Boris Godunov
On February 6, 2024, as part of the 90th anniversary of the Krasnodar Musical Theater, the collective presented its new performance, the opera "Boris Godunov" by M.P. Mussorgsky, on the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
The Krasnodar Theater's tour in the capital takes place in the year of the 150th anniversary of the first production of Boris Godunov and in the year of the 185th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian composer.
The Moscow audience was able to appreciate the musical and stage version of the composition, the implementation of which became possible thanks to cooperation with the State Institute of Art Studies, which publishes the Complete Academic Collection of Works by M.P. Mussorgsky.
The opera was performed in Mussorgsky's original orchestration. For the first time, the author's instrumentation of "Scenes at the Fountain" and "Sokolniki on the Dnieper" was performed.
For the first time, the painting "Sokolniki on the Dnieper" was scientifically reconstructed and recreated on the stage of the theater, showing the wild rampage of vagabonds, turning into praise of the seducer, the false impostor tsar.
The cooperation of Russian scientists and researchers with the production team and the artistic leadership of the Krasnodar Creative Association "Premiere" named after L.G. Gatov, which includes the Musical Theater team, has opened up prospects and opportunities for the creative realization of not only one of the author's editions of the opera, but also the creation of an exclusive version of the theater on this basis.
The path of the return of the original versions of the opera Boris Godunov was, by historical standards, very long. In 1989, in the year of the 150th anniversary of Mussorgsky's birth, conductor Evgeny Kolobov, director Olga Ivanova and musicologist Evgeny Levashev presented the first author's edition of Boris Godunov at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater. More than 30 years have passed since then. Musicological science systematically studied and mastered Mussorgsky's handwritten legacy. Currently, scientists are confidently talking about eight author's versions that the composer created from 1868 to 1874.
Outstanding Russian conductors and directors, set designers and artists, choirmasters and soloists have repeatedly written about the special role and special status of this opera in the history of not only Russian, but also world opera theater.
"Boris Godunov" staged by the Krasnodar Musical Theater is a landmark and demonstrative work of a large creative team. Hard work, which convincingly proves that the musical and directorial concept, performing and technical components of a large-scale project bring the theater team to the level of the best and most promising theaters in our country. More than 200 artists take part in the performance: soloists, choir, children's choir, symphony orchestra, ballet troupe of the Musical Theater and the Krinitsa ensemble.
The tour will be held with the support of the Creative Association "Tsargrad. Culture".
Conductor Dmitry Kryukov, Honored Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan, guest conductor of the Bolshoi Theater.
Director of Photography Olga Ivanova, Honored Artist of Russia, director of the Bolshoi Theater.
Scientific consultants are Nadezhda Teterina and Evgeny Levashev, musicologists, employees of the State Institute of Art Studies.
The artistic director of the L.G. Gatov Premiere is Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation Alexey Lvov-Belov.
Moscow. Bolshoi Theatre. February 6, 2024