Boris Godunov (opera) ("Flow, flow, bitter tears!") of the arrival of the enemy and of woe to Russia. Russian opera of the early 1870s was dominated by Western European works—mainly Italian. The domestic product was regarded with skepticism and sometimes hostility. The playwright Tikhonov wrote in 1898: As the most daring and innovative member of the Mighty Handful, Mussorgsky frequently became the target of conservative critics and rival composers, and was often derided for his supposedly clumsy and crude musical idiom. After the premiere of "Boris Godunov", influential critic Herman Laroche wrote: Reviews of the premiere performance of "Boris Godunov" were for the
William Chapman (baritone) NYCO. At Spoleto he also appeared in the world premiere of Tennessee Williams's play "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore". In March 1962 he portrayed Horace Tabor in Douglas Moore's "The Ballad of Baby Doe" opposite Beverly Sills in the title role and the Secret Police Agent in Menotti's "The Consul". In the 1964–1965 season Chapman added four new roles to his NYCO repertoire: Rangoni in Modest Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" with Norman Treigle in the title role; Jochanaan in Richard Strauss's "Salome" with Norman Kelley as Herod, Patricia Neway as Herodias, and Curtin in the title role; Boris in