I love opera, and Boris Godunov is for me one of the greatest Russian operas. It is tight in plot construction, and the music is typical Mussorgsky, haunting and thrilling yet with several beautiful moments too.
Of the productions of Boris Godunov I've seen, one with Robert Lloyd in the title role with Gergiev conducting, one with Ruggero Raimondi and one with Martti Talvela, not to mention the 1956 broadcast with Boris Christoff, this one was in general the most memorable and perhaps most authentic. But I will watch the earlier production with Nesterenko as soon as possible.
While Gergiev's conducting was the best reading of the above productions to me, I found the costumes and sets to be the most atmospheric here, and also with the cleverest video directing. Sound and audio is also very good.
I can't fault the production musically. The music is some of the greatest Russian music I've heard, the orchestra give the score its outstanding power and Alexander Lazarev's conducting is snappy.
The performances are wonderful. Vlassilav Piavko is a good Dimitri, and while the vocals slightly lack the edge of other Varlaams Arthur Eizen is very humorous. Marina is excellent, with her duet with Piavko's Dimitri romantic with a touch of deception, and Pimen oozes nobility. This production for me is made memorable for me for Evgeny Nesterenko's Boris, it is a performance that is very powerful and moving, his death scene is quite vivid.
Overall, a compelling Boris for the wonderful music and Nesterenko in particular. 10/10 Bethany Cox
