MOSCOW (AFP) - The scene is 16th-century Moscow and people are on their knees begging their regent, Boris, to become tsar. But in this version by Russian director Alexander Sokurov, his film-making roots are obvious: the opera's first moments take place against a vast black-and-white backdrop reminiscent of the cinema, as a grey sun rises over the Novodevichy cemetery. Sokurov is a well-established figure in Russian cinema, recognized internationally for his brooding psychological drama "Father and Son" and for his portrayals of three towering figures of 20th-century history: Lenin, Hitler, and Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
But he has voiced frustration at the lack of attention his films receive in Russia and has sought to branch out, recently making a documentary on the celebrated cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich, who died last month. It was Rostropovich who pushed him to take on Boris Godunov, considered the masterpiece of 19th-century composer Modest Mussorgsky and a work that attracted great controversy in its early years. "This is about my love of music of course, a love passed on to me by my mother.
Then I met Rostropovich and he urged me to enter the realm of opera," Sokurov told AFP during rehearsals. The Bolshoi recently caused a stir with a new production of Tchaikovsky's "Yevgeny Onegin" by young director Dmitry Chernyakov. It stripped away years of pompousness inherited from Soviet-era productions to reveal something sparse and more passionate.
Sokurov, an outsider in the sometimes rancorous world of Russian opera, is anxious to tread carefully. "I have great respect for the musical and production experience of Russian opera. I'm not about to renounce anything.
"I'm simply trying to create something that will be a small link in the chain of Russian classical operatic tradition," he said. "We're used to making big gestures. We take big steps so the audience can see properly.
But we've understood that he's paying more attention to our facial expression," said one singer, Anna Aglatova. "The cinematic approach is a big help." For Sokurov the opera is another chance to explore some of his favourite themes, the psychology of political leaders and above all father-and-son relationships.
The story concerns the rise of Boris, who in the version set out by the poet Alexander Pushkin is said to have murdered Tsar Ivan the Terrible's son Dmitry. In a break with convention, Sokurov has chosen to have a child play the important role of Boris' own son, rather than the part being played by a woman. "There is something about the souls of children and their abilities that helps to drive home human feelings," he explained.
Two performances of the new production are scheduled, for May 17 and 18.
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