Boris Godounov

Boris Godunov is for me the greatest of all Russian masterworks. And this production, like with the Pigorov film and the Lloyd, later Raimondi, Nesterenko, Talvela, Pape and Salminen performances, doesn't disappoint. Of course as is the case with a lot of Paris productions the video quality could have been much sharper, a lot of it seemed faded. I wasn't a big fan of Raimondi's costume with the glittering sleeves, but I did get used to it. The costumes do at least fit with the time period and do look decent, and the sets are not quite splendid like with the Pigorov film but are still evocative. The production is absolutely thrilling musically, with very powerful orchestral playing, authoritative conducting and a very attentive and full-blooded-sounding chorus, making Mussorgsky's score sound hair-raising. The staging is gripping and moving, with Joseph Losey(director of the superb film version of Don Giovanni) showing a gift for direction of the singers and making the characters interesting. Ruggero Raimondi in the title role is in firmer voice I think than his later performance, and dramatically he is altogether riveting oozing with authority and torment with his monologues movingly sung and delivered. Peter Meven is a noble Pimen, while Wieslaw Ochman's Grigori and Viorica Mortez's Marina are strong. The Varlaam of Aage Haughland is rousing and very resonantly sung, and Kenneth Riegel gives one of his better performances as the slimy Shiusky. Feodor is also very appealing. In conclusion, a fine Boris. 9/10 Bethany Cox