Mussorgsky's masterpiece, Boris Godunov, reflects his desire to reproduce the rhythms and contours of Russian speech. It is based on the drama by the Russian author Aleksandr Pushkin. It was completed in 1868, and first produced (after extensive revision) in 1874.
It is a monumental work, unusual in its musical and dramatic use of the chorus, and admired for its psychological insight and its evocation of the Russian people. In 1896 it was reorchestrated and in places reharmonized by Rimsky-Korsakov and is best-known in this version.
The full score is useful for study, for armchair conducting and, of course, for performance. Singers and pianists will be happier with the vocal score, which is easier to carry about in rehearsal, but which only contains a piano reduction of the score.
This is a reprint of an out-of-copyright edition from another publisher, and as such, may not reflect some modern performance practices. Nevertheless, it still represents incredibly good value-for-money.
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