Metropolitan Opera Archives

For its penultimate performance of the current season, the Metropolitan Opera Association offered Moussorgsky's "Boris Godunov," at the Academy of Music last night. It was the first time that this stupendous panorama of Russian history and pageantry had been presented here since the Metropolitan gave it on November 28, 1939, with Ezio Pinza in the title part.

The greatest difference and point of interest in the performance last night and its predecessor was the impersonation of the title role. Instead of Pinza, Alexander Kipnis sang Boris last evening, using the Russian text, while the rest of the cast and chorus sang in Italian. His assumption of the part had two strong elements in its favor - the fact that Mr. Kipnis is Russian, and that the music, except for a few high notes, was beautifully sung. Otherwise, Mr. Kipnis proved strangely disappointing. His Boris seemed heavy and static and the singer appeared almost hypnotized by the weight and dignity of the role.

The scene where the murdered Tsarevitch appears to him was fairly well accomplished, though Mr. Kipnis' movements and gestures were heavy and awkward. Nevertheless, this scene had its good moments. Where Mr. Kipnis's Boris really did not come off at all was in the final and overwhelming death scene. The nightmare-haunted entrance of the Tsar amid the assembled Duma was not nearly effective enough and, though the farewell to his son, was very artistically sung, Mr. Kipnis appeared in fairly robust health and only moderately disturbed until the very actual point of death, when he tumbles off the throne.

All this made for a performance which was strangely heavy and unmoving. Certainly the magic and superhuman quality of such an impersonation as Chaliapin's was entirely missing, and Chaliapin's ghost seemed to haunt the opera house again last night, as it is apt to do when others are portraying Boris.

Excellent Elements

There were, however, some excellent elements in this performance. The conducting of George Szell was brilliantly forceful and showed that he had unusual comprehension and sympathy for Moussorgsky's gigantic score. At all times he held the various forces together with a firm hand, and his work commanded a sustained interest on the part of the listener.

Other elements that found favor were the vibrant Marina Mnichek of Kerstin Thorborg; the excellently depicted Theodor of Irra Petina; the dignified Pimen of Nicola Moscona, and the malevolent Schuisky of Alessio de Paolis, which actually succeeded in dominating the Boris of the final scene. Salvatore Baccaloni sang the "Town of Kazan" sonorously and musically, too. His impersonation, however, suffered from exaggerations. Rene Maison is too dignified and careful a man for this youthfully impetuous role. He sang his part of the beautiful duet with Mme Thorborg only fairly well.

The chorus, which plays such an important part in this opera, acquitted itself brilliantly. Such sonorous and effective singing has not been heard here in a long time.

When one has added up all the assets and liabilities, the fact emerges - and it is the important one - that manager Edward Johnson gave us the rare privilege of hearing a performance of "Boris Godunov" once again.

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