Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky, the only complete opera of the composer. It had its premiere in 1874, although some fragments of the music were performed before that. The composition history is very twisted, with two main versions (completed in 1869 and 1872 respectively) written by Mussorgsky, not counting the many recompositions and reorchestrations by other authors. Even the composer's two different versions are often conflated in modern productions.
The opera is based on Alexander Pushkin's play of the same name, but is currently much better-known than the play itself.
The plot takes place in an extremely turbulent period in Russian history, known as the Time of Troubles. The backstory runs as follows: Boris Godunov reigned in all but name in the times of the quiet and feeble Tsar Fyodor, son of Ivan the Terrible. However, Boris plotted to seize the throne for himself, for which purpose he ordered the murder of Fyodor's little brother Dimitry (it is still doubtful whether he was the culprit in Real Life). By the beginning of the opera's prologue, Fyodor has died, and Boris's allies bully the crowds into cheering for Boris's coronation. Newly crowned, Boris swears to rule fairly and justly.
However, not everybody is deceived. Pimen, the chronicler of the Chudov Monastery, knows about Boris's crime and tells his pupil, young Grigory, about it. Grigory feels restless in the quiet monastery life, and from Pimen's tale he learns he is the same age as the murdered Tsarevich Dimitry. Getting the idea of posing as the miraculously survived heir to the throne, he runs away. On the border of Lithuania, he is caught and almost arrested, but manages to escape.
Fast forward several years. Boris is deeply troubled by his conscience and realizes he hasn't found any happiness in achieving the highest power in the land. He desperately tries to find solace with his beloved family, especially his little son Fyodor, both studious and good-humored. The cunning Evil Chancellor Prince Shuysky brings news of a Pretender styling himself Dimitry.
Meanwhile in Poland, the Pretender, formerly known as Grigory, gathers supporters. He awakens the passion and ambition of Proud Beauty Marina Mniszech, daughter of the Voyevoda of Sandomierz, who encourages him to seize Boris's crown and dreams to become the Tsarina. Marina, in turn, is manipulated by the Jesuit Rangoni, who threatens her with eternal damnation unless she gains the Russian crown and converts the Muscovites to Catholicism.
Back in Moscow, whatever popularity Boris had earlier has dwindled completely. The hungry crowds are begging him for bread and looking forward to the arrival of "Tsarevich Dimitry". Boris himself is going mad with guilt, visions of a bloodied child troubling him day and night. When Pimen tells him the story of a blind man getting healed at the murdered Dimitry's grave, Boris collapses. He barely manages to say farewell to his son before dying. The Pretender arrives in Moscow, cheered by everyone except a Holy Fool, who weeps for the Russian land's fate and foresees dark times coming.
Tropes featured in both the opera and the play:
- Angry Mob: In the final act, the crowds rebel against Boris's court and almost lynch one of Boris's boyars. They even nearly hang two Jesuits from the Pretender's escort, not realizing they are on the side of the man they support.
- Author Avatar: Downplayed, but an ancestor of Alexander Pushkin appears as one of the plotters.
- Big Brother Instinct: Inverted. Fyodor loves Xenia very much and tries to help her in her grief, and Boris on his deathbed asks him to protect her. However, Xenia is Fyodor's elder sister.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: As Boris dies, his son Fyodor, only in his mid-teens, is left to reign in the midst of treacheries and plots and with the Pretender approaching Moscow. Of course, Fyodor fails to keep the throne. The most tragic part of it is that he has all the promise to become a wonderful Tsar, it's just that he gets no time to mature.
- Evil Versus Evil: The main fractions in the conflict, with Boris being, if anything, A Lighter Shade of Black, as he is deeply remorseful, loves his children and genuinely wants to be a good Tsar. Dimitry says he wants to make him pay for the murder of the Tsarevich, but really he dreams of battle glory and living life to the fullest. Marina openly admits she craves power and glory and despises the "dumb Muscovites". Rangoni is a Knight Templar who tells Marina she should sacrifice her honor, if necessary, for the sake of his cause.
- Externally Validated Prophecy: While still in the monastery, Grigory often has a dream of rising to the highest power and then getting overthrown. It happened to him in Real Life, though the opera itself ends with him rising to power.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Grigory begins as an unknown novice in a monastery and ends up seizing the throne.
- Full-Circle Revolution: Heavily implied when the Pretender enters Moscow. The crowds cheer for him as they did for Boris, and the last lines of the opera belong to the crying Holy Fool. Indeed, Real Life showed that the Pretender was overthrown by the boyars and commoners just like Boris.
- Historical Domain Character: Almost everyone among the main characters – Boris Godunov, his family and court, the Pretender, Marina Mniszech and Rangoni.
- I Fight for the Strongest Side!: Prince Shuysky switches his allegiance to the Pretender when it becomes clear the latter is winning.
- Loving a Shadow: Xenia Godunova only met her betrothed Prince Johan briefly before he died. Three years later, she still cries all day long and refuses to go out of mourning. Her nurse calls her out on it, noting that she didn't even really know Johan.
- Meaningful Rename: Grigory is never called Grigory again after escaping to Lithuania. It's either the Pretender or Dimitry (or False Dimitry in the play).
- Rhymes on a Dime: Varlaam, a runaway monk, often speaks in rhymes. His companion Misail constantly lampshades it in the play.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Cheerful, energetic Fyodor and melancholy Xenia.
- Tragic Villain: Boris is tormented by remorse and at least tries to rule fairly (and fails). He also genuinely loves his family and wants his son to grow up to be The Good King.
- Unholy Matrimony: Dimitry is madly in love with Marina, and she admits to being attracted to him (though not without his crown and claim to the throne). They plan on reigning in Moscow together.
- Would Hurt a Child: Boris's murder of seven-year-old Tsarevich Dimitry is what triggers the plot and what enrages everyone who knows about it. Even Marina speaks of avenging the little kid.
Tropes featured only in the play:
- Everyone Has Standards: The brutal murder of Fyodor and his mother shocks the Angry Mob who were shouting death threats to him moments earlier.
- Ice Queen: Marina is compared to a marble statue.
- Mistaken for Romance: Grigory starts asking the innkeeper about the best road across the Lithuanian border, and Varlaam thinks Grigory is flirting with the woman.
- Suddenly Suitable Suitor: Inverted dramatically. In a fit of passion, the Pretender confesses to Marina that he is not the real Tsarevich but a runaway monk. Marina is horrified, and it takes him quite a while to convince her to still accept his love.
- Trophy Wife: Explicitly defied by Marina. She warns the Pretender she wants to be a help and a friend to him, and not just a concubine to boss around.
Tropes featured only in the opera:
- Adaptational Personality Change: Marina is a lot less icy and cold than in the play.
- Adapted Out: Instead of more than thirty named characters, there are only nineteen of them (including Canon Foreigner Rangoni who is absent in the play). Naturally, many of the minor characters, mostly the various nobles and other authority figures from both Russia and Poland, had to go.
- Age Lift: A minor case. The innkeeper is implied to be young in the play (Varlaam thinks Grigory is flirting with her and says Grigory needs a young lady), but is old or at least middle-aged in the opera.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Unlike in the play, Marina knows from the start that "Tsarevich Dimitry" is a pretender. However, that's what makes him attractive in her eyes.
- Alto Villainess:
- The ambitious and manipulative Marina Mniszech is sung by a mezzo-soprano.
- Inverted, however, with the other two deep-voiced female heroines. The innkeeper (mezzo-soprano) and the royal nurse (contralto) are both quite nice supporting characters.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: Boris’s coronation concludes Act 1 in a spectacular scene with full orchestra and chorus. The score even calls for full-size church bells to peal onstage.
- Crosscast Role: Fyodor Godunov is played by a mezzo-soprano.
- Flower Motifs: Defied by the fiery Marina, who is very angry when her servants compare her to a flower.
- Innocent Soprano: Xenia (notably, the only soprano in a very large cast, and her part is minor) is gentle, kind and naive, while everyone else around her is playing the game of thrones.
- Lady of War: What Marina would love to be. Her favorite songs are about the victories of Polish warriors, Polish ladies of war of the olden days, and the fallen enemies.
- Patriotic Fervor: One of Marina's redeeming qualities is her deep love for her nation. However, it has a flip side as she looks down on other nations as a result.
