- Carr, Maureen A. “Keys and Modes, Functions and Progressions in Mus-
sorgsky’s Boris Godunov.” Ph.D. diss., U. of Wisconsin-Madison, 1972.
4,104p.
The dissertation is in nine volumes. V.1, text of the opera; v.2–6, orchestral
score and analysis; v.7–9, charts, tables, and a literal translation. - Lloyd-Jones, David. Boris Godunov: Critical Commentary and Musical
Appendices.London: Oxford U.P., 1975. 70p. plus 200p. facsimiles and
music. ISBN 0-19-337699-7. M1500 .M98 B872.
This is v.2 of a Borisset; the first volume has the full score, edited by Lloyd-
Jones. The complete texts of the 1869 and 1872 versions are given, with exten-
sive commentary on them, on genesis, and on sources. - Taruskin, Richard. “Musorgsky vs. Musorgsky: The Versions of Boris Godu-
nov.” In Eight Essays(#1346), 201–290.
An exhaustive review of the 1869 and 1872–1874 versions of the opera, dis-
closing that they are not variants of one plan but two distinct entities based on
different concepts of opera. In 1869 fidelity to the text was primary; in 1872
there was a more casual relation to the Pushkin source, plus a whole new final
scene not in Pushkin at all. - Taruskin, Richard. “Slava!” In Eight Essays(#1346), 300–312.
More than a dozen Russian folk songs (words and/or music) are found in
Boris,and other numbers are original but folklike. Slava!is the only folk song
that appears with both words and music in the coronation scene. The song’s
place in Russian Christmas and New Year observations is discussed. It
acquired a civic and ceremonial character, which was Musorgsky’s context for
it. Taruskin also notes the use of the song by other composers.
Khovanshchina
ASO 57/58 (1983), ENOG 48 (1994).
- Taruskin, Richard. “The Power of the Black Earth: Notes on Khovanshchina.”
In Eight Essays(#1346), 313–327.
Background on the reign of Peter the Great and the streltsyrevolts on which
Khovanshchinais focused. Genesis; the work was left unfinished at the com-
poser’s death in 1881. His views on the “Old Believers” were not made clear,
but Rimsky-Korsakov treated them as unworthy reactionaries as he completed
the opera.
Sorochintsi Fair (Sorochinskaia iarmaka)
- Taruskin, Richard. “Sorochintsi FairRevisited.” In Eight Essays(#1346),
328–394.
Musorgsky completed only a little over half of the opera, which was based on
a Gogol story of the same name. The composer abandoned work on it, then
returned in earnest in 1877. His plan for the structure is given, with letters he
wrote at the time. A technical analysis of the work, with musical examples, is
Modest Petrovich Musorgsky 261