Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Sir Bryn Terfel (Boris Godunov)

Sir Bryn Terfel (Boris Godunov) and Robert Berry-Roe (Fyodor)

Sir Bryn Terfel (Boris Godunov) and the Royal Opera Chrous

Jamez McCorkle (Grigory) and Adam Palka (Pimen)

Alasdair Elliott (MIssail), Susan Bickley (Hostess) and Alexander Roslavets (Varlaam)

Par Mark Pullinger, 30 janvier 2026

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“Wigglesworth dug into Mussorgsky’s earthy orchestration, which paints the lower strings in rich oils”

Critique faite à Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Londres, le 29 janvier 2026

Moussorgski, Boris Godounov (1869 version)

The Royal Opera

Mark Wigglesworth, Direction

Richard Jones, Mise en scène

Miriam Buether, Décors

Nicky Gillibrand, Costumes

Mimi Jordan Sherin, Lumières

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Ben Mills, Revival Director

Sir Bryn Terfel, Boris Godounov

Jamez McCorkle, Grigori

Adam Palka, Pimène

Mingjie Lei, L'Innocent

Alasdair Elliott, Missaïl

Susan Bickley, L'Aubergiste

Eddie Wade, Nikitich

Sam Hird, Mitioukha

Christopher Lemmings, Le Boyard

Hannah Edmunds, Xénia

Robert Berry-Roe, Féodor

Andrii Kymach, Andreï Chtchelkalov

John Daszak, Prince Vassili Chouïski

Alexander Roslavets, Varlaam

Carolyn Holt, La Nourrice

Ben Wright, Chorégraphie

Peter Grimes drops anchor again at The Royal Opera

Christopher Woodley, 5th May

Allan Clayton and Sir Bryn Terfel lead a strong cast in a revival of Deborah Warner's dark staging of Britten's signature work at Covent Garden.

****1

Two funerals and a bedding at the Linbury Theatre

Eleanor Knight, 1st May

Tales of love and loss as operas by Elena Langer, Charlotte Bray and Elizabeth Maconchy form a varied triple bill in this showcase for The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists.

****1

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

Ermonela Jaho returns in triumph to The Royal Opera’s Traviata

Mark Valencia, 8th January

Richard Eyre’s 32-year-old production is rarely out of The Royal Opera’s repertoire for more than a few months at a time, but this particular revival proves very special.

*****

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Sir Bryn Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden