Metropolitan Opera Archives

Orchestration by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Translation by M.Delines, E. Palermi, G. Pardo
Synopsis of Scenes
Act I, Scene 1: The wall of Novodievitchi Convent, in the Great Environs of Moscow
Act I, Scene 2: A cell in the Convent of Miracles
Act I, Scene 3: The square between the two Cathedrals of the Assumption and of the Archangels
Act II, Scene 1: An inn on the frontier of Lithuania
Act II, Scene 2: Apartments of the Czar in the Kremlin at Moscow
Act II, Scene 3: Garden of the Castle of Michek
Act III, Scene 1: The forest of Kromy
Act III, Scene 2: Hall of the Duma in the Kremlin
Benois designed only the Polish Scene.
Chaliapin always sang Boris in Russian.

Review 1:

Review of Pitts Sanborn in the New York Telegram

Feodor Chaliapin Majestic as the Agonizing Czar

'Boris Godunov" Occupies the Metropolitan Stage with Fine Results

Ushering in the second half of the Metropolitan Opera season of 1927-28, "Boris Godunov" had yesterday evening its first local performance since last spring. Aside from Moussorgsky's engrossing score, the feature of the occasion was the portrayal of the czar Boris by Feodor Chaliapin. This impersonation whether in its regal majesty or in its agonizing remorse, stands unapproached in the contemporary theater. It is an achievement of a Dostoyevskyan amplitude and power.

The great Monday night audience, which for a time had seemed rather apathetic, gave the Russian basso an ovation after the terrifying scene in the czar's apartment in the Kremlin. As always when Mr. Chaliapin has appeared here as Boris, he sang in Russian, though the rest of the cast used an Italian translation. And even without knowing a word of the language of Moscow, one rejoices in Mr. Chaliapin's clinging to the original tongue.

Among the Italian-singing confederates Mme. Howard as the nurse, Mr. Bada as Schuisky, Mr. Pinza as Brother Pimen, Mr. Ananian as the tippling Varlaam and Mme. Bourskaya as the mistress of the inn deserve cordial praise. Unfortunately for the romantic lift of the evening, Miss Telva and Mr. Tokatyan, in the leading juvenile roles, so to say, of Marina and Dimitri, came a long way from filling the bill.

Mr. Bellezza does better at conducting this peculiarly exacting score than any other leader who has grappled with it at the Metropolitan since the ever-regretted Toscanini. The chorus won commendation for its singing in the scene before the two cathedrals. The settings ware now a curious hodge-podge of tarnished remnants from a past magnificence and stop-gap stuff of today.

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