In the territory of grand opera Dvorák, for the first time in the history of Czech national opera, succeeded in overcoming the contradiction between a historical opera and a musical drama. He rose up to the tradition represented by Giacomo Meyerbeer and Richard Wagner having understood the essence of both dramatic types, and having developed freely his individuality in a synthesis of their aesthetic premises. With its immense musical wealth and dramatic power, Dimitrij is Antonín Dvorák's most important stage composition, equalled only by Rusalka.

The plot of Dimitrij is a continuation of the story of Boris Godunov, with four characters in common: Dimitrij (assumed son of Ivan the Terrible who, however, genuinely believes in his claim), the Polish Marina of the princely Sandomir family (now his wife), the Russian Xenie (the daughter of Boris Godunov) and Prince Sujsky, surprisingly now a supporter of Boris, and Dimitrij's chief antagonist.

SYNOPSIS

Moscow: 1605 - 1606

Act I

After Boris's death the people of Moscow are confused and factionalized. In Moscow's square in front of the Kremlin, people gather after the death of Boris Godunov awaiting the naming of the new tsar. In the meantime, the city is approached by the Polish army led by Dimitrij. Some (led by the Patriarch Jov and Sujsky) continue to support the Godunov family; the people and the boyars, who had taken an oath of allegiance to Godunov's children, decide in favour of Dimitrij as soon as commander Basmanov announces that the army has gone over to his side.

Boris's daughter Xenie, escaping the revolting crowd, takes refuge with Sujsky. The triumphant Dimitrij enters Moscow and meets Marfa, the widow of Ivan the Terrible. Marfa is disappointed to find out that he is not her child, but moved by his behaviour and longing for revenge for the wrong she had suffered, she recognizes him publicly as her son.

Act II

Scene 1

Dimitrij and Marina's wedding is celebrated in the Kremlin. A dispute breaks out after Marina rejects Dimitrij's request that she become a Russian. In the course of the court ball, a controversy erupts between the Russians and the boisterous Poles which is pacified only after Dimitrij's resolute intervention.

Scene 2

Dimitrij searches for peace at the tomb of Ivan the Terrible, in the vault of Uspenski Cathedral. Xenie is hiding there from the drunken Poles. Dimitrij protects her from molestation. A relationship forms between him and Xenie. After she leaves, the boyars arrive led by Sujsky to ally against Dimitrij. When Sujsky swears that the real Dimitrij has long been dead, Dimitrij emerges in front of the surprised plotters and wins the majority of them over for his side.

Act III

In the throne hall, Dimitrij remembers Xenia. The Patriarch asks the tsar, in front of the assembled court, to intervene against Polish imperiousness. Xenia pleads for mercy for Sujsky who faces execution. Horrified, she recognizes her protector in the tsar. The pardoning of Sujsky fills the Poles with indignation. Driven by jealousy, Marina reveals to Dimitrij his real origin: he had been passed off for the murdered son of Ivan the Terrible since childhood. In an attempt to prevent the further chaos which would follow his resignation, Dimitrij decides to keep the throne and reject Marina. She is crushed by his heroic stance: he repudiates her.

Act IV

In the courtyard of Sujsky's house, Xenia mourns her betrayed love. Dimitrij succeeds in convincing her of the sincerity of his emotions but Xenia holds him responsible for the death of her family and calls on him to live only for the benefit of Russia. Marina takes revenge by having Xenia killed. Caught at the scene of the murder by Sujsky, she reveals Dimitrij's real origin to the astonished people. Sujsky begs Marfa to tell the truth. Dimitrij himself prevents Marfa from committing perjury Sujsky shoots the false tsar over whose dead body the people pray.

For all its resemblance to Meyerbeer's Le prophète (the central figure of an impostor, with a crucial mother-son 'recognition' scene in full public gaze, and the generally French grand-opera conventions), there are vital differences between this opera and an actual French opera on the same subject (JonciÈres's Dimitri). In the French opera, there is no Russian-Polish confrontation (most of the plot takes place before Dimitrij gets to Russia); whereas Dvorák uses his double-chorus confrontations to great effect for opposing nationalities, and with surprisingly convincing imitations of Orthodox chant. Joncières's hero is a philandering weakling, a lyric tenor caught between mistresses; Dvorák's Dimitrij is heroic in voice and action and chooses his consorts politically - the Polish Marina discarded for the Russian Xenie. Dvoràk's opera unfolds unevenly, but in its dialectic confrontations, particularly that of Marina and Dmitrij in Act 3, and in one of the greatest scenes in all Czech opera, Marfa's hesitation in Act 4, Dvorák shows a handling of dramatic tension that is immensely powerful and unparalleled in his other operas.