Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mussorgsky's Original 1869 Version of Boris Godunov, 18 Aug 2006
This excellent DVD of a live 2004 performance of 'Boris Godunov' from the Gran Teatre del Leceu of Barcelona is the only one I know of that presents the original 1869 version; this is the version that Mussorgsky never saw because the Mariinsky Theatre powers-that-be urged him to include more female parts and so he wrote an addition scene, the so-called Polish scene, the one with Marina and Cardinal Rangoni that included a love scene for Marina and Grigory, 'the false Dimitri'. That scene is not included here, thus there is no Marina, no love duet and no choral polonaise in this production. This version is in seven scenes, and does include the St. Basil's Cathedral scene which is often dropped from the revised versions.
Willy Decker's staging (with costumes and sets by John MacFarlane) is minimalist in approach. It is vaguely updated to the early twentieth century (but obviously before the Revolution) and focuses much more on the psychology of the opera than its actual historical aspects. Much use is made of symbolic props -- a humongous throne/chair that actually becomes part of the set rather than a prop, and the Tsar's crown. In the short introduction we see the 'real' Tsarevich Dimitri murdered and physically he looks a good deal like the Simpleton whose presence in Scene VI is so important; thus are guilt and conscience conjoined. Further, Boris is made to look more like a passive participant in the Tsarevich's murder than an actual perpetrator; Shuisky is the real bad guy here. Boris's guilty conscience is all the more affecting as a result.
Matti Salminen, a towering dark-voiced basso, a fine actor whose usual Fach is Wagner and the like, is riveting as Boris. His 'I have attained the power' in Scene V, is the centerpiece of the action and extraordinarily moving. The other low-voiced characters are equally well-sung and -acted. Eric Halfvarson is a mesmerizing Pimen, Anatoly Kotcherga a dissolute and funny Varlaam, Albert Shagidullin a punctilious Shchelkalov. In an unusual bit of casting, countertenor Brian Asawa, a slightly built man, sings Boris's son Fyodor, and he has rather more interaction with Boris than is usual, much of it in mime. Marie Arnet is a limpid-voiced and physically beautiful Xenia, Boris's widowed daughter. The veteran Polish mezzo Stefania Toczyska is a characterful Nurse. Tenor Pär Lindskog is fine Grigory (the 'false Dimitri') in his short role in this version of the opera. Outstanding is Philip Langridge as the schemer, Prince Shuisky. He brings magnificent vocal and physical acting to the part. Alex Grigoriev, almost nude in his scene as the Simpleton, is a suitably effective wise fool. The interaction between him and Boris in Scene VI is electrifying.
The Liceu orchestra is one of the finest opera orchestras in Europe and this performance was conducted by their then-new music director, Sebastian Weigle. Sonically the voices are spotlit and the orchestra is sometimes unnecessarily recessed, but this is not a major problem. The performance does not have the oomph that Gergiev's does, I must say, but it is satisfying withal. I have given the DVD four stars largely because I suspect that although this is an important release most people would want either the Gergiev, with its original orchestration but the inclusion of the Polish scene, or the traditional Rimsky, in which case they would probably want one of the two DVD versions starring Yevgeny Nesterenko (I'd prefer the first one, the one with Irina Arkhipova as Marina).
So, given the above minor reservations, I do recommend this version for those who want a look at the original 1869 version in a fine performance. In my opinion Salminen is the best portrayer of Boris on DVD.
Scott Morrison
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic musically and scenically, 15 Feb 2008
Mussorgsky wrote two times Boris. The first version wasn't used all the time in this DVD: the second act was completely rewritten ,and this recording use the second version of the second act without the parrot song. There are differences in the beginning of the second scene of the first act that weren't used here too. We have here the "second" Boris without the Polish Act and without the revolution scene . The only way to hear the first Boris is the recording of Gergiev.
Despite the edition problems this is one magnificent DVD . The singers are all very good, and the staging is very intelligent , and if we have the men with modern clothes we must remember that Russia, after the czars ,lived with other criminal as Stalin, Brejenev , and........Puttin . It is interesting : after centuries, with Czars and Emperors, Russia and China continue to have despotic governors .The mise-en-scene show that. What is particularly genial is the resemblance of the murdered child and the simpleton. If Schuisky is the bad boy in the present version we can't forget that after the false Dimitri he was the Czar .
Salminen is really fantastic, as singer and actor . And we have Kotcherga and Langridge that are fantastic too. The conductor is very good and the Chorus and the Orchestra are perfect.
After the magnificent DVD of Boris in St Petersburg, conducted by Gergiev , we have now one other first rate DVD. The first is obligatory. This other is a very good complement.
Now , with this DVD we are finally visually free from the wretched revision of Korsakow of the most important Russian opera. For the second time we have opportunity to listen in DVD the original orchestration and the original harmony of Mussorgsky.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last a "Modern" production that isn't stupid., 21 Sep 2007
Striking and stark with some great singing and acting, this Dutch/Catalan collaboration is a great example of a modernist production that serves the music without producing giggles or shock/horror.
My only quibble is that the overall pace is undramatic and stately but that might be a side-effect of using the 1869 version as much as the fault of the conductor.
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