The most famous operas in the world: Boris Godunov, M. P

Opera (folk musical drama) in four acts with a prologue by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky based on the composer's libretto based on the tragedy of the same name by A.S. Pushkin, as well as materials from N.M. Karamzin's History of the Russian State.

CHARACTERS:

BORIS GODUNOV (baritone)
Boris' children:
FEDOR (mezzo-soprano)
KSENIA (soprano)
MOTHER XENIA (low mezzo-soprano)
PRINCE VASILY IVANOVICH SHUISKY (tenor)
ANDREY SHCHElkalov, Duma clerk (baritone)
PIMEN, chronicler, hermit (bass)
THE IMPOSTER UNDER THE NAME OF GRIGORY (as in the score; correctly: Gregory, the Pretender under the name of Demetrius) (tenor)
MARINA MNISHEK, daughter of the governor of Sandomierz (mezzo-soprano or dramatic soprano)
RANGONI, secret Jesuit (bass)
vagabonds:
VARLAAM (bass)
MISAIL (tenor)
HOUSEHOLDER OF THE TANK (mezzo-soprano)
YURODIVY (tenor)
NIKITICH, bailiff (bass)
MIDDLE BOYARIN (tenor)
BOYARIN KHRUSHOV (tenor)
Jesuits:
LAVITSKY (bass)
CHERNIKOVSKY (bass)
VOICES FROM THE PEOPLE, peasants and peasant women (bass (Mityukha), tenor, mezzo-soprano and soprano)
BOYARS, BOYAR CHILDREN, STRELTSY, RYNDY, bailiffs, PANS AND PANNS, SANDOMIR GIRLS, PASSING KALIKI, MOSCOW PEOPLE.

Action time: 1598 - 1605.
Location: Moscow, on the Lithuanian border, in the Sandomierz castle, near Kromy.
First performance: St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theatre, January 27 (February 8), 1874.

There are half a dozen versions of Boris Godunov. Mussorgsky himself left two; his friend N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov made two more, one version of the orchestration of the opera was proposed by D. D. Shostakovich, and two more versions were made by John Gutman and Karol Rathaus in the middle of our century for the New York Metropolitan Opera. Each of these options gives its own solution to the problem of which scenes written by Mussorgsky to include in the context of the opera and which to exclude, and also offers its own sequence of scenes. The last two versions, moreover, reject Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestration and restore Mussorgsky's original. Strictly speaking, as regards the retelling of the content of the opera, it has no of great importance which edition to follow; it is only important to give an idea of ​​all the scenes and episodes written by the author. This drama is built by Mussorgsky rather according to the laws of the chronicle, like Shakespeare's chronicles of Kings Richard and Henry, rather than a tragedy in which one event inevitably follows from another.

Nevertheless, in order to explain the reasons that caused the appearance of such a large number of editions of the opera, we present here the preface by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov to his edition of "Boris Godunov" in 1896 (that is, to his first edition):

“The opera, or folk musical drama, Boris Godunov, written 25 years ago, at its first appearance on stage and in print, caused two opposing opinions in the public. The high talent of the composer, the penetration of the folk spirit and the spirit of the historical era, the liveliness of the scenes and the outlines of the characters, the truth of life both in drama and comedy, and the vividly captured everyday side, with the originality of musical ideas and techniques, aroused admiration and surprise for one part; impractical difficulties, fragmentation of melodic phrases, inconvenience of voice parts, rigidity of harmony and modulations, errors in voice leading, weak instrumentation and generally weak technical side of the work, on the contrary, caused a storm of ridicule and censure from the other part. For some, the mentioned technical shortcomings obscured not only the high merits of the work, but also the very talent of the author; and vice versa, some of these very shortcomings were erected almost into dignity and merit.

Much time has passed since then; the opera was not given on the stage or was given extremely rarely, the public was unable to verify the established opposing opinions.

"Boris Godunov" was composed in front of my eyes. No one like me, who was in tight friendly relations with Mussorgsky, the intentions of the author of "Boris" and the very process of their implementation could not be so well known.

Highly appreciating Mussorgsky's talent and his work, and honoring his memory, I decided to set about technical processing of Boris Godunov and its re-instrumentation. I am convinced that my adaptation and instrumentation by no means changed the original spirit of the work and the very intentions of its composer, and that the opera I have processed, nevertheless, belongs entirely to the work of Mussorgsky, and the purification and ordering technical side will only make it clearer and more accessible to all high value and stop any criticism of this work.

When editing, I made some cuts due to the too long length of the opera, which forced, even during the author's lifetime, to shorten it when performed on stage at moments too significant.

This edition does not destroy the first original edition, and therefore Mussorgsky's work continues to be preserved intact in its original form.

In order to make it easier to navigate the differences between the author's editions of the opera, as well as to better understand the essence of the director's decisions in modern productions of the opera, we present here a schematic plan of both Mussorgsky's editions.

First edition (1870)
ACT I
Picture 1. courtyard of the Novodevichy Convent; the people ask Boris Godunov to accept the kingdom.
Picture 2.
ACT II
Picture 3.
Picture 4.
ACT III
Picture 5. Tsar's tower in the Kremlin; Boris with children; boyar Shuisky talks about the Pretender; Boris experiences torment and remorse.
ACT IV
Picture 6. Square near St. Basil's Cathedral; The holy fool calls Boris King Herod.
Picture 7. Meeting of the Boyar Duma; Boris's death.

Second edition (1872)
PROLOGUE
Picture 1. courtyard of the Novodevichy Convent; the people ask Boris Godunov to accept the kingdom.
Picture 2. Moscow Kremlin; the wedding of Boris to the kingdom.
ACT I
Picture 1. Cell of the Chudov Monastery; scene of Pimen and Grigory Otrepiev.
Picture 2. Tavern on the Lithuanian border; the fugitive monk Gregory hides in Lithuania, then to reach Poland.
ACT II
(Not divided into pictures)
A number of scenes in the royal chamber in the Kremlin.
ACT III (POLISH)
Picture 1. Lavatory of Marina Mnishek in Sandomierz Castle.
Picture 2. The scene of Marina Mnishek and the Pretender in the garden by the fountain.
ACT IV Picture 1. Meeting of the Boyar Duma; Boris's death.
Picture 2. Popular uprising near Kromy (with an episode with the Holy fool, borrowed - in part - from the first edition).

Since "Boris Godunov" on opera stages the world is more often staged in the second edition of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, which represents the content of the opera most fully, we will follow this particular edition in our retelling.

PROLOGUE

Picture 1. The courtyard of the Novodevichy Convent near Moscow (now the Novodevichy Convent within Moscow). Closer to the audience is the exit gate in the monastery wall with a turret. The orchestral introduction paints an image of a downtrodden, oppressed people. The curtain rises. The people are treading water. The movements, as the author's note indicates, are sluggish. The bailiff, threatening with a club, makes the people beg Boris Godunov to accept the royal crown. The people fall on their knees and cry out: “Who are you leaving us for, father!” While the bailiff is absent, there is a squabble among the people, the women rise from their knees, but when the bailiff returns, they again kneel down. The Duma clerk Andrey Shchelkalov appears. He goes out to the people, takes off his hat and bows. He reports that Boris is adamant and, despite "the mournful call of the boyar duma and the patriarch, he does not want to hear about the royal throne."

(In 1598, Tsar Fyodor dies. There are two contenders for the royal throne - Boris Godunov and Fyodor Nikitich Romanov. Boyars for the election of Godunov. He is “asked” to become Tsar. But he refuses. This refusal seemed strange. But Godunov, this outstanding politician, understood that the legitimacy of his claims is doubtful. Popular rumor blamed him for the death of Tsarevich Dimitry, the younger brother of Tsar Fedor and the legitimate heir to the throne. And blamed for a reason. O. Klyuchevsky - Clearly, they did not have and could not have direct evidence (...) world "begged him to accept the royal crown. And now he - to a certain extent bluffing - this time refuses: in the forced appeal to him of the" people ", driven and frightened by the bailiff of the people, there is a lack of" general "enthusiasm.)

The scene is illuminated by the reddish glow of the setting sun. The singing of kaliks of passersby is heard (behind the stage): “Glory to you, the Creator of the Most High, on earth, glory to your heavenly forces and glory to all saints in Rus'!” Now they appear on the stage, led by guides. They distribute palms to the people and call on the people to go with the icons of the Don and Vladimir Mother of God to "the tsar at the meeting" (which is interpreted as a call for the election of Boris to the kingdom, although they do not say this directly).

Picture 2. Square in the Moscow Kremlin. Directly in front of the audience, in the distance, is the Red Porch of the royal towers. On the right, closer to the proscenium, the people on their knees take a place between the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Archangel.”

The orchestral introduction depicts the procession of the boyars to the cathedral under the "great bell ringing": they will have to elect a new king to the kingdom. Prince Vasily Shuisky appears. He announces the election of Boris as tsar.

A powerful choir sounds - praise to the king. Solemn royal procession from the cathedral. “Bailiffs put the people in tapestries” (stage direction in the score). However, Boris is overcome by an ominous premonition. The first of his monologues sounds: “The soul mourns!” But no... No one should see the slightest timidity of the king. “Now let us bow to the dying rulers of Rus',” says Boris, and after that all the people are invited to the royal feast. Under the ringing of bells, the procession heads to the Archangel Cathedral. The people are rushing to the Archangel Cathedral; bailiffs restore order. Hustle. Boris shows himself from the Archangel Cathedral and goes to the towers. The jubilant ringing of bells. Curtain falls. End of prologue.

ACT I

Picture 1. Night. Cell in the Miracle Monastery. An old monk, Pimen, writes a chronicle. The young monk, Gregory, is sleeping. The singing of the monks is heard (offstage). Grigory wakes up, he is tormented by a cursed dream, he has been dreaming about it for the third time now. He tells Pimen about him. The old monk instructs Gregory: "Humble yourself with prayer and fasting." But Gregory is beckoned by worldly joys: “Why should I not amuse myself in battles? Not to feast at the royal meal? Pimen reminisces, he tells how Ivan the Terrible himself was sitting here, in this cell, “and he wept ...” Then there are memories of his son, Tsar Fedor, who, according to Pimen, “transformed the royal halls into a prayer cell ". We do not know any more such a king, because we "have named the regicide our lord." Gregory is interested in the details of the case of Tsarevich Dimitri, what age he was when he was killed. “He would be your age and reign” (in some editions: “and reign b”), Pimen replies.

The bell sounds. They call in the morning. Pimen leaves. Grigory is left alone, his mind is in fermentation... An ambitious plan is born in his head.

Picture 2. Tavern on the Lithuanian border. Here came Varlaam and Misail, black vagrants, joined by Gregory: his goal is to get across the border into Lithuania in order to escape to Poland from there. The hostess welcomes the guests. A small feast is being started, but all Grigory's thoughts are about imposture: he intends to impersonate Tsarevich Dimitri and challenge the throne from Boris. Varlaam sings a song (“As it was in Kazan in the city”). Meanwhile, Grigory asks the owner of the tavern about the way across the border. She explains how to get through in order to avoid the bailiffs, who are now detaining and examining everyone, as they are looking for someone who fled from Moscow.

At this moment there is a knock on the door - the bailiffs are coming. They peer at Varlaam. One of the bailiffs takes out a royal decree. It tells about the escape from Moscow of a certain Grigory from the Otrepiev family, a black monk who needs to be caught. But Varlaam cannot read. Then Gregory is called to read the decree. He reads and ... instead of the signs denouncing himself, he pronounces Varlaam's signs aloud. Varlaam, feeling that things are going badly, snatches the decree from him and, with difficulty sorting out the letters, he himself begins to read in syllables and then guesses that it is about Grishka. At this moment, Grigory threateningly brandishes a knife and jumps out the window. All shouting: "Hold him!" - rush after him.

ACT II

The inner chambers of the royal tower in the Moscow Kremlin. Lush environment. Xenia is crying over the portrait of the groom. The prince is busy with the "book of the big drawing." Handicraft mother. Boris consoles the princess. Neither in the family nor in public affairs does he have any luck. Tsarevich Fyodor answers the mother’s fairy tale (“The Song about the Mosquito”) with a fairy tale (“A fairy tale about this and that, how a chicken gave birth to a bull, a pig laid an egg”).

The Tsar affectionately asks Fedor about his activities. He is considering a map - "a drawing of the land of Moscow." Boris approves of this interest, but the sight of his kingdom leads him to serious thoughts. Boris's aria, amazing in its power of expression and drama, sounds (with a recitative: "I have reached the highest power ..."). Boris is tormented by remorse, he is haunted by the image of the slaughtered Tsarevich Dimitri.

A nearby boyar enters and reports that "Prince Vasily Shuisky is beating Boris with his forehead." Shuisky, who appears, tells Boris that an impostor has appeared in Lithuania, who pretends to be Tsarevich Dimitri. Boris is in the greatest excitement. Grabbing Shuisky by the collar, he demands that he tell him the whole truth about Dimitri's death. Otherwise, he will come up with such an execution for him, Shuisky, that "Tsar Ivan will shudder in horror in his grave." On this demand, Shuisky embarks on such a description of the picture of the murder of an infant, from which the blood runs cold. Boris can't stand it; he orders Shuisky to leave.

Boris alone. There follows a scene called in the score "Clock with Chimes" - Boris' stunning monologue "If you have a single stain..." The measured chimes, like rock, enhance the oppressive atmosphere. Boris does not know where to escape from the hallucinations pursuing him: “Over there... over there... what is it?.. over there in the corner?..” Exhausted, he calls out to the Lord: “Lord! You do not want the death of a sinner; have mercy on the soul of the criminal tsar Boris!”

ACT III (POLISH)

Picture 1. Lavatory of Marina Mnishek in Sandomierz Castle. Marina, the daughter of the governor of Sandomierz, is sitting at the toilet. The girls entertain her with songs. The elegantly graceful choir "On the Azure Vistula" sounds. An ambitious Polish woman who dreams of taking the throne of Moscow wants to capture the Pretender. She sings about this in the aria "Marina is bored." Rangoni appears. This Catholic Jesuit monk demands the same from Marina - that she seduce the Pretender. And she must do this in the interests of the Catholic Church.

Picture 2. The moon illuminates the garden of the governor of Sandomierz. The fugitive monk Grigory, now a pretender to the Moscow throne - the Pretender - is waiting for Marina at the fountain. The melodies of his love confession are romantically excited (“At midnight, in the garden, by the fountain”). Around the corner of the castle, looking around, Rangoni sneaks. He tells the Pretender that Marina loves him. The impostor rejoices, hearing the words of her love conveyed to him. He intends to run to her. Rangoni stops him and tells him to hide, so as not to destroy himself and Marina. The impostor hides behind the doors.

A crowd of guests comes out of the castle. Sounds Polish dance (polonaise). Marina passes arm in arm with the old gentleman. The choir sings, proclaiming confidence in the victory over Moscow, in the capture of Boris. At the end of the dance, Marina and the guests retire to the castle.

One pretender. He laments that he only managed to steal a glance at Marina. He is overwhelmed by a feeling of jealousy for the old pan with whom he saw Marina. “No, to hell with everything! he exclaims. - Rather, in battle armor! Enter Marina. She listens with annoyance and impatience to the Pretender's love confession. It doesn't bother her, and that's not what she came for. She asks him with cynical frankness when he will finally be tsar in Moscow. This time, even he was taken aback: “Could the power, the radiance of the throne, the vile swarm of serfs, their vile denunciations in you, could drown out the holy thirst for mutual love?” Marina is having a very cynical conversation with the Pretender. In the end, the Pretender was indignant: “You are lying, proud Pole! I'm a prince!" And he predicts that he will laugh at her when he sits down as king. Her calculation was justified: with her cynicism, cunning and affection, she kindled the fire of love in him. They merge in a passionate love duet.

Rangoni appears and watches the Pretender and Marina from a distance. Behind the scenes, the voices of feasting gentlemen are heard.

ACT IV

Picture 1. There are two pictures in the last act. In theatrical practice, it has developed so that in different productions, either one or the other is given first. This time we will adhere to the second edition of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.

Forest clearing near the village of Kromy. To the right is the descent and behind it the wall of the city. From the descent through the stage - the road. Straight through the woods. At the very descent - a large stump.

The peasant uprising is spreading. Here, near Kromy, a crowd of vagabonds, who seized the boyar Khrushchov, governor Boris, mocks him: she surrounded him, bound and planted on a stump, and sings to him mockingly, mockingly and menacingly: “Not a falcon flies through the sky” (to a tune of a truly Russian folk song of praise).

The holy fool enters, surrounded by boys. (In productions of the opera that include the so-called insert scene "The Square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral", this episode is transferred to it, where it is dramaturgically incomparably richer and emotionally stronger, despite the fact that Mussorgsky himself removed the score of this episode from there and placed it in the scene under Kromy .)

Varlaam and Misail appear. Talking about torture and executions in Rus', they incite the rebellious people. Behind the scenes, the voices of Lavitsky and Chernikovsky, the Jesuit monks, are heard. When they go on stage, people grab them and knit them. The tramps left on the stage are listening. The noise of the impostor's advancing army reaches their ears. Misail and Varlaam - this time ironically - praise the Pretender (apparently not recognizing in him the fugitive Moscow monk Grishka Otrepyev, who once fled from a tavern on the Lithuanian border): “Glory to you, Tsarevich, saved by God, glory to you, Tsarevich , hidden by God!

The Pretender enters on horseback. Boyar Khrushchev, dumbfounded, praises the "son of John" and bows to his waist. The impostor calls: “Follow us to a glorious battle! To the holy homeland, to Moscow, to the Kremlin, the golden-domed Kremlin!” Behind the scenes, the tocsin bells are heard. The crowd (which also includes both Jesuit monks) follows the Pretender. The stage is empty. A holy fool appears (this is in the event that this character is not transferred to the inserted scene - the Square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral); he predicts the imminent arrival of the enemy, bitter grief for Rus'.

Picture 2. The Faceted Chamber in the Moscow Kremlin. On the sides of the bench. To the right exit to the Red Porch; to the left - in the tower. To the right, closer to the ramp, is a table with writing materials. To the left is the royal place. Extraordinary meeting of the Boyar Duma. Everyone is thrilled by the news of the Pretender. Boyars, semi-literate, foolishly discuss the case and decide to execute the villain. Someone reasonably remarks that first he must be caught. In the end, they agree that “it’s a pity that there is no prince Shuisky. Though he is a seditious, but without him, it seems, the opinion went wrong. Shuisky appears. He tells what a deplorable state Boris is now, who is haunted by the ghost of Tsarevich Dimitri. Suddenly, the tsar himself appears before the eyes of the boyars. Boris's torment reaches the limit; he does not notice anyone and in delirium he assures himself: “There is no murderer! Alive, alive, baby! .. ”(But in this case - everyone understands this - the Pretender is not an impostor, not False Dmitry, but Dimitri, the legitimate tsar.) Boris comes to his senses. Then Shuisky brings Elder Pimen to him. Boris hopes that a conversation with him will calm his tormented soul.

Pimen enters and stops, looking intently at Boris. His story is about the miraculous healing of a blind old man who heard a child's voice: “Know, grandfather, I am Dimitri, prince; The Lord accepted me in the face of his angels, and now I am a great miracle worker in Russia ... ", and" ... I trudged on a long journey ... "(Tsarevich Dimitri was canonized by the Orthodox Church - his body was found incorrupt when the coffin was opened; three festivities in his memory: on the days of his birth (October 19, 1581), death (May 15, 1591) and the transfer of relics (June 3, 1606).)

Boris cannot bear this story - he falls unconscious into the hands of the boyars. The boyars imprison him, he comes to his senses and then calls on Tsarevich Fedor. Some boyars run after the prince, others - to the Chudov Monastery. Tsarevich Fedor runs in. The dying Boris says goodbye to the prince and gives him his last instructions: “Farewell, my son! I'm dying. Now you will begin to reign. He hugs his son and kisses him. A lingering chime of the bell and a funeral ringing are heard. Boyars and singers enter. Boris jumps up and exclaims menacingly: "Wait a minute: I'm still a king!" Then the boyars, pointing to their son: “Here is your king ... king ... forgive me ...” Fermata lunga (Italian - long fermata [stop]). Tsar Boris is dead. Curtain falls.

It remains for us to tell about the so-called inserted scene "The Square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral."

This scene, according to Mussorgsky's original plan, was the first picture fourth act. But, as N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov testifies in his Chronicle, after the opera was rejected by the directorate of the imperial theaters, Mussorgsky revised it, and the scene, which tells about the anathematization of the Pretender, was abolished, and the holy fool, appearing in her, was moved to the scene "Under the Kroms". It remains difficult for us to explain how the decision could be made to exclude from the opera, perhaps, the most brilliant episode. In a word, this scene eventually received the status of an “inserted” one and in modern productions of the opera it takes its place - quite logically - at the beginning of the fourth act. But since the more impressive ending of the opera - this is my personal opinion - is the death of Boris, that is, the painting in the Palace of the Facets (as Mussorgsky intended in the original plan), the place of the painting "Under the Kromy" should be after the scene near the cathedral, that is, it should be second in this action. Then, consequently, the painting in the Faceted Chamber.

Square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Crowds of impoverished people are on stage. The bailiffs often flash in the crowd. The orchestral introduction conveys a mood of expectation and alertness. Enter a bunch of men from the cathedral; among them Mityukha. The people shouted (Mityukh) that at the mass they cursed Grishka Otrepyev, and sang eternal memory to the prince. This causes bewilderment among the people: to sing eternal memory to the living (after all, Dimitri, that is, False Dmitry, is already very close)!

A holy fool in chains runs onto the stage, followed by a crowd of boys. They tease him. He sits on a stone, mends his bast shoes and sings, swaying. He boasts of the penny he has; the boys snatch it from him. He is crying. The royal procession begins from the cathedral; the boyars distribute alms. Boris appears, followed by Shuisky and other boyars. The holy fool turns to Boris and says that the boys offended him, and he asks Boris to order them to be punished: “Tell them to kill them, as you killed the little prince.” Shuisky intends to punish the holy fool. But Boris stops him and asks the holy fool to pray for him, Boris. But the holy fool refuses: “No, Boris! You can't, you can't, Boris! You can't pray for King Herod!" The people disperse in horror. The holy fool sings: "Flow, flow, bitter tears."

A. Maykapar

The fate of the opera "Boris Godunov" is the fate of a revolutionary work of art, both glorified and persecuted. Its significance was immediately understood in Mussorgsky's inner circle. Others, on the contrary, out of conformist considerations, due to conservative taste and lack of faith in the new, did everything to fail it after the success of the first performances. Despite occasional revivals of "Boris", its genuine discovery and international recognition came after 1896, and especially in 1908 in Paris, when Fyodor Chaliapin sang in an opera edited by Rimsky-Korsakov. This revision caused confusion among musicologists and fans of the original version of "Boris". The editor disturbed the order of the scenes, removed some, changed the most daring harmonies and shifted the metric divisions, which was reflected in the accent, and finally he orchestrated the score in a new way, in which Mussorgsky himself wanted to redo something, and, of course, did the work masterfully, with knowledge affairs, but the brilliant coloring that the opera acquired as a result seemed far from the original gloominess of the tragedy. Other corrections have been made over time, along with attempts to revive Mussorgsky's original (which still needs corrections, at least in instrumentation).

In 1928, the academic edition of P. A. Lamm was published, while the opera was gaining more and more recognition, which is explained by two factors: the influence exerted by "Boris" with its melodic and harmonic innovations gleaned from music Ancient Rus', on the evolution of new European trends, starting with impressionism; the creation, thanks to the most original alternation of pictures, of a historical and political drama of exceptional strength and humanism, in which various features of Russian culture, especially linguistic ones, seem to be carved in stone. In the opera, the tsar and the people collide; great power and loneliness are associated with betrayal; the presence of the people (the choir) is subject to the law of a change of power as violent as it is senseless. Meanwhile, voices opposed to each other form the living body of Rus', personify its fate, which music reveals in the solemn chords put forward on foreground harmonic basses, embodying the movement towards the same result, unchanged for centuries: ruin, tyranny, woeful mysticism, superstition.

It must be admitted that Mussorgsky took a difficult path, given that we have before us the genre of traditional musical drama. The opera includes only one love duet, and that one is illuminated by the cold light of state interests and inserted into a mocking frame precisely because the music does not seem to notice them, all imbued with the enthusiastic lyrical impulse of the meeting between Marina and the Pretender. In general, the sound richness and luxury of the spectacle are deployed with might and main in this wide, unconventional canvas, they can be found in folk songs, in choirs and in the parts of actors who briefly act from the choir as protagonists. A huge number of energetic, lively faces, and not the hackneyed types of the traditional theater, constitute a real storehouse of those national riches for which the "Mighty Handful" stood up. Mussorgsky reveals to her the far from blissful genuine rhythms and motifs of folk music or imitates them. The crowd sings, asserting itself in reality. folk types- cripples, drunkards, vagabond monks, peasants - all these colorful images of a live crowded crowd, whose speech is deeply emotional, testify to how the power of illusions grows, despite troubles, while the king threatens and begs in the fruitless hope to hold on to throne. When the pangs of conscience leave Boris for a while, his voice expresses deep sadness, but for stubborn facts, it alone is not enough. Almost at the beginning, after the coronation festivity, the echo of history, full of continuous deceit, sounds, as if in a dream, in Pimen's cell, grows out of secret hints, multiplies its mysterious network, which is not afraid of any obstacles: it is the old man, the stern monk, who will finally finish off the criminal sovereign. Haunted by terrible ghosts, he wanders and mumbles like an expressionist victim. He destroyed a pure, innocent being, and this is the answer of the deceased. The dying king has no choice but to cry out to heaven for help, not for himself, but for his children, also innocent victims, like the baby Demetrius. This prayer touches the innermost strings of the human soul, which no other character in the opera could touch. Boris says goodbye, overshadowed by grace. In the last act, the crowd indulges in feverish, pernicious merriment. The defenseless voice of the holy fool sounds like an accusation of their delirium.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

History of creation

The idea to write an opera based on the plot of Pushkin's historical tragedy Boris Godunov (1825) was suggested to Mussorgsky by his friend, a prominent historian Professor V. V. Nikolsky. Mussorgsky was extremely fascinated by the opportunity to translate the topic of the relationship between the tsar and the people, which was acutely relevant for his time, to bring the people as the main character in the opera. “I understand the people as a great personality, animated by a single idea,” he wrote. “This is my task. I tried to solve it in the opera."

The work, begun in October 1868, proceeded with a huge creative upsurge. A month and a half later, the first act was already ready. The composer himself wrote the libretto of the opera, drawing on materials from N. M. Karamzin's History of the Russian State and other historical documents. As the composition progressed, individual scenes were performed in a circle of "Kuchkists" who gathered either at A. S. Dargomyzhsky's or at Glinka's sister L. I. Shestakova. “Joy, admiration, admiration were universal,” recalled V.V. Stasov.

At the end of 1869, the opera Boris Godunov was completed and presented to the theater committee. But its members, discouraged by the ideological and artistic novelty of the opera, rejected the work under the pretext of the absence of a winning female role. The composer made a number of changes, added a Polish act and a scene near Kromy. However, the second edition of "Boris", completed in the spring of 1872, was also not accepted by the directorate of the imperial theaters.

Boris was staged only thanks to the energetic support of progressive artistic forces, in particular the singer Yu. F. Platonova, who chose the opera for her benefit performance. The premiere took place on January 27 (February 8), 1874 at the Mariinsky Theatre. The democratic public greeted "Boris" enthusiastically. Reactionary criticism and the society of the nobility and landlords reacted sharply negatively to the opera. Soon, the opera began to be given with arbitrary cuts, and in 1882 it was completely removed from the repertoire. “There were rumors,” N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote about this, “that I didn’t like the opera royal family; chattered that its plot was unpleasant to censorship.

Despite occasional revivals of Boris, its real discovery and international recognition came after 1896, and especially in 1908 in Paris, when Fyodor Chaliapin sang in an opera edited by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Music

"Boris Godunov" is a folk musical drama, a multifaceted picture of the era, striking with Shakespearean breadth and boldness of contrasts. Characters depicted with exceptional depth and psychological insight. The tragedy of loneliness and doom of the tsar is revealed with amazing power, the rebellious, rebellious spirit of the Russian people is innovatively embodied.

The prologue consists of two paintings. The orchestral introduction to the first expresses grief and tragic hopelessness. The chorus "To whom are you leaving us" is akin to mournful folk lamentations. Appeal of the deacon Shchelkalov “Orthodox! Relentless boyar!” imbued with majestic solemnity and restrained sadness.

The second picture of the prologue is a monumental choral scene, preceded by the ringing of bells. The solemn majestic Borisu “Like the red sun in the sky” is based on a genuine folk melody. In the center of the picture is Boris's monologue "The soul is grieving", in the music of which royal grandeur is combined with tragic doom.

The first scene of the first act opens with a brief orchestral introduction; the music conveys the monotonous creaking of the chronicler's pen in the silence of a secluded cell. The measured and sternly calm speech of Pimen (the monologue “One more, last tale”) outlines the strict and stately appearance of the old man. An imperious, strong character is felt in his story about the kings of Moscow. Gregory is depicted as an unbalanced, ardent young man.

The second picture of the first act contains juicy domestic scenes. Among them are the songs of the tavern woman “I Caught a Gray Drake” and Varlaam’s “How it was in Kazan in the city” (on folk words); the latter is saturated with elemental strength and prowess.

The second act broadly outlines the image of Boris Godunov. The big monologue “I have reached the highest power” is full of restless mournful feeling, disturbing contrasts. Boris's mental discord escalates in a conversation with Shuisky, whose speeches sound insinuating and hypocritical, and reaches the limit in the final scene of hallucinations ("the scene with the chimes").

The first picture of the third act opens with an elegantly graceful choir of girls “On the Azure Vistula”. Marina's aria "How languid and sluggish", sustained in the rhythm of a mazurka, paints a portrait of an arrogant aristocrat.

The orchestral introduction to the second scene depicts an evening landscape. The melodies of the Pretender's love confession are romantically agitated. The scene of the Pretender and Marina, built on sharp contrasts and capricious mood swings, ends with a duet full of passion, “O Tsarevich, I beg you.”

The first picture of the fourth act is a dramatic folk scene. From the mournful groan of the song of the Holy Fool "The moon is riding, the kitten is crying" grows the choir "Bread!", Amazing in terms of the power of tragedy.

The second picture of the fourth act ends with a psychologically sharp scene of Boris's death. His last monologue"Farewell, my son!" painted in tragically enlightened, pacified tones.

The third picture of the fourth act is a monumental folk scene exceptional in scope and power. The opening choir "Not a falcon flies through the skies" (to a genuine folk melody of a laudatory song) sounds mocking and menacing. The song of Varlaam and Misail "The sun, the moon faded" is based on the melody folk epic. The culmination of the picture is the rebellious choir "Dispersed, cleared up", full of spontaneous, indomitable revelry. The middle section of the choir “Oh you, power” is a sweeping tune of a Russian round dance song, which, developing, leads to formidable, angry exclamations “Death to Boris!”. The opera ends with the solemn entrance of the Pretender and the lamentation of the Holy Fool.

M. Druskin

Discography: CD - Philips (author's edition). Conductor Fedoseev, Boris (Vedernikov), Pretender (Pyavko), Marina (Arkhipova), Pimen (Matorin), Varlaam (Eisen). CD - Erato (author's edition). Conductor Rostropovich, Boris (R. Raimondi), Pretender (Polozov), Marina (Vishnevskaya), Pimen (Plishka), Varlaam (Tezarovich). CD - Decca (edited by Rimsky-Korsakov). Conductor Karayan, Boris (Gyaurov), Pretender (Spiess), Marina (Vishnevskaya), Pimen (Talvela), Varlaam (Dyakov). "Melody" (edited by Rimsky-Korsakov). Conductor Golovanov, Boris (Reizen), Pretender (Nelepp), Marina (Maksakova), Pimen (M. Mikhailov).

MODEST PETROVICH MUSSORGSKY
BORIS GODUNOV
Folk musical drama in four acts with a prologue (ten scenes)
The libretto based on the tragedy of the same name by A. S. Pushkin was written by the composer himself.
It was first staged on February 8, 1874 in St. Petersburg, at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Characters
Boris Godunov baritone or bass
Theodore Children of Boris mezzo-soprano
Ksenia Children of Boris soprano
Xenia's mother low mezzo-soprano
Prince Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky tenor
Andrey Shchelkalov, Duma clerk baritone
Pimen, chronicler, bass hermit
An impostor under the name of Gregory tenor
Marina Mnishek, daughter of the governor of Sandomierz mezzo-soprano or dramatic soprano
Rangoni, secret Jesuit bass
Varlaam tramps bass
Misail tramps tenor
Innkeeper mezzo-soprano
Holy fool tenor
Nikitich, bailiff bass
Middle boyar tenor
Boyar Khrushchov tenor
Lawitz Jesuit
Chernikovsky Jesuit 6as
Mityukha bass
Boyars, boyar children, archers, rynds, bailiffs, pans, panis, Sando-Mirskie girls, passer-bys, the people of Moscow.

The action takes place in Russia and Poland in 1598-1605.

Prologue. Picture one. People were driven into the courtyard of the Novodevichy Convent to pray on their knees for Boris Godunov to be married to the kingdom. Baton of the bailiff
"inspires" the people "do not regret a sip." Duma clerk Andrey Shchelkalov appeals to God for the sending down of "mournful Rus' of consolation." The day is coming to
end. From afar comes the singing of kalik passers-by. "God's people" go to the monastery, handing out amulets to the people. And they stand up for the election of Boris.
Picture two. The people gathered in the Kremlin in front of the Assumption Cathedral praise Boris. And Boris is seized by ominous forebodings. But it's full: no one should notice the king's doubts - there are enemies around. And the tsar orders to convene the people to a feast - "everyone, from the boyars to the beggar blind." Praise merges with
bell ringing.
Action one. Picture one. Night. Cell in the Miracle Monastery. An eyewitness to many events, Elder Pimen writes a chronicle. young monk
Gregory is sleeping. The singing of a prayer is heard. Gregory wakes up. He is troubled by sleep, "an obsessive, accursed dream." He asks Pimen to interpret it.
The dream of a young monk awakens in Pimen the memories of past years. Grigory is jealous of Pimen's eventful youth. stories about
The kings, who changed “their royal staff, and purple, and their luxurious crown for the humble hood of monks,” do not reassure the young novice. WITH
with bated breath, he listens to the old man, who tells about the murder of Tsarevich Dimitri. A casually dropped remark that Grigory and the prince -
peers, gives rise to an ambitious plan in his head.
Picture two.Grigory comes to the tavern on the Lithuanian border along with two vagabonds, runaway monks Misail and Varlaam - he
sneaks into Lithuania. The thought of imposture completely occupies Gregory, and he does not take part in a small feast, which the elders made.
Both of them are already very tipsy, Varlaam drags out the song. Meanwhile, Gregory asks the hostess about the road. From a conversation with her, he learns
that outposts are exposed: they are looking for someone. But the kind hostess tells Grigory about the "roundabout" path. Suddenly there is a knock. Easy on the mind
bailiffs appear. In the hope of a profit - the elders collect alms - the bailiff with "addiction" interrogate Varlaam - who are they and where are they from.
The decree about the heretic Grishka Otrepiev is retrieved. The bailiff wants to intimidate Varlaam - maybe he is the heretic who fled from Moscow? Read the decree
Gregory is called. Having reached the signs of the fugitive, he quickly gets out of the situation, indicating the signs of his companion. The bailiff rushes at Varlaam. Seeing that things are taking a bad turn, the elder demands that he be allowed to read the decree himself. Slowly, word by word, he pronounces the verdict on Gregory, but Gregory is prepared for this - jump out the window, and remember your name ...
Action two. Royal tower. Princess Xenia weeps over the portrait of her dead fiancé. Tsarevich Theodore is busy with the "book of a large drawing." Needlework mother. With jokes, jokes and just a heartfelt word, she tries to distract the princess from bitter thoughts. Tsarevich Theodore answers the mother's fairy tale with a fairy tale. The mother sings to him. They clap their hands, play out a fairy tale. The king gently reassures the princess, asks Theodore about his activities. The view of the Moscow kingdom in the drawing causes a heavy thought in Boris. In everything - both in the disasters of the state, and in the misfortune of his daughter - he sees revenge for the perfect villainy - the murder of Tsarevich Dimitri. Learning from Shuisky, the cunning
courtier, about the appearance of the Pretender in Lithuania, Boris demands from Shuisky confirmation of the death of the prince. Shuisky insidiously paints the details
villainy. Boris cannot stand the torture: in the wavering shadows he sees the ghost of the murdered boy.
Action three. Picture one. In Sandomierz Castle, Marina is behind the toilet. The girls entertain her with a flattering song. Panna Mnishek is dissatisfied: she wants to hear about the glorious victories of Poland, the ambitious Marina dreams of the throne of the kings of Moscow. The Jesuit Rangoni appears. By the power of the church
he conjures Marina to entangle the Pretender's love nets.
Picture two. moonlit night in the garden, by the fountain, the Pretender dreams of Marina. Rangoni sneaks up on him. With sweet speeches about the beauty of Marina, the Jesuit lures the Pretender into confessing his passionate love for the proud panna. A noisy crowd of merry guests passes through the garden - they are looking forward to the victory of the Polish army over Borisov's army. The impostor hides behind the trees. Marina appears. With caresses, whims and ridicule, she kindles the ambition of the Pretender.
Action four. Picture one. In front of Basil's Cathedral Blessed people animatedly discussing rumors of the approach of the Pretender's army, the service
in the church, the anathematization of Grishka Otrepiev and the eternal memory that they sang to Tsarevich Dimitri. The common people are sure that the Pretender is
real Tsarevich Dimitri, and outraged by blasphemy - to sing eternal memory to the living! The Holy Fool runs in, followed by a flock of hooting boys.
The holy fool sits down on a stone, mends his bast shoes and sings. The boys surround him, take away the kopeck, which he just boasted about. The holy fool is crying. From
the boyars come out of the cathedral, they distribute alms. The royal procession begins. On their knees, their hands outstretched to the tsar, the hungry, ragged people pray for bread - all the people gathered in the square. Boris, seeing the grieving Yurodivy, stops and asks why he was offended. The holy fool naively and boldly asks the king to slaughter the offenders-boys, as he slaughtered the little prince. Boris stops the guards who rushed to
Holy fool, and asks that the blessed one pray for him. But you can’t pray for King Herod - “The Mother of God does not order.” Such is the judgment of the people.
Picture two. In the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, a meeting of the Boyar Duma is taking place. The fate of the Pretender is decided. Slow-thinking boyars
they regret that without Shuisky "the opinion did not come out well." And here is Prince Vasily. His story about Boris's seizure causes distrust of the boyars, but with an exclamation
"Chur, child!" the king appears. Having come to his senses, Godunov sits down in the royal seat and addresses the boyars. Shuisky interrupts him with a proposal
listen to a humble old man who wants to tell a great secret. This is Pimen. His story about the miracle of insight associated with the name of the murdered prince,
deprives Boris of strength. Feeling the approach of death, he calls Tsarevich Theodore to him and gives his son a strict order to rule Russia fairly, to honor
saints of God, take care of your sister, and prays heaven for mercy to your children. A funeral ringing is heard, and a tomb cry is approaching - a schema, "in
monks, the king is coming. Boris is dying.
Picture three. A forest clearing near Kromy is filled with a crowd of vagabonds. They mock Godunov's governor, the boyar Khrushchev. Here as here Varlaam
and Misail, inciting the people with a story about executions and massacres in Rus'. For this, one sentence from the people - "Death, death to Boris!" Under the hot hand
come across the Jesuits. The Pretender appears, the people greet him. And although the Jesuits and the governor are freed by the Pretender, everyone follows him to Moscow. Only the Holy Fool sits alone on the stone. His mournful song predicts trouble, bitter tears, dark, impenetrable darkness.
* Tsars were tonsured monks before they died.

History of creation . Opera in 4 acts with a prologue, libretto by the composer based on the works of A. Pushkin and N. Karamzin.Mussorgsky's attention to the tragedy "" was drawn by the outstanding philologist and literary critic Nikolsky, whom the composer met at Glinka's house. Nikolsky suggested that this tragedy could be a wonderful material for opera libretto, which made the young then think. The composer felt that an opera created on the basis of this work could become a surprisingly multifaceted work. By the end of 1869, the score was completed. And at the beginning of 1870, Mussorgsky received by mail an envelope with the stamp of the director of the Imperial Theaters, Gedeonov. The letter stated that the opera had been rejected by a committee of seven members. Then Modest Petrovich took up editing the opera, a new edition was created within a year, now instead of seven scenes there are only four and a prologue in it, new scene riot near Kromy and two new Polish paintings with the participation of Marina Mniszek. The author excluded the scene at St. Basil's Cathedral and transferred the lamentation of the Holy Fool to the finale of the opera. Some changes were made even after the premiere when writing the Maid of Pskov.

Mussorgsky dedicated his work to his comrades in " mighty handful', who ardently supported him. The second score would also have been rejected if not for the help of the prima donna Platonova, who used her influence to establish the opera in the theater repertoire.

The long-awaited day of the premiere " Boris Godunov”turned for the author of the opera into a genuine hour of celebration and triumph. The news of the new work quickly spread throughout the city, predicting the success of all future performances. Of decisive importance in the future success of the opera was participation in the title role. After he played the role of Godunov, the opera began to be staged even in peripheral theaters, gradually it became one of the most repertory operas, conquering all stages of the world.

In "Boris Godunov" Mussorgsky showed himself brilliant playwright, not just resurrecting the images of the past, but showing the tragedy of conscience and the conflict between the king and the people, the author strengthened the role of the latter and gave the people the main role in his work. In terms of the depth of psychological analysis, the composer in his work is not inferior to either Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. The disclosure of such a force of the tragedy of the individual and the people at that time in the world operatic art was not there yet.

The plot of the opera . In the courtyard of the Novodevichy Convent, the bailiff forces the assembled people to beg the boyar Boris Godunov for ascension to the throne. Boris is trying to give up the royal crown. The next morning, in front of the Assumption Cathedral, the obedient people again gather - now they are already thanking Boris, who agrees to be married to the kingdom. But the newly-made king is tormented by doubts and heavy thoughts, his royal crown does not please him.

The cell of the Chudov Monastery, Pimen, a hermit chronicler, writes the truth about the murder of Boris the Tsar, the legitimate heir, Tsarevich Dmitry. The young monk Grigory Otrepiev, interested in history, conceives a daring act - to call himself Dmitry and meet the tsar.

A tavern on the Lithuanian border - Otrepiev, under the guise of wandering elders, pretends to be Varlaam, but the deception is discovered and he has to flee.

Meanwhile, in the Kremlin, Tsar Boris has to comfort his young daughter Xenia. She mourns for the deceased groom, but does not dare to show her sadness in front of her royal parent. Yes, and for Boris himself, life does not seem sweet - memories of committed crime they torment him, and the people are in no hurry to fall in love with the new autocrat. Prince Shuisky enters with news of the appearance of a certain impostor under the name of Dmitry at the Lithuanian court. Boris begins to see the ghost of a murdered baby and he cannot even interrogate Shuisky about the details in full.

Polish Court, Sandomierz Castle. Ambitious Marina Mnishek dreams of the Russian throne, which she intended to ascend by marrying Dmitry the impostor. With cunning and affection, she captivates the false Dmitry and inflames his love.

Meanwhile, on the square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral, the people are waiting for the approach of Dmitry the pretender. People believe him and want the impostor to save them from the arbitrariness of Godunov. During the royal procession, the holy fool publicly accuses the tsar of killing the baby, however, Boris, overcome by grave forebodings, does not give instructions to execute him.

The Boyar Duma at the Pomegranate Chamber, Shuisky gossips about the sufferings and throwings of Boris the Tsar. A distraught Boris appears, accompanied by the ghost of a murdered baby. The chronicler Pimen speaks with a story about the miraculous healing of a blind man over the grave of Tsarevich Dmitry. And this story plunges Boris into final madness, he barely has time to say goodbye to his son Fyodor before his death, as he falls unconscious, and then dies.

Near the village of Kromy, on the edge of the forest, the people, fueled by the peasant uprising, mock the governor. Elder Varlaam and Misail incite the people to even greater cruelty. False Dmitry appears, accompanied by a procession, and the people joyfully greet him. The final song of the Holy Fool sounds, predicting new misfortunes and misfortunes for the Russian people: "Woe, woe to Rus', cry, Russian people, hungry people."

Interesting Facts

• In 1898 the opera was staged under the editorship with Chaliapin in the title role. And since then, the great artist has not parted with the role of Godunov all his life.
• In the work on the part of Boris Chaliapin was helped from the musical side and Klyuchevsky from the historical side.
• There is also a third version of the opera - which re-instrumented the opera, but kept intact all the harmonies of Mussorgsky
• That's why brilliant work Mussorgsky directed by Vera Stroeva in 1954. a feature film was staged that conveys the spirit of opera to the maximum extent possible

Boris Godunov Russian Tsar (1598 1605) Image in art "Boris Godunov" opera by Johann Mattheson (1710) "Boris Godunov" historical tragedy A. S. Pushkin's "Boris Godunov" opera by M. P. Mussorgsky based on the play by A. ... ... Wikipedia

- "BORIS GODUNOV", USSR, Mosfilm, 1954, color, 111 min. Opera film. Based on the musical drama of the same name by M. Mussorgsky. Screen adaptation of the folk musical drama of the same name by M. Mussorgsky directed by the State. academic Bolshoi Theater THE USSR. Choreographer ... Cinema Encyclopedia

BORIS GODUNOV- I In 1584–1598 the actual ruler of the Russian state under the son of Ivan the Terrible * Tsar * Fedor Ioannovich; Russian tsar in 1598–1605 Boyarin* Boris Fedorovich Godunov was born c. 1552, belonged to a noble family, was brought up at court ... ... Linguistic Dictionary

This term has other meanings, see Boris Godunov (meanings). Boris Godunov ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Boris Godunov (meanings). Boris Godunov, or the Throne Reached by Cunning (German: Boris Goudenow) opera by Johann Matteson to his own libretto (1710). Considered the first in history ... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Boris Godunov (meanings). Boris Godunov Genre musical drama Director Vera Stroeva ... Wikipedia

Boris Romanovich Gmyrya postage stamp Ukraine Boris Romanovich Gmyria (1903 1969) Opera singer(bass), National artist USSR (1951), laureate of the Stalin Prize (1952). Contents 1 Biography ... Wikipedia

On the postage stamp of Ukraine Boris Romanovich Gmyrya (1903-1969) opera singer (bass), People's Artist of the USSR (1951), laureate of the Stalin Prize (1952). Contents 1 Biography ... Wikipedia

Drama or comedy set to music. Dramatic texts in opera are sung; singing and stage action are almost always accompanied by instrumental (usually orchestral) accompaniment. Many operas are also characterized by the presence of orchestral ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

Books

• Boris Godunov. Opera in four acts with a prologue. Clavier, M. Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky's opera "Boris Godunov" is one of the brightest and one of the most "problematic" phenomena of its genre. From birth, she is accompanied by heated debates on issues of history, politics, aesthetics, ...
• Boris Godunov. Opera in four acts with a prologue, MP Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" is an outstanding phenomenon not only in Russian, but also in world musical culture. The opera was written to a libretto by the composer himself, based on…

In this article we will consider the most famous work of MP Mussorgsky - "Boris Godunov". The summary of the opera will be written with special care. This work is a program for the composer.

A little about opera

The work "Boris Godunov" (a summary of the opera is presented below) was created in 1869, and the first production took place only in 1874. The work was based on historical events 1598-1605, which coincided with the appearance of False Dmitry in Moscow.

However, immediately after completion, the opera was refused to be staged. Two more editions and the support of influential friends were needed for the work to be embodied on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater.

The libretto for the opera "Boris Godunov" was based on work of the same name A. S. Pushkin and materials taken from the History of the Russian State, written by N. M. Karamzin.

Characters of the opera "Boris Godunov"

• Boris Godunov.
• His son Fedor.
• His daughter Xenia.
• Mother (nurse) of Xenia.
• Prince Shuisky, Vasily Ivanovich.
• Duma clerk Andrey Shchelkanov.
• The hermit and chronicler Pimen.
• An impostor named Gregory.
• Marina Mniszek, daughter of the governor of Sandomierz.
• Secret Jesuit Rangoni.
• Rogue Varlaam.
• Rogue Misail.
• Innkeeper.
• Holy fool.
• Officer Nikitich.
• Boyar Khrushchev.
• Near boyar.
• Jesuit Lavitsky.
• Jesuit Chernikovsky.
• Mityukha.
• 1st peasant.
• 2nd peasant.
• 1st woman.
• 2nd woman.

The boyars and their children, bailiffs, archers, pans, girls, Moscow people and passersby Kaliki also participate in the performance.

The opera takes place in Russia and Poland and lasts from 1598 to 1605.

Prologue. Painting 1

In Moscow, the action of the work "Boris Godunov" begins. The summary of the opera takes the audience to the courtyard square of the Novodevichy Convent, which is full of people. The bailiff walks among the audience and, constantly playing with a baton, asks that all those gathered immediately kneel down and begin to pray to Boris Godunov that he agreed to become tsar. Here Shchelkanov comes out to the assembled people and reports that the boyar does not agree, does not want to become the Russian tsar.

One can hear the singing of kalik passers-by. "God's people", leaning on the backs of their guides, are approaching the walls of the monastery. They hand out amulets to those they meet and ask them to pray that Boris will be elected to reign, only this will save Rus'.

Picture 2

Now the summary of the opera "Boris Godunov" takes us to the majestic coronation. The action takes place on the square of the Moscow Kremlin. The bells are ringing, the boyars are solemnly marching under the vaults of the Assumption Cathedral. Prince Shuisky stands on the porch and loudly pronounces the solemn “Long live Tsar Boris Fedotovich!”. All those gathered praise the new king.

Boris Godunov comes out to the porch. He is tormented by doubts and gloomy forebodings. It was not for nothing that he did not want to marry the kingdom. However, the tsar orders the Muscovite people to be summoned to a feast.

Action one. Painting 1

The summary of the opera "Boris Godunov" continues at night. Pimen, an old man who has seen a lot in his lifetime, appears before the viewer. In one of his cells, Pimen writes a chronicle. Immediately, in the corner, Gregory, a young nun, took shelter and was fast asleep. Prayer singing is heard from afar.

Suddenly Gregory wakes up abruptly. The young man sees that Pimen is awake and decides to reveal to him the dream he has seen, which greatly alarmed the monk. And at the same time he asks the old man to interpret what he saw. Gregory retells the dream.

The monk's dreams make Pimen remember the past, about those kings who changed their purple and royal staff to "monks' humble klobuk". With great curiosity, Gregory listens to the elder's stories about the death of the little prince Dmitry. Pimen also notes that the young man and the deceased prince are of the same age. An insidious plan suddenly comes to Gregory's mind.

Picture 2

Largely thanks to this opera, Modest Mussorgsky became famous. "Boris Godunov", one might say, became the crowning achievement of his creations. But back to the work itself.

Lithuanian border, a tavern by the road. Misail and Varlaam, fugitive monks, enter the room. Gregory is with them. The good-natured hostess begins to treat everyone who enters. The tramps are happy, they sing songs and drink wine. However, Gregory does not share their happiness. The young man was swallowed up by thoughts about the plan he had conceived - to impersonate the deceased Dmitry. That is why the former monk hurries to Lithuania. He is not quite sure about the road, and begins to ask the mistress about it. Kind woman talks about outposts that are placed on all roads - they are looking for someone. However, this is not a hindrance, as there are other roads that bypass the barriers.

Suddenly, a knock is heard on the door of the tavern, and then bailiffs enter. They keep a close eye on the former monks who are feasting. Apparently, considering them suspicious, government officials approach them and begin questioning. Then they show the royal decree, which says that it is ordered to catch the monk Grigory Otrepyev, who fled from the Chudov Monastery.

The attention of the bailiffs is attracted by a young man sitting separately from the others. But before they can approach him, Gregory jumps out the window into the street. Everyone present rushes to catch him.

Action two

What makes the work even more interesting is that it is based on real events opera Boris Godunov. The summary of the opera depicts the richly decorated royal tower in the Moscow Kremlin. Here Princess Xenia is crying, standing at the portrait of her recently deceased fiancé. Not far from her is Tsarevich Fedor, who is reading the book of the "big drawing". Xenia's mother is busy with needlework. Those present try to cheer up the princess. Therefore, the mother begins to sing funny fables, the prince joins her, fooling around.

Suddenly, Boris enters. He approaches his daughter and begins to gently comfort her. Then he turns to Fedor, asks about his academic progress and praises him for the work done. However, these conversations cannot distract the king from the terrible thoughts that torment him. For the sixth year now he has been sitting on the throne, but neither he nor Rus' is happy. The country is groaning from hunger.

Boris believes that both the famine in the country and the death of Xenia's fiancé are revenge for the terrible crime he committed - the killing of Tsarevich Dmitry.

Boyar Blizhny appears. He bows to Boris and reports that Prince Vasily Shuisky is waiting for a conversation with the ruler. Godunov orders to let Shuisky into him. The prince tells that an impostor appeared in Lithuania, who imagined himself to be Tsarevich Dmitry.

The Tsar demands that Shuisky tell everything he knows about the baby's death. The prince tells about the committed atrocity in all details, trying not to miss the details. Boris, already tormented by his conscience, cannot stand this. The king sinks heavily into his chair. In the shadows, constantly wavering, he sees the ghost of the murdered Dmitry.

Action three. Painting 1

Mussorgsky practically did not depart from the Pushkin plot in his work. The opera "Boris Godunov" (a summary confirms this) clearly follows the plot outlined by the poet.

Sandomierz Castle, room of Marina Mnishek. Panna is surrounded by girls who tirelessly praise her beauty. However, Marina is bored, she is tired of flattering speeches. She has another dream - with the help of marriage to be on the Moscow throne.

Rangoni appears at the door of her room. This man, hiding behind the power that the church has given him, asks Marina to make the impostor fall in love with herself, and then convince her to fight for the right to be on the Russian throne.

Picture 2

Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov depicts Poland. A moonlit night, the Pretender stands by the fountain in the garden and indulges in voluptuous dreams of Marina. At that moment, Rangoni approaches him. The Jesuit begins to talk about the incredible beauty of Mary and gradually coaxes a confession of love for the lady from the Pretender. A crowd of cheerful and noisy guests are walking nearby, who have already begun to celebrate the victory of the Polish troops over the forces of Tsar Boris.

The impostor hides from them behind the trees. Soon the whole company returns back to the castle, and Marina returns to the garden alone. A duet sounds in which young people confess their love and make ambitious plans for the future.

Action four. Painting 1

Now Mussorgsky returns the audience to Moscow. The opera "Boris Godunov" is rich in scenes where one of the main characters is the Russian people. So, the cathedral is depicted on the square of which Moscow people have gathered. They discuss rumors and news about the approaching army of False Dmitry and the news of the anathema imposed on Grishka Otrepyev.

Suddenly, a holy fool in chains appears, he is pursued by barefoot boys. They tease the holy fool and quickly bring him to tears. Lunch ends. The royal procession from the cathedral begins, the boyars accompanying him distribute alms to those gathered. Then Tsar Boris appears, followed by Prince Shuisky and the rest.

The people kneel down and ask the father-king for bread. The holy fool immediately turns to Boris, complaining about the boys, and asks the tsar to slaughter them, as he slaughtered little Dmitry. People step aside in horror. The guards rush to the holy fool, but Boris stops them and leaves, asking the blessed one to pray for his sinful soul. However, from the lips of the holy fool, a sentence is heard to the king: the Mother of God does not order to pray "for the king-Herod."

Picture 2

The action takes place in the (Moscow Kremlin). An emergency meeting of the boyar duma takes place. Shuisky enters the chambers and reports that he just happened to see how the tsar called out to the deceased Dmitry and drove away the ghost of the murdered baby, whispering "Chur, child." Repeating the same words (“Chur, child”), Boris Godunov appears at the meeting.

Gradually the king comes to his senses and sits down in his place. Shuisky turns to him and asks him to listen to a certain old man who wants to tell a great secret. Boris agrees.

Pimen enters. The elder begins his story, full of allusions to the insidious and dishonorable murder of Dmitry. The tsar falls into excitement at these words and falls, exhausted, into the arms of the boyars. Boris feels that his death is near, he asks that they immediately send for Fedor. Because he wants to bless his son and transfer the right to reign. A death knell is heard. Godunov dies.

Scene 3

A path through the forest near the village of Kromy, located almost on the Lithuanian border. A crowd of vagabonds is walking along the road, leading the boyar Khrushchev. The prisoner is threatened and slandered against Boris Godunov. In this crowd there is a holy fool, again surrounded by ragged boys. And Varlaam and Misail, talking about massacres and executions in Rus', which inflame the people even more. Former monks call on those gathered to stand up for the legitimate heir to the throne, Dmitry. The people support them and wish Boris dead.

The Pretender appears on horseback, followed by an army. He declares himself the Russian Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich and invites everyone to Moscow with him. Those gathered glorify the Pretender and follow him.

Only the holy fool remains on the road. He sings a mournful song in which he predicts bitter tears and a dark impenetrable misfortune.

Thus ends the opera Boris Godunov. Brief content for children may not include all scenes. It is advisable to exclude those that describe the terrible details of Dmitry's death.