recorded, in the Shostakovich orchestration, by Boris Shtokolov under Yeltsin and the Kirov Theater Orchestra in 1962.

Related works

* Dvořák: Opera, "Dimitrij" (1882)
* Prokofiev: Incidental music, "Boris Godunov" (1936)

Notes

References

* Abraham, G., "Essays on Russian and East European Music", Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985
* Calvocoressi, M.D., Abraham, G., "Mussorgsky, 'Master Musicians' Series", London: J.M.Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1974
* Calvocoressi, M.D., "Modest Mussorgsky: His Life and Works", London: Rockliff, 1956
* Rimsky-Korsakov, N., "Chronicle of My Musical Life", translated by J. A. Joffe, New York: Knopf, 1923
* Shirinyan, R. (author), Kondakhchan, K. (editor), "M. P. Musorgsky", Moscow: Music (publisher), 1989 [Ширинян, Р., Кондахчан, К., "М. П. Мусоргский", Москва: Музыка, 1989]
* Volkov, Solomon, "Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitry Shostakovich", translated by Bouis, Antonina W., New York: Harper & Row, 1979

External links

Libretto
* [http://home.tiscali.cz:8080/ist987/libreta/boris.html Russian libretto in HTML]
* [http://www.ceo.spb.ru/libretto/classic/posle_glinki/godunov.zip Russian libretto in zip file for Word]

Other
*
* [http://www.operabase.com/oplist.cgi?id=none&lang=en&is=boris+godunov Upcoming performances of "Boris Godunov"] from Operabase.com


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