Modest Mussorgskij (1839–1881) Boris Godunow
Opera in 4 Acts and Prologue – Original Version (1868/69) and Final Version (1872/74) edited by Pawel Lamm Text: Modest Mussorgskij
solos: SMez(S)MezMezATTTTTTBarBarBBBBBB – choir: SSAATTBB. child ch – 3(picc).2(cor ang).2.2 – 4.2.3.1 – timp.perc(4) – hp – pno(4ms) – str / stage music: trp
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Duration: full evening
Text by the composer after Alexander Pushkins "Dramatic Chronic of Tsars Boris and Grishka Otrepiev and Nikolai Karamsins "History of the Russian Empire
Translation: German (M. Hube), French (M. Delines and L. Lalay)
Place and time: Moscow and environment, Court of the Novodevichy Monastery, Tshudov Monastery, Roadside Inn near the Lithuanian frontier, Tsars Chamber in Kremlin, Castle of Sandomir, Kromy Forest, 1598-1605
Characters: Boris Godunov (baritone) - Feodor and Xenia, his Children (mezzo-soprano, soprano) - Wet Nurse Xenias (alto) - Prince Wassily Ivanovitch Shuisky (tenor) - Andrej Schtschelkalov, Secret Scribe (baritone) - Pimen, Chronic Scribe (bass) - Grigory Otrepiev, later Dmitry (tenor) - Marina Mnischek, Wojewoden von Sandomirs Daughter (mezzo-soprano) - Rangoni, Secret Jew (bass) - Varlaam and Missail, escaped Monks (bass, tenor) -Roadside Inn Landlady (mezzo-soprano) - A Simpleton (tenor) - Nikititsh, Church Advocate (bass) - a Boyar (tenor) - Boyar Chrushtschov (tenor) - Mitjucha, Farmer (baritone) - Lowitzki and Tschernjakowski, Jesuits (basses)
The Original version of 1868/69 consists of seven scenes in one prologue and three acts:
1. Courtyard of the Novodevichy monastery 2. Square in the Kremlin. Coronation scene 3. Pimens cell in the Chudov monastery 4. Inn scene 5. A room in the Czars apartments in the Kremlin 6. Outside St. Basils Cathedral 7. Council of Boyars. Death of Boris.
When the work was rejected by St. Petersburgs Mariinsky Theater, Mussorgsky followed the advice of friends and revised the opera. In the Final version of 1871/72, he expanded the fifth scene, scrapped the sixth and added three new scenes, so that the opera now consisted of nine scenes inone prologue and four acts:
1. 4. see 1868/69 5. A room in the Czars apartments in the Kremlin 6. Marinas boudoir in Sandomir 7. Palace park in Sandomir 8. Council of Boyars. Death of Boris 9. In the forest of Kromy (Revolution scene)
The score published under the supervision of Pavel Lamm in the Complete Edition (1928) and the piano reduction (1931) contain the parts of both versions transmitted in score, as well as in the piano reduction, all the changes made by Mussorgsky in his piano reduction of 1874. The performance material can thus be used for a production of either the original version or the final version, according to need.