Musorgsky Boris Godunov Coronation Scene

End of prolog; coronation of Boris

[@drtee51]

Those cathedral-bell chords at the beginning are mind-blowing! And the Russian hymn in the middle is perfect!

[@windstorm1000]

Yes it is! I love this!!!

[@dorfischer]

It is essential they be played out of tempo. And the real treat here is they're playing a Orthodox "Trezvon", a highly rhythmical pattern like no other on earth.

[@MaestroTJS]

One of the greatest scenes in all opera, and I thought this was well-done.

[@PianoBangBang]

The opening slaps hard AF

[@dorfischer]

What a strong opening. The accelerating Orchestra, the bayans walking slowly and fateflully, the guards locking into position. The cast's movements are musical!

[@crazyorganist1609]

It really is

[@windstorm1000]

Excellent analysis

[@ericnk58]

Boris Godunov is my favorite opera and this was a spectacular rendition of the Coronation Scene, in Mussorgsky's own orchestration. It's one of only three scenes (the others being the inn near the Polish-Lithuanian frontier and the scene of Boris's death) that wasn't altered at all so it's the same as his original and revised versions. I loved how, after Boris finishes inviting "everyone, from the boyar to the blind beggar" to a feast and the crowd goes wild, a couple of beggars crawl out of the crowd towards him. The look on his face is priceless, plus he keeps looking over his shoulder until he's sure he's made a safe exit! Wonderful dramatic touch there.

[@simonboccanegra3811]

A great, seminal production by Tarkovsky, who battled to realize all of his cinematic ideas with the stage limitations of the time (it was new in the early '80s). I am so thankful it was filmed at all -- that it was done with such a strong cast is gravy.

[@SID480]

The reason he was afraid is because he though he saw the ghost of Dmitri Ivanovich, right?

[@basspoem]

слава!!

[@windstorm1000]

Magnificent. The beginning chords are spine tingling and alerts one to the pagentry and ceremony

[@josephmathmusic]

I have always been fascinated by the emotional strength of the very non-classical alternance of the very classical chords (C-Eb-Gb-Ab, C-D-Fsharp-A) at the beginning, especially with respect to the date of the composition.

[@Wkkbooks]

octotonic tritone relationship, see octotonic scale wiki

[@jeppemoulijn1]

No Debussy or Stravinsky without Boris Godunov.

[@moiraclegg3380]

@@Wkkbooks Thank you for this technical explanation. The music is so compelling and yet so strange.

[@yrockerboy]

Ab7/C - D7/C

[@yumyumwhatzohai]

He's trying to imitate the Orthodox Church bell ringing that he most surely heard growing up.

[@Macariotron]

Christ, I wish I had the money to *feel* a production this well-executed in person.

[@HelenaWilliams8696]

Very interested bass. Espectacular stage and interested opera, first time I get introduced to this performance.

[@eugeniobarrancoperez8718]

Lo vi en agosto de1998 en Santiago de Chile con la orquesta y elenco del teatro Mariiski inolvidable

[@koyot2011]

Исполнителю арии Царя Бориса огромный респект, англичанин,а так прочувствовал роль,да и язык русский как тяжёл! а выучил!!!!!!

[@paulbrennan5646]

Dear Koyot: Can you tell me please if this is the Kirov of BolshoI performance. Greetings from Canada!

[@MaxGogleMogle]

@@paulbrennan5646 Probably it is. They are singing without slightest accent in Russian. Russian is the native language for them - no doubt.

[@paulbrennan5646]

@@MaxGogleMogle Thanks

[@MDK2_Radio]

@@paulbrennan5646 this is the Kirov, Robert Lloyd is Boris, Valery Gergiev is the conductor. You can buy this on DVD still. I believe this features Mussorgsky’s own orchestration.

[@irina4447]

Ogromnoe spasibo ya prekrasnuju zapis

[@user-oe8hj3yv7o]

Mussorgsky is a brilliant composer, the opera Boris Godunov is immortal, will always excite and delight mankind

[@garyswift5]

Such an emotionally charged and moving scene. Love this scene.

[@boristemkin]

Robert Lloyd's russian is perfect.

[@basspoem]

слава! слава! слава! glorious music that captured my heart fifty years ago. слава!

[@windstorm1000]

Who's your patron saint

[@parthoroy9141]

This is a good enough Godunov production

[@TenorDmitry]

brilliant!! thanks :)

[@toisabella]

love the bells!

[@tjhooker2433]

Great piece of music

[@kfcohea]

The nationalism of the 1800s created many national composers. Mussorgsky was a member of the Russian 5 as you probably already know. What I find interesting with the Coronation introduction is the use of the diminished 5th interval for the entrance of the Priests. A flat 7 to D7. The Catholic church had outlawed it's use. It was considered the "devil's" interval. Stravinsky use it copiously later on. It was used in bebop jazz in the 40s but was ridiculed by some as being too strange. Even then.

[@samsuccotash4859]

Eddie Condon once quipped "We don't flat our fifths, we drink 'em".

[@drtee51]

The Catholic Church never "outlawed" the tritone. Medieval music theory said not to use it because of its awkwardness, and nicknamed it "diabola in musica." But no one ever got excommunicated or burned at the stake for singing a tritone.

[@monizdm]

God, finally. Comments that teach. Thank you all for this thread.

[@judithdemers9352]

FANTASTIC

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Magnifica escena de la coronación

[@oncelostmain]

Nice bass and perfomance

[@gustavotorresortiztorresor9144]

Bello fantástico

[@1sumiresan2]

Danke für das Video! Gefällt mir gut. Gott sei Dank auch noch eine schöne Inszenierung im Gegensatz zu dem was heute geboten wird. Aber, wir dürfen auch keinesfalls George London vergessen!!! Er war ein toller Boris.Sprach selbst kein Wort russisch, aber selbst die Russen glaubten, dass er es perfekt konnte

[@achmedmohamed4708]

George London war aber Russe. Er war KHASAR und hiess Georg Burnstein (Bernstein).

[@captebbtide]

Musorgsky -- Gospodi moi!

[@adeverger]

Rene Pape did just fine with Gergiev holding the baton this season at the met.

[@cafedutempsperdu]

Good day. It's very interesting, amazing and useful video-clip. Thank you very much. Good luck for all!

[@smangacebekhulu]

wow this music is so powerful

[@user-ui3rr9kx1i]

00:07 opening chords (the Boris's chords) 01:31 third related triads harmonizing a repeated note 04:04 boris's speech

[@crazyorganist1609]

The great Robert Lloyd

[@user-ht4gb2fw4e]

i must say its far better than some stuff ive heard.

[@birgittametsanheimo6909]

Modest original and best version

[@tatianagh6]

magnífica puesta en escena.

[@crazyorganist1609]

Rimsky Korsakov version

[@TheBreadman904]

a choir I'm in is singing this for an upcoming concert (in English, wanted to sing in Russian, but oh well)

[@1sumiresan2]

Ja natürlich auch Mark Reizen. Den hatte ich aber leider nie persönlich hören können

[@bokewilhelm1452]

sehr gut

[@draganatanasov2503]

You're forgetting the great Russian bass Mark Razen and many others, and Vladimir Matorin!!

[@brunico80]

Reizen, Petrov-Krause and Pirogov were probably the best Boris

[@user-sx3wy7mh9g]

@@brunico80 Chaliapin and Boris Hristov are the best performers . I do not know that anyone sang and played this role better.

[@user-oe8hj3yv7o]

I recommend listening to Ildar Abdrazakov, today this is the best explanation by Boris Godunov.

[@dumplings_guy7303]

epic

[@peteradaniel]

1:51 What is this Theme? I'm a fan of Russia Opera and I'm constantly hearing it in different operas from this era. It's in the overture to act 3 of Mazeppa from Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov uses it at the end of Marfa and Dunyasha's Duet in the Tsars Bride. I know it's a traditional Russian song, but which one?

[@wutfacewutface7343]

I found an article "Изучение хоровых сцен оперы "Борис Годунов" М.П. Мусоргского в процессе вузовской подготовки дирижёра-хормейстера" by Л.В. Малацай. THE STUDY OF CHORAL SCENES OF THE OPERA «BORIS GODUNOV» BY M.P. MUSSORGSKY IN THE COURSE OF HIGH SCHOOL TRAINING OF THE CONDUCTOR-CHORUS MASTER L. V. Malatsay Orel state Institute of arts and culture e-mail: ***** (You can find it though, don't want to share someone else's email to public. "Вступлением к сцене служит красочная оркестровая картина праздничного колокольного звона. Это вступление вводит в C dur хор, основанный на теме народной величальной песни «Слава», известно еще с допетровских времен и исполняемой на всех торжественных церемониях." There he states that song "Glory" is a traditional Russian song that was known in Russia even before Peter the Great's times. +Funny fact from me: song in tavern about Kazan was only named in Pushkin's original, without exact words (like everyone should know which song to sing, right? Apparently not). The song that we hear in Opera fits is nicely, but not true to Pushkin''s original idea though.

[@robertlambeaux897]

It is the hymn to the Tsar ! (even Beethoven used it in a quartet)

[@renebarendse2864]

Tarkovsky was a great film director but he completely misunderstood this scene. In the original scene Boris Gudonov IS approached by the beggar - who features in the beginning of the coronation scene and who Tarkovsky has cut out - who says to Gudonov his reign will not last very long: on which then Gudonov then richly rewards him. Not as some piece of propaganda but as the beggar is divinely inspired and therefore only he can assure Gudonov's place in heaven. This is very sixteenth century Orthodox but it is very hard for twentieth century directors to fathom: Mussorgsky's grandeur is precisely that people in his operas act as people in the sixteenth century and NOT as modern people but not a single director nowadays understands this anymore.

[@billd3356]

rene barendse I agree. The costumes are spot on, but the blocking is not quite accurate. There needs to be some bowing going on from at least the boyars, as Boris enters. Also, everyone else in the scene facing the audience at the end? This is not contemporary Broadway. I was waiting for the peasants to start doing jazz hands.

[@AydarAkhmady]

rene barendse The beggar appears not in the coronation but in St. Basil's scene.

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

Thanks for your comment and all the following replies. This is my absolute first exposure to this opera (I'm 75 years old) but not to Musorgsky's music. I've been meaning to look into this work for years and years, and today was the day. I'm looking forward to digging into it.

[@brunico80]

Totally agree. Even the costumes are not totally right. It seems that they are created as a Western representation of the Russian style and the way the figurants are wearing it it is so unnatural. The vestments of the clerics for example are totally not right by Orthodox standards. So strange that Tarkovsky who was really close to the church life didn't know for instance that the bishops' mitre has a cross on it and that the batton is always carried with the left hand as the right hand is used to bless the crowds, etc. Plenty of errors of this type.

[@susannevollmer2347]

This beggar is not a beggar! He is a holy man - today we would say he is crazy, of course - and he ended this opera with the wonderful song of the poore russia and the poor common folk. This is the best ending, not the death of Godunov.(Imo)

[@solinvictus1982]

is that the production that took place at Fenice, in Venice?

[@1sumiresan2]

Ja wirklich wunderbar. Kann mir jemand sagen, ob es ein Video von Karajan`s Boris bei den Salzburger Festspielen aus dem Großen Festspielhaus gibt. Mit dem, damals noch ganz jungen Nikolaj Gjaurow gibt?Bühnenbild Günther Schneider Siemssen. Eine der schönsten Inszenierungen Anfang der 60er Jahre

[@William-fd3ce]

School choir supplied urchins for the simpleton scene . . . they threw us into the coronation procession with our snazzy choirboy garb. Dress rehearsal, in the wings waiting to enter, i asked a stagehand about the two huge racks of chimes we'd been warned to stay away from.What are those, I asked. He said "Those are the church bells of Moscow." (LA City College circa 1958)

[@josephbasha2941]

great BORIS

[@JimTLonW6]

Awesome opera, awesome composer too, what might he have done if he hadn't succumbed to the bottle I wonder?

[@hafizullahsufi]

Moussorgsky was also gay - in a culture when that was punishable by imprisonment or murder. I'm sure that word of his sexual prefs was a topic of gossip and a factor limiting the popularity of his music.

[@crazyorganist1609]

​@@hafizullahsufi probably did

[@P1B1U1H1]

@dorfischer Yes. The accelerating motion must have taken immense practice.

[@1sumiresan2]

@schneidersiemssen1 Dieses Video gefällt mir gut, es ist leider nicht unsere Salzburger Inszenierung von Günter Schneider Siemssen / Karajan mit Gjaurow. Ich hatte damals ja selbst noch mitgewirkt und erinnere mich ganz genau. Trotzdem herzlichen Dank!!!

[@Nilo4778]

Gracias René. Translation: Tarkovsky fue un gran director de cine, pero no entendió completamente esta escena. En la escena original, el mendigo se acercó a Boris Gudonov, que aparece en el comienzo de la escena de la coronación y al que Tarkovsky ha cortado, que le dice a Gudonov que su reinado no durará mucho tiempo, sobre el cual Gudonov le recompensa ricamente. No como una pieza de propaganda, sino como el mendigo está divinamente inspirado y, por lo tanto, solo él puede asegurar el lugar de Gudonov en el cielo. Esto es muy ortodoxo del siglo XVI, pero es muy difícil de entender para los directores del siglo XX: la grandeza de Mussorgsky es precisamente que las personas en sus óperas actúan como personas en el siglo XVI y NO como personas modernas, pero ni un solo director hoy en día entiende esto.

[@schneidersiemssen1]

@1sumiresan2 ich glaube, daß es für karajan´s boris leider keine aufzeichnung gibt. zu dieser zeit war karajan für opernaufzeichnungen noch nicht zu begeistern. werde mich aber schlau machen. vielleicht gibt es mitschnitte. gruß c.schneider-siemssen

[@Alexander_Zemsky]

Хорошо ! Убедительно !

[@Puha12365]

The Guards also sing d; Really good singen!

[@Chrisdvc26]

Is that Chris Noth?

[@squirrel9407]

i suppose his coronation proved that Boris was indeed, Godunov.

[@RingOfRae]

Is this Rimsky's version or Modest version ?

[@windstorm1000]

Modests. One of few in opera not altered

[@HeavyOpera1]

I disagree that this singer's voice is not suitable (sorry, not sure who this is). I think the voice is very good. I am not so sure about the Russian diction, though.

[@Insomniac571]

7 people missed the like button

[@bloorwest]

Which production is this?

[@gemstone212121]

Kirov Opera, conducted by Gergiev with stage direction by Tarkovsky

[@TheJanaZimmermann]

who sings Boris?

[@simonboccanegra3811]

That is Robert Lloyd, who on the day I am posting this turns 75 years old. Still going (in smaller roles such as the Monk/Charles V in Don Carlos). This was one of his greatest recorded performances. I remember René Pape enthusing about Lloyd's singing and acting in this production when he himself was taking up the role.

[@psisaza]

Hahahahahahah, minute 6:15 is so funny XD

[@iwrotesalutaris]

Er, did anybody else think this Boris looks like Leo DiCaprio about ten years from now???

[@chekhov-and-chill]

+Gev Sweeney my music prof literally said this lol

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

Yes, now that you mention it!

[@crazyorganist1609]

No

[@lingfungliu4876]

Modest Mussorgsky. Coronation Scene from Boris Godunov. 1870-1872.

[@BorisGodunov]

I saw this same production live in Washington DC with Samuel Ramey. It really packs an enormous punch. Lloyd is great at the acting, but his voice is completely unsuitable for the role. Ramey had the opposite problem--glorious voice, but wooden acting.

[@draganatanasov2503]

I beg to differ on the voice comment on Ramey. He has a one dimension voice.

[@BorisGodunov]

Most of the greatest Boris interpreters weren't Russian: Christoff (Bulgarian); Ghaiurov (Bulgarian); London (American); Talvela (Finnish); For a while Samuel Ramey (American) was the great Boris of the day, and now it's Rene Pape (German). No one nationality owns the role!

[@balletelephant4399]

Quite the opposite - Petrov, Vedernikov, Nesterenko, and there were many other Russain singers, starting from Shalyapin, who exceled in this role. And yes, Bulgarian basses - Christoff, Ghiaurov, Ghiuselev. Sorry, no western singer comes even close - mainly because of the language problems and inadequate Russian phrasing.

[@Karamazov5]

Nesterenko is an unbelievable, poetic Boris.

[@gergelycsallo5133]

You're right, but don't forget to mention Evgenij Nesterenko, one of the greatest Boris in history!

[@ognyankanev5211]

London was of russian origin.

[@adagiocgn18]

Wie bitte? And what about Shaljapin, Nesterenko, Reizen ?

[@ayyyyph2797]

Alexei lives!

[@Chikchirik238]

💔

[@photiz0]

3:11

[@user-jt3ox3jv7v]

4:00 boris's speech

[@walterbenjamin1386]

What production is this? Looks nice!

[@gemstone212121]

Kirov Opera, conducted by Gergiev with stage direction by Tarkovsky

[@walterbenjamin1386]

@@gemstone212121 Thank you

[@compagniedelapleiade6497]

Oui... Je retourne aux vrais Boris ...

[@P1B1U1H1]

@MrKos1987 A certain Finn did a spectacular job, if you know what I mean. Besides, the important point is not the singing, but the major theme. Don't trust the Lithuanians.

[@2_rl_762]

Очередная инаугурация ВВП

[@Matrosovskw]

rl 0207 точно

[@achmedmohamed4708]

This is ROBERT LLOYD, the nose-singer.

[@kurbatska]

Wonderful voice, but sounds more italian than russian...for russian needs a roar :)))

[@guifrebalasch]

6:12

[@autodidact2499]

Michael: Learn to spell "Mussorgsky" and "prologue," please!

[@vladp]

Boris MUST have a beard! This is just wrong.

[@jerzysnakowski]

Why? That opera is not about beard.

[@StopFear]

The music Vladimir Putin listens to when he parades in front of his mirror in king’s clothes.

[@annneru]

Oh no, Putin hates Mussorgsky music because it's associated with the communist regime (poverty) in Russia. It's funny Western Europe and USA people still treat this scene as a declaration of Russian Oriental barbarism (addiction to authoritarian rulers). Because Mussorgsky was very left-wing. But studying the additional 'non-European Oriental" facts was more challenging to Europeans after the collapse of USSR, and now Russia is de-facto a Chinese vassal state. Finally, European peoples have put Russian (99% European) people in an 'Oriental' framework. Just like Hitler. Keep your brilliant parallels. Congrats on Chinese supremacy triumph against White supremacy! Remember how it was in 2020 www.myheritage.com/ethnicities/russia/country-ethnicity-distribution

[@user-sx3wy7mh9g]

@@annneru You have Putinism of the brain.

[@Throwweight]

The Church never "outlawed it[]s use." However, its extreme dissonance was considered too ugly for liturgical music.

[@ScarecrowCrisp]

:-) "It was considered the "devil's" interval". Liszt (Franciscan tertiary if you know) created a plenty of diminished 5th interval and extended 5th interval as well. ;-)

[@BdColonel]

I personally don't like this version of the coronation. The gongs are annoying. Then again I don't like this version at all. The worst of it is Robert Lloyd.

[@dmitryburkov3759]

Boris without a beard in 1598 - what nonsense?

[@MrKos1987]

Sory, but this aria must perform russian singer..

[@brunoantony3218]

So he shows up already crowned. No coronation on stage. Lame.

[@garfreed]

путин - отличный человек

[@stranieroru9527]

Great music, awful Godunov. Half of any Russian opera is language, and sadly, except for Bulgarian basses, no foreigner can convey accent and phrasing adequately.

[@kaitlynlegore2838]

SO BORING!!!!!!!!

[@dumplings_guy7303]

epic