Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov (The Royal Opera)
Mussorgsky was inspired to compose his masterpiece Boris Godunov after reading Pushkin’s Shakespeare-inspired play of the same name. It features one of the most dramatically rewarding bass-baritone roles: a noble ruler who loves his children and his people, but whose thirst for power has led him to commit a terrible crime. Bryn Terfel is “a powerful new Boris” (The Observer) in Richard Jones’ new production of the original 1869 score. Antonio Pappano conducts an outstanding cast that also includes John Graham-Hall as the crafty Prince Shuisky and John Tomlinson as the vagabond monk Varlaam.
Bryn Terfel (Boris Godunov); John Graham-Hall (Prince Shuisky); John Tomlinson (Varlaam); Ain Anger (Pimen); Vlada Borovko (Xenia); Harry Nicoll (Missail); David Butt Philip (Grigory Otrepiev); Kostas Smoriginas (Andrey Shchelkalov); Jeremy White (Nikitich); Adrian Clarke (Mityukha); Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House; Antonio Pappano
Stage Director: Richard Jones
"The tsar’s torment drives the piece. Terfel must carry the drama, which he does, superbly ... In Terfel we have a powerful new Boris ... He was joined by a top ensemble cast, with John Tomlinson, once himself the ROH Boris of choice, a popular presence as the drunken monk Varlaam, John Graham-Hall insinuating and snakish as Shuisky, Ain Anger a towering Pimen and Ben Knight clear and touching as the young Fyodor." (The Observer)
"But what a superlative performance Terfel gives — dramatically powerful, vocally refined ... Director Richard Jones gives a clear-cut account that captures the big crowd scenes and the opera’s more intimate moments." (The Daily Mail ★★★★)
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
DVD: https://naxos.lnk.to/OA1376D
Blu-ray: https://naxos.lnk.to/OABD7314D
