Willy
Decker’s 2004 production of the 1869
version of Boris Godunov is a
minimalist staging which gives plenty
of space for the tragedy, both individual
and national, to unfold. This is a co-production
with De Nederlandse Opera, Amsterdam.
Boris’s ascent
to power, literally over the dead body of the Tsarevitch Dmitri,
is symbolised by a great golden chair which he eventually
climbs having been persuaded by the boyars and the people.
This chair features throughout the opera, acting as a gauge
for the well-being of the Tsar and the government of Russia,
sometimes on its side, sometimes upright, and eventually carrying
the diminutive figure of Boris’s son Fyodor.
The
dead Dmitri is never far from the scene
either, being present either as a corpse
or as a photographic icon, in which
form he appears throughout most of the
action, a symbol of the crime which
haunts Boris and eventually leads him
to insanity and death.
As is common these
days, the characters are in modern dress with Boris on occasion
being robed in gold. Presumably we are, once again, being
reminded that the corruption of power is a timeless subject.
This is hardly news, but in this case it doesn’t detract from
the power of the story, carried out as it must be mainly through
the abstract vision of Boris, Pimen and Grigory, all of whom
are interpreting history, their roles and their actions almost
without reference to the outside world.
The
singing throughout is hard to fault,
with Matti Salminen in particular playing
this role with his usual power and authority.
He has sometimes seemed to be too nice
a man to play truly wicked characters,
but in the case of Boris this is a strength,
allowing us to see the madness and vulnerability
of the man as it gradually unfolds.
His voice is as splendid as ever with,
as usual, a great range of expression
with which he illuminates the decline
of Boris. I found the singing of Brian
Asawa, the counter-tenor who plays Fyodor,
not to my taste – I prefer the more
usual convention of having a mezzo in
the role – but this might be a personal
preference which won’t trouble other
listeners. Philip Langridge (Shuisky)
and Eric Halvarson (Pimen) are in great
form both vocally and as interpreters
of their roles. Together with Salminen
they make this a Boris which
needs to be heard.
The pace at first
seems a little slow, especially in the coronation scene, maybe
going for grandeur rather than impetus. Having said that,
the rest of the performance is taut and engrossing and well
illustrates the sense of going with the earlier version of
the score. The omission of the Polish scene in particular
for me removes an entirely pointless excursion into the realms
of romance, and lets the opera focus on the real drama around
Boris - as it should. The stereo sound is well up to TDK’s
usual standards.
This is an excellent
Boris and is well worth adding to any collection.
Lynette Kenny
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