The epitome of Russianness: Boris Godunov at the Mariinsky

By David Karlin, 22 June 2017

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“one of the world’s great opera orchestras, all of whom have this music in their blood”

Reviewed at Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg on 20 June 2017

Mussorgsky, Boris Godunov (1872 version)

Mariinsky Opera

Pavel Smelkov, Conductor

Andrei Tarkovsky, Director

Nikolai Dvigubsky, Set Designer

Edem Umerov, Boris Godunov

Vladimir Vaneyev, Boris Godunov

Natalia Yevstafieva, Marina

Sergei Skorokhodov, Grigory

Mikhail Kit, Pimen

Andrei Popov, Simpleton

Roman Burdenko, Rangoni

Yuri Laptev, Shchelkalov

Evgeny Akimov, Prince Shuisky

Mikhail Kolelishvili, Varlaam

Intoxicating, mystic, sacred, profane

David Karlin, 19th June

Rodion Shchedrin's opera mixes singing, choreography and storytelling to lend a potent sacred and mystic overlay to Nikolai Leskov's folk tale.

*****

Netrebko takes on Adriana Lecouvreur at the Mariinsky

David Karlin, 18th June

Isabelle Patriot-Pieri's new production is a quirky mix of traditional and the opposite; Netrebko shows her star quality; Eyvasov impresses.

****1

Mariinsky Rheingold a promising start to EIF Ring

David Smythe, 15th August

Valery Gergiev conducts the Mariinsky Opera in a vocally strong Das Rheingold, a promising beginning to Edinburgh International Festival’s Ring in concert over the coming years.

****1

Conflict Unresolved: The Enchanted Wanderer

Jacob Slattery, 14th January

Shchedrin’s opera The Enchanted Wanderer is the complete opposite of shocking and director Alexei Stepanyuk’s staging alongside Valery Gergiev’s command over the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra revealed something of a translucid daydream.

***11

The Mariinsky Ring concludes in Birmingham

Rohan Shotton, 9th November

Valery Gergiev brings George Tsypin's Ring staging to a spectacular close with Götterdämmerung in Birmingham.

****1

A mesmerising Siegfried from the Mariinsky in Birmingham

Rohan Shotton, 8th November

Valery Gergiev conducts a mesmerising account of Wagner's Siegfried in Birmingham

****1

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David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.