Conductor(s):
Antonio Pappano

Orchestra(s):
Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Artist(s):
Bryn Terfel; John Graham-Hall; John Tomlinson; Ain Anger; Vlada Borovko; Harry Nicoll; David Butt Philip; Kostas Smoriginas; Jeremy White; Adrian Clarke; Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House; Antonio Pappano

"In this, the first production of Mussorgsky's original 1869 Boris Godunov, Covent Garden field their A-team of director Richard Jones, conductor Antonio Pappano and bass-baritone Bryn Terfel. The opera is not just a historical epic but a deeply moving tragedy, with Tsar Boris's death scene,
played out before his young son, so searing that on the first night the audience was reduced to stunned silence at the end. The closing minutes were as intense a piece of drama as most people present will have witnessed. They crowned a magnificent evening for Terfel, looking like an Old Testament prophet and showing yet again that his acting is almost a match for his singing, with not a jarring note all night. In this production, a large cast offer sterling support. It's invidious to pull out names, but mention must be made of veteran John Tomlinson, in his 39th season at Covent Garden, as the monk Varlaam; the hugely promising young English tenor David Butt Philip as Boris's challenger for the throne; and John Graham-Hall as the much put-upon courtier Prince Shuisky. In the pit, Pappano completely masters Mussorgsky's idiom, contributing a powerfully restrained account of an outstanding score that, in his hands, is as much a requiem as a drama." (Mail on Sunday ★★★★★)

"The tsar’s torment drives the piece. Terfel must carry the drama, which he does, superbly... In his vital “hallucination” scene, as Boris grows deranged, Terfel sings with a ghostly lightness, as if his great, golden voice had been reduced to a sickly pallor. The effect is terrible and terrific. In Terfel we have a powerful new Boris, sure to turn out more reliable and enduring than the historic character he portrays. He was joined by a top ensemble cast, with John Tomlinson, once himself the ROH Boris of choice, a popular presence as the drunken monk Varlaam, John Graham-Hall
insinuating and snakish as Shuisky, Ain Anger a towering Pimen and Ben Knight clear and touching as the young Fyodor." (The Observer)

"But what a superlative performance Terfel gives — dramatically powerful, vocally refined. His great bear of a Boris — wild-eyed, wild-haired, wild-bearded — commands the stage and the sheer beauty of his singing reminds us why he won the Lieder Prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition at the very start of his career... Director Richard Jones gives a clear-cut account that captures the big crowd scenes and the opera’s more intimate moments." (The Daily Mail ★★★★)

"One of the most striking aspects of this new production is just how well each singer’s voice suits that of the character being portrayed. Amidst a plethora of very strong performances, Bryn Terfel in the title role stands as the first among equals. His firm bass-baritone is possessed of some thrilling darker hues that really come to the fore as guilt and madness overwhelm the Tsar. Ain Anger as Pimen has a richness to his bass
that renders him replete with all the wisdom and weariness that come with old age. As Shuisky John Graham-Hall’s tenor speaks of calculation and fear, while as Yurodivy Andrew Tortise’s relatively light and certainly pleasing voice contrasts with Terfel’s own to highlight the irony in the fact that a fool is capable of confronting and belittling a Tsar. Sir John Tomlinson has the robustness of voice, as well as the acting skills, to carry off the part of Varlaam with aplomb, while Sir Antonio Pappano’s conducting achieves a fine balance between charge and sensitivity." (Musicomh.com ★★★★)

"The Royal Opera is presenting the composer's cut of Boris Godunov and it's lean, mean and caffeinated. More often nowadays we hear the subsequent revision, amplified by an act and with an extra shot of lyricism - a latte to the original's espresso - but, as Richard Jones's interval-free production demonstrates, in wise hands Mussorgsky's two-hour version of 1869 makes the nerve-ends tingle... At the heart of this production are four shatteringly rich and expressive performances: David Butt Phillip as Grigory, intense and powerful in his idiomatic singing even though
his character disappears halfway through the opera and is only referred to in the third person thereafter (I'm skirting round a spoiler here), Ain Anger as his mentor, the monk Pimen, John Graham-Hall as the duplicitous Prince Shiusky - and Bryn Terfel.... Antonio Pappano conducts with a lethal eye for dramatic brilliance. " (WhatsOn Stage)

"his [Bryn Terfel’s] rich tones roll out over Mussorgsky’s original orchestration with total control. And his acting is superlative…. John Graham-Hall is suitably insinuating and sly with a real hint of viciousness… The remainder of the cast are also excellent… Pappano obtains superlative singing from the chorus" (Musicweb International)

"It was the torments of Tsar Boris Godunov that drove the performance, which was largely carried forward by Terfel's brilliant performance, not least in the haunting hallucination scene where he uses his voice only minimally. Equally remarkable is the portrayal of the drunkard Varlaam by John Tomlinson, who for years held the title role in this opera at Covent Garden" (Klassik)

"The Royal Opera production of 2016 reveals the austere beauty, coherence and symmetry of the original version… The chorus generally make a strong impression as part of the overall ensemble under the expert leadership of Antonio Pappano " (Gramophone)

"Bryn Terfel may be a more baritonal Boris than we have come to expect but it’s a compelling
performance… And what luxury to have John Tomlinson as Varlaam the merry monk. But it’s the chorus
who are the stars in this opera, and what sublime singing Renato Balsadonna coaxes from his Covent
Garden cohort." (BBC Music Magazine ★★★★)

"Terfel sings superbly… Antonio Pappano paces even the talkiest episodes brilliantly, maintaining powerful momentum throughout while supporting the singers with great care… The remarkable ROH choristers, intensely committed onstage, display exemplary musical discipline throughout." (Opéra Magazine)