Metropolitan Opera Announces Cast Change Advisory For Boris Godunov

Pavel Smelkov will conduct this evening's performance of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, replacing Valery Gergiev who is suffering from exhaustion and resting in St. Petersburg. Gergiev still plans to conduct this Saturday's matinee performance.

Smelkov conducted Boris Godunov earlier this season on October 30, and is scheduled to lead it again next week on March 17. He has conducted regularly at the Mariinsky Theater since 2000 and made his Met debut with Shostakovich's The Nose last season. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Baltika Youth Chamber Orchestra.

Boris Godunov features René Pape in the title role, with Ekaterina Semenchuk, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Oleg Balashov, Evgeny Nikitin, Mikhail Petrenko, and Vladimir Ognovenko in other leading roles.