Details

Based on Pushkin's The Comedy of the Distress of the Muscovite State, of Tsar Boris and of Grishka Otrepiev - there are several version developed by Mussorsky over a number of years. Set in Russia and Poland between 1598 and 1605. Boris is 'persuaded' to accept the crown after murdering the true heir. A young monk pretends to be the murdered heir in order to avenge the death and there is a swell amongst the people in his favour. In the end Boris dies. Sung in Russian with English surtitles. Approx. running time 3 hours 51 minutes.

Cast/Performers

John Tomlinson (Boris Godunov), Sergei Larin (Grigory Otrepiev / The Pretender Dmitry), Vladimir Vaneev (Pimen), Andrej Breus (Shchelkalov), Vladimir Matorin (Varlaam), Olga Borodina (Marina), Sergei Leiferkus (Rangoni), Tove Dahlberg (Fyodor), Ailish Tynan (Xenia), Ekaterina Gubanova (Hostess at the Inn), Hubert Delamboye (Prince Shuisky), Vyacheslav Voinerovsky (Missail), Brindley Sherratt (Nikitich / Frontier Guard), Toby Spence (Simpleton), Adrian Clarke (Mityukha), Frances McCafferty (Xenia's Nurse)

Creatives/Company

Author: Mussorsky
Producer: Royal Opera
Director(s): Andrei Tarkovsky (original), Irina Brown (revival)
Design: Nicolas Dvigoubsky
Lighting: Robert Bryan
Choreographer: Romayne Grigorova
Conductor: Semyon Bychkov