Boris Godunov (opera) facts for kids

Mussorgsky in 1870

Boris Godunov (Russian: Борис Годунов) is a famous opera by Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881). It was the only opera Mussorgsky completed. It is one of the most well-known Russian operas. He wrote it between 1868 and 1873.

What is the Story of Boris Godunov?

The opera's story is based on real events in Russian history. Russia was ruled by a tsar, which is like an emperor. The previous tsar, Tsar Ivan IV, was known for being very harsh. He made the Russian people suffer greatly. Many people were hungry and treated badly under his rule.

When Ivan the Terrible died, his son became tsar. However, this son was not well enough to rule. So, a group of powerful people, including Boris Godunov, helped to govern the country. Ivan the Terrible also had another son, but he disappeared. Most people believed he was murdered. It was thought that Boris Godunov, who wanted to become tsar, might have ordered the murder. In the opera, Mussorgsky shows Boris as guilty of this crime. Boris then convinced the Russian people to choose him as their new tsar.

Years later, a young monk escapes from his monastery. He pretends to be the murdered son of Ivan the Terrible. He gets an army from Poland to help him fight Boris Godunov. Boris Godunov feels terrible guilt about the murder. He suffers so much that he eventually dies. The young monk then arrives in Moscow and becomes the new tsar, known as Tsar Dimitri II. However, the ordinary Russian people remain very poor. Their fate seems to be to suffer under cruel rulers.

How Was the Opera Created?

Shishkov's design for the Faceted Palace Scene (1870)

The composer, Mussorgsky, wrote the words for the opera himself. These words are called the libretto. He based the story on a play by Aleksandr Pushkin. Mussorgsky also read a famous history book about Russia. It was Nikolay Karamzin's History of the Russian State. He used some of the historical details from this book.

Mussorgsky first finished the opera in 1869. Back then, new plays and operas had to be approved by censors. These censors were people who checked if the work was allowed to be performed. The opera was rejected at first. One main reason was that it had no female characters. So, Mussorgsky made many changes. He added a whole new act where Dimitry falls in love with a Polish princess.

Shalyapin as Boris (1913)

Another reason for the rejection was that composers were not usually allowed to show a tsar on stage. However, the tsar who ruled at the time said he did not mind. So, the opera was first performed in 1874 in Saint Petersburg.

The opera Boris Godunov can be performed in two main versions. One is the first version from 1869. The other is the second version from 1874. Often, performances mix parts of both versions. Opera directors sometimes cut parts or change the order of scenes. Other composers, like Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Dmitri Shostakovich, also made their own versions. They thought they could improve Mussorgsky’s music, especially the harmony (how notes fit together) or orchestration (how instruments are used). For many years, these changed versions were the most common.

Today, people realize that Mussorgsky’s original music was very unique and effective. His harmonies and orchestration were new for his time. So, modern performances often try to use exactly what Mussorgsky wrote.

Mussorgsky had started two other operas before Boris Godunov. He never finished them. These were Salammbô and Marriage. He learned a lot from trying to write these operas. He used some of those musical ideas in Boris Godunov. Mussorgsky was moving away from the Romantic style that many composers used then.

A history professor named Vladimir Nikolsky suggested the idea of an opera about Boris Godunov to Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky worked very quickly on the opera. He finished the vocal score (the music for voices and piano) in just nine months. During this time, he also worked as a civil servant. When the censors rejected the opera, he worked on it for two more years. He added the female role and made other changes. He added three new scenes, removed one, and changed another. He also added songs for other characters.

In 1873, three scenes from the opera were performed. The first full performance happened on January 27, 1874. The conductor, Nápravník, was good but often cut parts of operas. He cut an entire scene because he thought the opera was too long. Still, many people loved it, even though some critics did not. It was performed 21 times during Mussorgsky’s lifetime.

Who Sang the Main Role?

In the early 1900s, a famous Russian bass singer named Fyodor Shalyapin often sang the role of Boris. He was known for his powerful performances.

Main Characters in the Opera

Images for kids

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  Eduard Nápravník conducted the first performance of Boris Godunov in 1874.

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  'The House of Boris', a design by Matvey Shishkov (1870).

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  Shalyapin as Boris (1898).

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  Didur as Boris (1913).

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  The cast of a performance of Boris Godunoff at the Metropolitan Opera, December 7, 1922.

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  The Novodevichiy Scene. Design by Vladimir Dmitriev (1928).

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  The title page of the 1874 Piano Vocal Score.

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  Polish nobles.

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  Bocharov's design for the Cathedral Square Scene (1874).

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  Ivan Bilibin's design for the Cell Scene (early 1900s).

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  Shishkov's design for the Inn Scene (1870).

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  Shishkov's design for the Terem Scene (1870).

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  Shishkov's design for the scene in Marina's Boudoir (1870).

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  Shishkov's design for the scene in the Garden of Mniszech's Castle (1870).

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  The Cathedral of Vasiliy the Blessed. Bolshoy Theatre (1927).

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  From Mussorgsky's letter of July 13, 1872, to Vladimir Stasov. This shows music from the end of the opera.

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  The Mariinsky Theatre opened in 1860. Boris Godunov had its first performance here in 1874.

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  Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov changed Mussorgsky's works to help them be performed. Portrait by Valentin Serov (1898).

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  Fyodor Shalyapin helped make Boris Godunov famous outside Russia. Portrait by Aleksandr Golovin (1912).

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  Dmitriy Shostakovich also created his own version of the opera.

See also

In Spanish: Borís Godunov (ópera) para niños