Boris Godunov

(Paperback)

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Description

This famous opera has had a chequered performance history, and Professor Laurel E. Fay, in an illuminating musical analysis, points out that the interpretation of the opera depends very much on which edition is used. Robert Oldani introduces the 'Boris problem': Pushkin's play was not an obvious choice for a young composer, since it had been banned from performance for forty years, and it is the Russian people, rather than any single character, who is the protagonist. Mussorgsky forged his own text and created a legendary masterwork; Alex de Jonge examines its uniquely Russian character and notes the unsettling parallels of the history of old Russia with today. Nigel Osborne's comparison of the Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky versions highlights their individual qualities.

Reviews

Brilliantly produced and superb value. * Sunday Times * All these will provide the new opera-goer with food for thought. * Daily Telegraph * Wholehearted recommendation of this valuable new series. * TLS *

Author Bio

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881) was a Russian composer during the romantic period. Many of his works, such as the opera Boris Godunov, were inspired by Russian history and folklore among other nationalist themes.