Modest Musorgsky and Boris Godunov: Myths, Realities, Reconsiderations (Cambridge Opera Handbooks)

Caryl Emerson (a Literary Specialist) And Robert William Oldani (a Music Historian) Take A New And Comprehensive Look At The Most Famous Russian Opera, Modest Musorgsky's Boris Godunov. The Result Is Both A Historical Study Of A Famous Work And An Interpretive Piece Of Scholarship. The Topics Discussed Include: The Boris Tale In History; Karamzin's History And Pushkin's Drama As Literary Sources; Musorgsky's Innovations As A Librettist And As A Theorist Of The Sung Russian Word; The Strange Story Of The Opera's Composition And Revision; Its First Productions At Home And Abroad; And An In-depth Musical Analysis. In The Process, Several Often-met Errors In Musorgsky Scholarship Are Clarified And Corrected. A Final Chapter Speculates On The Opera's Themes Of Political Murder, Guilt, And Legitimacy - So Important To Russian Literary And National Identity In The Nineteenth And Twentieth Centuries - And The New Role The Boris Plot And Its Composer Might Come To Play In More Recent Open Phases Of Russian Cultural Life. The Volume Contains A Selection Of Classic Texts In Criticism, Numerous Production Photographs, A Bibliography And Discography. The Book Will Be Of Interest To Scholars And Students Of Opera, Music History, And Russian Literature And Culture As Well As To Opera Enthusiasts. 1. Tsar Boris In History -- 2. Musorgsky's Literary Sources, Karamzin And Pushkin -- 3. Narrative And Musical Synopsis Of The Opera -- 4. History Of The Composition, Rejection, Revision, And Acceptance Of Boris Godunov -- 5. A Tale Of Two Productions -- St. Petersburg (1874-1882), Paris (1908) -- 6. Boris And The Censor: Documents -- 7. The Opera Through The Years: Selected Texts In Criticism -- 8. The Boris Libretto As A Formal, Literary, And Historical Problem -- 9. The Music -- 10. Boris Godunov During The Jubilee Decade: The 1980s And Beyond. Caryl Emerson, Robert William Oldani. Includes Discography (p. 317-323), Bibliographical References (p. 324-332), And Index. Contents......Page 8 List of illustrations page......Page 10 List of tables......Page 11 Preface and acknowledgments......Page 12 Part I. Background......Page 16 1. Tsar Boris in history......Page 18 2. Musorgsky’s literary sources, Karamzin and Pushkin......Page 27 3. Narrative and musical synopsis of the opera......Page 50 4. History of the composition, rejection, revision, and acceptance of Boris Godunov......Page 82 5. A tale of two productions — St. Petersburg (1874-1882), Paris (1908)......Page 106 Part II. Entr’acte......Page 140 6. Boris and the censor: documents......Page 142 7. The opera through the years: selected texts in criticism......Page 149 Part III. Interpretation......Page 196 8. The Boris libretto as a formal, literary, and historical problem......Page 198 9. The music......Page 240 10. Boris Godunov during the jubilee decade: the 1980s and beyond......Page 293 Notes......Page 304 Discography......Page 332 Select bibliography......Page 339 Index......Page 348