Boris Goudenow is a German-language opera composed in 1710 by Johann Mattheson. The plot concerns intrigues among tsars Feodor I and Boris Godunov and tsarina Irina Godunova, and a cast of Russian, Danish and Swedish nobles.[1] It was never performed during Mattheson's life – possibly due to concerns about Hamburg's relations with Russia. The manuscript, taken to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, was discovered in Armenia. The opera was finally premiered in 2005 in concert in Hamburg, then a scenic premiere in Boston under Stephen Stubbs.[2] It was given the first European scenic performance at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music by Concerto Theresia under Andrea Marchiol in 2021. A recording of this performance was issued by cpo.[3]

Title page of Mattheson's score, c. 1710

References

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  1. ^ Stubbs, Stephen (May 2005). "Johann Mattheson—the Russian Connection: The Rediscovery of Boris Goudenow and His Other Lost Operas". Early Music. 33 (2): 283–292. doi:10.1093/em/cah071.
  2. ^ Richard Taruskin (12 June 2005). "Enter Boris Goudenow, Just 295 Years Late". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Review: CD Johann Mattheson Boris Goudenow – Live-Mitschnitt von den Innsbrucker Festwochen 2021; cpo", Online Merker, 2 October 2022
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