Kent Nagano, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Sergei Skorokhodov, Maxim Paster - Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov (1869 Version) [Live]

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 colorful 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.

Tracklist:

CD1
1. Oleg Budaratskiy;Anton Ljungqvist - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 1 (1869 Version): What's Up With You? [Live]
2. Oleg Budaratskiy - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 1 (1869 Version): For Whom Do You Desert Us? [Live]
3. Vasily Ladyuk - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 1 (1869 Version): True-Believers! The Boyar Is Steadfast [Live]
4. Oleg Budaratskiy;Anton Ljungqvist - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 1 (1869 Version): Glory to Thee, Almighty Creator [Live]
5. Maxim Paster - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Long Live Tsar Boris! [Live]
6. Alexander Tsymbalyuk - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 2 (1869 Version): My Soul Is Grieving [Live]
7. Göteborg Opera Chorus - Boris Godunov, Pt. 1 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Glory! Glory! Glory! [Live]
8. Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 1 (1869 Version): One More, One Final Tale [Live]
9. Sergei Skorokhodov;Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 1 (1869 Version): That Dream Once More! [Live]
10. Sergei Skorokhodov;Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 1 (1869 Version): You Have Been Awake and Writing All Night [Live]
11. Sergei Skorokhodov;Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 1 (1869 Version): Good Father, I Have Often Wanted [Live]
12. Sergei Skorokhodov;Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 1 (1869 Version): It's Ringing for Matins [Live]
13. Okka von der Damerau;Boris Stepanov;Alexey Tikhomirov;Sergei Skorokhodov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 2 (1869 Version): What Can I Offer You, Reverend Fathers? [Live]
14. Alexey Tikhomirov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Once Upon a Time in the City of Kazan [Live]
15. Okka von der Damerau;Boris Stepanov;Alexey Tikhomirov;Sergei Skorokhodov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Why Aren't You Singing? [Live]
16. Okka von der Damerau;Oleg Budaratskiy;Boris Stepanov;Alexey Tikhomirov;Sergei Skorokhodov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 2 (1869 Version): He Rides On [Live]
17. Sergei Skorokhodov;Oleg Budaratskiy;Alexey Tikhomirov;Boris Stepanov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 2 Scene 2 (1869 Version): I Can Read [Live]



CD2
1. Hanna Husáhr;Johanna Rudström - Boris Godunov, Pt. 3 (1869 Version): My Beloved Bridegroom [Live]
2. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Margarita Nekrasova;Hanna Husáhr;Johanna Rudström - Boris Godunov, Pt. 3 (1869 Version): Enough, My Tsarevna [Live]
3. Alexander Tsymbalyuk - Boris Godunov, Pt. 3 (1869 Version): I've Achieved the Highest Power [Live]
4. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Maxim Paster;Johanna Rudström;Boris Stepanov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 3 (1869 Version): What Do You Want? [Live]
5. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Maxim Paster - Boris Godunov, Pt. 3 (1869 Version): But No! Wait, Wait a Moment [Live]
6. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Maxim Paster - Boris Godunov, Pt. 3 (1869 Version): Death Does Not Frighten Me [Live]
7. Anton Ljungqvist - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 1 (1869 Version): Is the Mass Over? [Live]
8. Boris Stepanov - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 1 (1869 Version): Trrrr… Tin Hat [Live]
9. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Boris Stepanov;Maxim Paster - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 1 (1869 Version): Why Is He Crying? [Live]
10. Vasily Ladyuk - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Noble Boyars! [Live]
11. Göteborg Opera Chorus - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Well Then, Let Us Now Vote [Live]
12. Maxim Paster - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): A Pity That Prince Shuisky Is Not Here [Live]
13. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Vasily Ladyuk;Maxim Paster - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Begone! Begone! [Live]
14. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): A Humble Monk [Live]
15. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Mika Kares - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Once, Deep in Sleep [Live]
16. Alexander Tsymbalyuk - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): Leave Us… Go Away, Everyone! [Live]
17. Alexander Tsymbalyuk;Johanna Rudström - Boris Godunov, Pt. 4 Scene 2 (1869 Version): O Lord! Lord! Look Down [Live]