Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia

Plot synopsis

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Following the death of Tzar Ivan IV the Terrible in 1584, Russia became immersed in one of the most convulsive periods of its history. In addition to the frequent, bloody fights for political power, there were popular revolts, epidemic outbreaks of disease and crop failures. Ivan IV's throne was inherited by his weak and sickly son, Fyodor. The boyar, Boris Godunov, previously Ivan the Terrible's right hand and also Fyodor's brother-in-law, held power from the shadows as a result of the new Tzar's inability to govern. The Tzarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan IV was sent to Uglich, far from the reach of his brother Tzar Fyodor. In 1591 he appeared murdered, under strange circumstances. Popular rumours have it that the author of the crime was Boris Godunov. In 1598 Fyodor I died leaving no heir to the throne, and Boris Godunov was elected Tzar of Russia.

PART ONE

Scene I. Outside the Novodevichy Monastery
The crowd, confused, congregates around the Novodevichy Monastery where Boris Godunov and his sister Irina, the widow of the recently deceased Tzar Fyodor I, are on spiritual retreat. The bailiff Mikitich threatens the mob with his whip while trying to bring them under some kind of order. Shchelkalov arrives, secretary to the Duma, who announces that Boris Godunov is reluctant to take the throne in spite of the requests by the Patriarch and the Boyars. A group of crippled pilgrims approach the monastery and hand out religious icons in an attempt to get people to attend the procession to meet Boris Godunov. The bailiff accompanies the pilgrims inside the convent. When he returns, he disperses the crowd ordering them to go to the Kremlin the next day.

Scene II. The Great Plaza at the Kremlin - Moscow
The people, kneeling in the large area delimited by the Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals await expectantly the coronation of Boris Godunov. A solemn procession begins with participation by the boyars and the Tzar's Royal Guard, as well as Prince Shuisky who carries the crown, and Shchelkalov, who carries the Royal Sceptre. After the impressive pealing of bells, Boris Godunov appears with his young children Xenia and Fyodor. The flamboyant Tzar asks for God's blessing on his tzardom and invites everyone to take part in the celebration. The crowd cheer Boris Godunov as the Tzar of all Russias.

Scene III. A cell in the Chudov Monastery
The ancient monk Pimen is writing a narrative by candlelight while the young novice Grigory sleeps. He is about to end his chronicles in which he accounts the experiences he has lived through in his long, adventurous life. Dawn breaks. Grigory awakens and tells Pimen about the nightmare he has had: he was on the top of a tower looking across all of Moscow. People were crowded into the Plaza and were pointing at him and he felt ashamed, until he fell into space and woke up. The monk made little of the nightmare but recommended the youngster to purge himself of all ambition and pleasant life through prayer, since even the most powerful have ended up reflecting on their excesses at the ends of their lives.

Pimen remembers that once he saw Tzar Ivan himself in the monastery, deep in thought, in a gesture of humility and repentance, and how in the years when his son Fyodor I reigned, one of the Lord's worshippers, there was peace and harmony in the country. Now, however, the ancient monk regretted that under the reign of the new Tzar, Boris Godunov, there is nothing but disgrace, which he attributes to a divine punishment on the Russian people for having brought a "murderer" to power.

Listening very carefully to the story, Grigory asks what happened to Ivan's other child, the Tzarevich Dmitry. Pimen, horrified, brings to memory the brutal murder of the Prince in Uglich by some soulless men who at the gates of death whispered the name of Boris. If he had not been murdered, Dmitry would now be Tzar of Russia and would be the same age as Grigory. The hermit, now tired, withdraws to rest, but not without first asking Grigory to gather up his account and continue with the task of narrator.

Scene IV. An Inn on the border with Lithuania
The monks Varlaam and Misail ask the innkeeper to serve them some wine. Grigory is sitting at a nearby table, lost in thought. He has just run away from the monastery and is heading towards neighbouring Lithuania, dressed as a peasant. Ambition for power has made a mark on him after hearing the story, from the mouth of Pimen, about the murdered Tzarevich, who would be his age now. Varlaam and Misail, see the young man on his own and invite him to join them for a drink. Both of them brag about having left the monastery and now enjoying the good life "as long as there is wine to drink". Varlaam, drunk on the wine, breaks into song telling how Ivan the Terrible cruelly finished off the Tartars in the city of Kazan.

The two drunks crash out on top of the table, overcome by tiredness and alcohol. Grigory asks the innkeeper directions to Lithuania. She warns him that crossing the border will be difficult because of the border checkpoints, because of a heretic who has escaped from Moscow and the Tzar has ordered his capture. Nevertheless, she tells the young man an alternative route with no checkpoints.

A bailiff arrives whose interrogation of Varlaam and Misail is frightening. These two say they are just two poor fathers travelling in search of alms, and Grigory is travelling with them. The bailiff does not trust Varlaam, he shows the arrest order where there is a description of the heretic that has escaped from Moscow, a Grishka Otrepyev (Grigory) and asks if anyone can read.

Grigory volunteers to read the document out loud, although he cleverly changes the description - the details actually match his physical appearance and age - to describe the wanted man as Varlaam. The bailiff suddenly jumps on Varlaam to arrest him. Varlaam, furious, grabs the arrest order from Grigory and reads it out, pronouncing each syllable clearly, describing the heretic as Grigory. The young man jumps out of the window and quickly runs away.

PART TWO

Scene V. The Tzar's luxurious chambers in the Kremlin
Xenia, Boris Godunov's daughter, regrets the death of her fiancé the Prince of Denmark. Her brother Fyodor is carefully examining the cities and rivers on a map of the properties of the Tzarist empire. Boris Godunov enters, looking a little troubled. He comforts Xenia and encourages his son to carry on studying so that he can become a good ruler when he inherits the throne. The Tzar sits down at a table full of documents and parchments and reflects on his five years of reign. In spite of his power, in spite of being acclaimed by the people and in spite of having a family, his tormented soul would not allow him to be happy. He believes that the plots against him, the outbreaks of disease and the evil that is ripe in his tzardom is a divine punishment.

Prince Vasily Shuisky arrives, who reports to the Tzar about the appearance of an impostor in Lithuania claiming to be Dmitry, the murdered Tzarevich, supported by the king and nobles. Boris orders barriers to be erected on the border with Lithuania. The news has unsettled him so much that he asks Shuisky, who investigated the crime of the Tzarevich years ago, if it is possible that the young Dmitry could have escaped that horror told in the popular legend. Vasily tries to calm the Tzar saying that he saw the dead body of the child himself on the day of his burial. But anguish and panic overwhelm Boris. He becomes short of breath and his guilt eats away at him. On his own and beside himself, he begs the Lord to have mercy on his "murderous soul".

Scene VI. Plaza in front of the St. Basil's Cathedral - Moscow
The crowd, looking miserably, wanders about the streets. People wonder if the service in the cathedral has ended. The peasant Mitiukha announces that Grishka Otrepyev (Grigory, the fake Dmitry) has been excommunicated and a service has also been held for the soul of the Tzarevich. The people are not much bothered about Boris's and his loyal boyars' manoeuvres to discredit the young Grigory, since they see in him the young Tzarevich they believed to be dead, Dmitry Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible. The impostor, who has managed to bring his troops to Kromy, is preparing an offensive to overthrown Boris, and to take the throne.

A madman who is wandering around the place regrets the misery reigning over the country. The children mock him and they steal a coin he has. A Royal Procession comes out of the cathedral. Following the procession, Boris Godunov. The people desperately beg for alms from the boyars. The madman asks the Tzar to order the young louts who have robbed him to be stabbed "just like you did with the Tzarevich". When he hears the words of simpleton, Shuisky tries to pull him away, but Boris stops him, and after asking the boy to pray from him, he leaves.

Scene VII. A clearing in the forest near Kromy
Night has fallen. A crown of tramps are mocking the boyar Khruschov who they have caught and tied his hands. Varlaam and Misail arrive and join the group. From inside the forest a group of riders approach who are escorting the impostor Grigory. All of them acclaim him as the Tzarevich Dmitry Ivanovich. He asks them to join him to fight against Boris Godunov and he even persuades Khruschov to accept joining his army. They set off to conquer the Kremlin, except the madman, who remains alone to dwell on the grim future that awaits Russia.

Scene VIII. Granovity Palace in the Kremlin - Moscow
An extraordinary session of the boyar's Council is being held. Shchelkalov reports that the impostor has usurped the name of the Tzarevich Dmitry and is advancing on Moscow supported by the starving, exiled boyars and the Lithuanian people. The boyars start to debate about how to fight the enemy and thus define their support for the Tzar. Shuisky, accused by the Council of inciting the people against the Tzar with the rumours that the Tzarevich is still alive, bursts in. He, visibly worried, denies the accusations and states his great concern for the mental and physical health of Boris Godunov. Suddenly the Tzar enters the room with his dreamy look, shaking and mumbling words about a ghost of the murdered Tzarevich, uselessly trying to chase him away. The boyars are consternated. The Tzar appears to come back to himself. Upset, he orders his son to be brought and asks the people in the room for their support.

A mysterious old man who says he has something important to reveal to the Tzar asks to be received. It is Pimen, who tells Boris Godunov about a miracle: a blind shepherd had a dream and in his dream he was visited by the Tzarevich Dmitry who told him he had become the Angel Protector of Russia. A few days later the shepherd set off on a pilgrimage for the tomb of Dmitry in Uglich to pray and completely recovered his sight. Shaken by the sincere words of the monk, Boris puts his hand on his heart. He feels he is choking. After leaving his tzardom to his son Fyodor, he dies while begging for divine pardon.