Boris becomes deranged, the soul of Russia – expressed through anguished choruses – troubled.
Experts still argue over which version of Mussorgsky's historical epic is definitive. The reluctant Boris, filled with foreboding and guilt for a murder, is appointed tsar. The people grow hungry and rebellious. Pretenders vie for the throne. Boris becomes deranged, the soul of Russia – expressed through anguished choruses – troubled. This is one of the Russian operatic greats.