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)

By Mark Pullinger, 30 January 2026

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

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 29 January 2026

Mussorgsky, Boris Godunov (1869 version)

The Royal Opera

Mark Wigglesworth, Conductor

Richard Jones, Director

Miriam Buether, Set Designer

Nicky Gillibrand, Costume Designer

Mimi Jordan Sherin, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Ben Mills, Revival Director

Sir Bryn Terfel, Boris Godunov

Jamez McCorkle, Grigory

Adam Palka, Pimen

Mingjie Lei, Simpleton

Alasdair Elliott, Missail

Susan Bickley, The Innkeeper

Eddie Wade, Nikitich

Sam Hird, Mityukha

Christopher Lemmings, The Boyar-in-Attendance

Hannah Edmunds, Xenia

Robert Berry-Roe, Feodor

Andrii Kymach, Shchelkalov

John Daszak, Prince Shuisky

Alexander Roslavets, Varlaam

Carolyn Holt, Xenia's nurse

Ben Wright, Choreography

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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