The Royal Opera’s 2016 production of Boris Godunov, in Richard Jones’ psychologically probing staging, returns for the third time with the Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel once again offering his tormented but magisterial reading of the title role.
The production is of Mussorgsky’s original 1869 version of the score: less epic in feel than with the later well-meaning retouching by Rimsky-Korsakov and unfolding in seven austere tableaux. There are sacrifices: we lose the two Polish scenes, the Kromy forest finale and much of the writing for solo female voice. But in Jones’ riveting staging (revived by Ben Mills), impressively focused for all its dark eccentricities, the concluding scene of Boris’s death has an undeniable emotional pull.
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Terfel has never brought to the role quite the amplitude of former exponents such as Boris Christoff, or more recently John Tomlinson. Last time round he more than compensated with a whole vocabulary of groans, whispers and growls evoking the eye-rolling incipient madness of the guilt-ridden tsar. This time, Terfel relies less on the vocal histrionics without losing any of the character’s enthralling quality. In the fifth scene, for example, beginning with his reminiscing about his achievements, he traces a compelling trajectory from lyrical beauty, through bitterness, suffering and anger with the devious Prince Shuisky, to the pathos of his mental disequilibrium.
Tomlinson, who was a show-stealing Varlaam last time round, is missed, but replaced by a more than acceptable Alexander Roslavets, making his house debut as the inebriated monk. Also appearing at Covent Garden for the first time is the American tenor Jamez McCorkle as Grigory, the opportunist novice who sees his chance to return as “the False Dmitry”. Vocally outstanding were Andrii Kymach as an incisively sonorous Shchelkalov, the clerk of the Boyars’ Council, Adam Palka’s sturdy Pimen and John Daszak, who uses his high register to excellent effect as a querulous Shuisky. Also worthy of note were the exemplary intonation and convincing acting of the treble Robert Berry-Roe as the tsar’s son Fyodor.
The Royal Opera Chorus, trained by William Spaulding, has a prominent role and distinguished itself alongside the ever-reliable Orchestra of the Royal Opera under the alert, empathetic baton of Mark Wigglesworth.
