Composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky Librettist Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky Based On the historical tragedy by Alexander Pushkin and "History of the Russian State" by Nikolai Karamzin Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1945 Language Italian Creative/Crew Conductor Georges Sebastian Stage Director(s) Armando Agnini Chorus Director Kurt Herbert Adler Setting designed by Eugene Dunkel Costumes by Stivanello-Culcasi, New York Cast Boris Godunov, Regent of Russia Ezio Pinza Teodoro, his son -- Fyodor Herta Glaz Xenia, his daughter Frances Castellani Nurse Margaret Harshaw Shuisky Alessio De Paolis Shchelkalov George Cehanovsky Brother Pimen Lorenzo Alvary Dimitri Frederick Jagel Marina Vivian Della Chiesa Varlaam Salvatore Baccaloni Missail Herbert Nystrom Innkeeper Claramae Turner Simpleton John Garris Police Officer Robert Mills(10/12) Charles Goodwin(10/22) Sergeant of the Frontier Guard Georg Spelvinski Boyar in Waiting Joseph Tissier Lavitsky Charles Goodwin Trouble Robert Mills First Peasant Bianca Bruni Second Peasant Lorraine Calcagno Third Peasant Benjamin Martin Fourth Peasant Augusto Lourenzo Boyar Paul Lieber Show Dates Fri, Oct 12 1945, 8pm Mon, Oct 22 1945, 8pm Broadcast Fri, Oct 12 1945, 7am Live radio broadcast, Acts III and IV. Time and Place About 1600; Moscow and Lithuanian Frontier Scenes Act I, Scene 1 -- Outside of Novodievichy Monastery near Moscow Scene 2 -- Lonely Cell in the Monastery of the Miracle at Night Scene 3 -- Cathedral Square, Moscow Act II, Scene 1 -- Inn on the Lithuanian Frontier Scene 2 -- Czar's Apartment in the Kremlin Act III -- Park of Marina's Palace, Poland Act IV, Scene 1 -- Kromy Forest near Moscow Scene 2 -- Duma in the Kremlin Media Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Ensemble Credit Strohmeyer Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Vivian Della Chiesa (Marina), Frederick Jagel (Dimitri) Credit Strohmeyer Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Ezio Pinza (Boris) Credit Strohmeyer Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Herta Glaz (Fyodor), Ezio Pinza (Boris), Frances Castellani (Xenia) Credit Strohmeyer Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Ensemble Credit Strohmeyer Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1945_04_compressed.pdf (8.01 MB) Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- 10/2/1945, live radio broadcast, Acts III and IV, from 10:00 to approximately 11:30 p.m. Settings designed and painted by Eugene B. Dunkel and constructed in the studios of The San Francisco Opera Association Children from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Reba Kay, director This staging did not include the role of Rangoni
Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Ensemble Credit Strohmeyer
Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Vivian Della Chiesa (Marina), Frederick Jagel (Dimitri) Credit Strohmeyer
Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Ezio Pinza (Boris) Credit Strohmeyer
Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Herta Glaz (Fyodor), Ezio Pinza (Boris), Frances Castellani (Xenia) Credit Strohmeyer
Image Boris Godunov, Modest Mussorgsky. San Francisco Opera, 1945. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Ensemble Credit Strohmeyer