Mussorgsky's Bolshoi Opera Boris Godunov
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Actor: Irina Arkhipova, Valery Yaroslavtsev, Vladislav Piavko, Yevgeni NesterenkoEdition: VHS Tape
Audio: Russian (Original Language)
Format: NTSC, Subtitled
Running Time: 181 minutes
Release Date: 1991-08-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Kultur Video
Studio: Kultur Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Mussorgsky's Bolshoi Opera Boris Godunov
Movie Review: Mussorgsky's brilliant "Boris" via Rimsky-Korsakov
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a spectacular feast in all respects, with brilliant vocalism, an absolutely gorgeous production (filmed live at the Bolshoi in 1978), and an all-too-lush reorchestration of Mussorgsky's masterpiece by his friend and colleague Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Rimsky's version smooths out Mussorgsky's rough edges, substituting charming detail and sensuous scoring for the more visceral original orchestration by the composer himself. The result is a sort of sauve and erudite vision of what should be a gutsy, shocking musical experience, very different from the original orchestration. However, from this "prettified" version the singers here draw all possible emotion and drama, aided by the realistic and stunning production, which alone should recommend the film to you! Veteran conductor Boris Khaikin leads a phenomenal Yevgeni Nesterenko as Boris, supported by the positively radiant Vladislav Pyavko as the false Dimitri and the wonderfully-cast Irina Arkhipova as Marina. Strong performances are given by Andrei Sokolov as Shuisky, Alexei Maslennikov as the Holy Fool and Valery Yaroslavtsev as Pimen (perhaps a bit too sweetly played). Unfortunately, the first of the Polish scenes is cut, leaving out the deliciously vile part of the Jesuit Rangoni and detracting somewhat from comprehension of the Russian view of foreigners and their meddling with Russian politics. But there is still plenty of blood-and-guts in this excellent video. For a full understanding of Boris, you should buy both this and the 1990 opera film from St. Petersburg which presents Mussorgsky's original version. Rimsky-Korsakov's version is, however, a close second!Movie Review: The whole Russian history in one production.
Summary: 5 Stars
Boris Godunov is a difficult work to understand at first hearing, especialy if your Russian is not very good, and I assume that most of the readers qualify for that level. It is not just an opera, it is a difficult social work, which deals with ethics, power and religion among other subject. The opera by Mussorgskiy, orchestrated by Rimskiy-Korsakov, based on a play by Pushkin, who based it on historical works by Karamzin, is covering eight years of the most difficult time in Russian history. After the death of Tsar Feodor Ivanovich, son of Ivan the IV (known as the terrible) someone had to become the new monarch. Boyar Boris Godunov, who was one of Feodors closest advisors is chosen to rule, but he knows that he can not do it - many years ago he killed Feodor's younger brother - tsarevich Dimitriy. He finaly accepts the thrown - which finally brings him and his children to death. Wonderfull portayals of all charcters also bring glory to the opera - the somber Boris, the evel prince Vasiliy Ivanovich Shuisky - his main enemy (in reallity Shuisky later became a tsar but was banished from Russia and became a jester in the Polish court). Grigoriy Otrepyev or the Pretender, who discides to impose as the miraculosly risen Dimitry, the Polish panna Marina Mnishek, who in order for Poland to rule over Russia is willing to give herself to the Pretender, the traveling monks Varlaam and Missail, who are shown first commicaly and then tragically, the monk Pimen, who first accuses Boris of the crime, the Simplton who tells Boris that he will not pray for an evil tsar and the head of the boyars Andrey Schelkalov are all great creations. The production by Leonid Baratov with sets by Fedor Fedorovskiy is possibly the best in the history of opera and the konducting of Boris Khaikin, who ever since the fifties was one of the theaters best conductors is also bring more credit to the perfomance.The cast is close to ideal - Nesterenko, the best bass of his generation is a great Boris, Andrey Sokolov a good Shuiskiy, Vladislav Pyavko and his one time wife - legendary mazzo-soprano Irina Arkhipova as the Pretender and Marina are all good. The very little khnown in the west Valeriy Yaroslavtsev and Alezander Malchenko are solid as Pimen and Schelkalov, while the veteran Alexey Maslennikov sings a good simpleton.
Boris should be listned to several times to understand it, but it would soon become one of your favorite works of art.
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