"While we know Boris’s reign as Tsar can never end happily, Jones somehow makes us will it to succeed. With its mix of clashing chords and spine-chilling arias, the opera shows the hope surrounding the Tsar falling apart piece by piece."
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"It is an archaeological dig into the human psyche, with a cast and creative team excavating Mussorgsky’s original score with commitment and intellectual rigour."
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“Chilling and involving from beginning to end; don’t miss it, even if you’ve seen either or both of the previous incarnations.”
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“There are virtues in this purer, less decorative edition directed by Richard Jones, most of which register positively, notably in terms of the composer’s own stark orchestration”
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“These days, rightly, we prefer unvarnished Mussorgsky, thrilling to his primordial harmonies, modal soulfulness and jagged savagery.”
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"The impetus was not quite sustained, making the production longer than its advertised two-hour running time."
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“Jones’ riveting staging (revived by Ben Mills), impressively focused for all its dark eccentricities, the concluding scene of Boris’s death has an undeniable emotional pull.”
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“Wigglesworth’s pacing was unerring, allowing the score to breathe more than Antonio Pappano previously.”
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