Boris Godunov

"Bryn Terfel as the conscience-stricken Tsar ... his rich tones roll out over Mussorgsky's original orchestration with total control. And his acting is superlative ... The remainder of the singing cast is just as good ... Pappano obtains superlative singing from the chorus ... He also gets enthusiastic playing from the orchestra in a manner which thoroughly justifies Mussorgsky's scoring ... Those who want a video representation of Mussorgsky's initial thoughts on the opera are well served here".

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"The updating seems neither modish nor forced, and is carried out with economy and intelligence ... There's no dip in commitment anywhere in the cast. Tsymbalyuk's Boris, sung in a pleasingly smooth, well-regulated bass, is excellent ... Nagano achieves thrillingly focused results ... Highly recommended".

"Much to enjoy here, then, but for the original version of this opera, the preferable DVD remains Barcelona's Willy Decker production".

"Borodina is an ideal Marina beautiful and burnished of tone but chillingly self­absorbed ... Gergievs reading is less brilliant than his recent dual recording often rather soft­centred; but he still brings out the sheer anguished beauty of the score. The excellent stereo soundtrack has also been remastered into DTS surround-sound and very airy and ambient this sounds".

"If this mish-mash is somehow meant to unite the historical and the archetypal, then it has to be said that the concept fails miserably in practice, not least because most of the cast seem be unsure of their part in realising it. Admittedly Philip Langridge gives an outstanding portrayal of the scheming Shuisky, and Eric Halvarson and Anatoly Kocherga bring a touch of class to Pimen and Varlaam respectively; but most of the rest are in varying degrees painful to watch ... But this new issue is not recommendable even on that basis".

"Gianandrea Noseda ... paces and balances Boris most naturally, eschewing brassy climaxes or over-melodramatic spookiness ... The staging of this new production should please traditionalists with its literal evocation of late-16th-century clothing ... Konchalovsky's detailed work with his responsive soloists has some of the over-the-top manic energy of Orson Welles in his Shakespeare films: the glinting, desperate, trapped eyes of Orlin Anastassov's Tsar and the fussy sweat-wiping mannerisms of Peter Bronder's Shuisky create an apt other-worldly presence. Both too are in fine voice".

"Orlin Anastassov makes a rich-voiced but wildly over-the-top Gudonov. Best is Gianandrea Noseda's fluent and urgent conducting".

Vurdering (performance): 3/5.

Vurdering (picture & sound): 4/5.

"He sets the action on a sloping stage with virtually no scenery but concentrating strongly on the characters ... The cast has no weaknesses ... I rate the performance highly".

"Regisseur Richard Jones besinnt sich auf die bahnbrechende Historizität dieses visionären Stücks und lässt deutlich die Gegenwart durchscheinen. Er ist plakativ grell, erinnert aber auch an Ikonenmalerei ... Das wird moritatenhaft simpel erzählt, fokussiert sich im minimalistischen Spiel und dem suggestiven Gesang Bryn Terfels ... Neben Terfel verblassen die anderen durchaus starken Sänger, nur Antonio Pappano dirigiert einen so düster grossmächtig wie gefährlich gleissenden Mussorgski".

"En dristig, ny opsætning af den "originale" 1869-version af Mussorgskijs "Borid Godunov" med den store walisiske baryton Bryn Terfel i titelrollen ... "Boris Godunov" er en opera, der byder på fyldig lyd, klingende klokker og korrevolutioner, og den skuffer ikke under Antonio Pappanos ledelse".

"It's 'Boris Godunov', but not as we know it. Gone is the grandeur and melodrama, the uprising, the fountains, dancing and the female lead. Even the music is different. As you may have guessed, this is the original 1869 version, rejected by the Russian Imperial Theatres ... The Royal Opera production of 2016 reveals the austere beauty, coherence and symmetry of the original version ... It is an ensemble piece, and as such, this production is an unqualified success ... In all, I am very grateful that we have a well-made recording of this production, which allows us at last to see the 1869 version as an independent work of art that makes sense in its own terms, a testimony to Mussorgsky's genius - unruly but brilliant".