Mussorgsky - Boris Godunov (Bolshoi-Orchestra) (1978) - DVD

...about Boris Godunov

St-Petersburg, 1874. Composter Modest Mussorgsky is present at the premiere of his opera Boris Godunov. The curtain opens and the performance begins. After the death of Czar Fyodor an enormous crowd has gathered before the Kremlin gate. Incited by boyars, the crowd implores Boris Godunov to accept the throne. Boris agress though he knows that the crown is spattered with the blood of czarevitch Dimitri, an heir to the throne, murdered earlier at Godunov's secret order.
At the same time, in a monastery, monk Pimen is about to finish his historical manuscript. Asked by the young novice Grigori about Dimitri's mysterious death, Pimen reveals to him the truth about Godunov's involvement. Deeply affected by the monk's tale, Grigori soon flees to Lithuania.
In the Kremlin, Godunov feels increasingly lonely as he is hounted by the visions of the murdered czarevitch. Prince Shuysky informs him that someone who claims to be czarevitch Dimitri is heading for Moscow to take over the throne. In fact, this is the escaped novice Grigori who has become an impostor in order to win the heart of the Polish beauty Marina Mniszek...