Boris Godunov

About

This 1989 production of 'Boris Godunov' was a centerpiece of the Soviet Arts Festival in San Diego, featuring a significant collaboration with Soviet artists. The production was led by Georgian conductor Jansoug Kakhidze, then head of the Tbilisi Opera, and featured principal singers from the Kirov Opera in Leningrad and the Tbilisi Opera. The staging, directed by Nathaniel Merrill, utilized sets designed by Wolfram Skalicki that were borrowed from the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. Critics described the visual presentation as literal yet occasionally sketchy or flimsy in its execution. The production opted for the Rimsky-Korsakov edition of the score, which is noted for its more polished and conventional orchestration compared to Mussorgsky's original, more 'primitive' versions.