Boris Godunov (at the Deutsche Oper).

IN THE NEW BORIS GODUNOV AT THE DEUTSCHE Oper, Gotz Friedrich shaped the characters thoughtfully. Thanks to an exquisite ensemble, he presented a comparatively strong evening after a number of rather disappointing productions.

In full command of his vocal abilities, Matti Salminen proved a larger-than-life Czar, a monumental figure whose fear, weakness and psychological pressure were tangibly moving. Wieslaw Ochmann revealed himself as the evening's most fascinating singing actor, carving a Dimitri of outstanding intensity. Kurt Rydl made a profound Pimen, Lenus Carlson a demonic Ragoni. Gunther von Kannen exaggerated the drunkenness of Warlaam, while Renee Kollo fell behind his usual high standard as Schuiskij. As Marina, Mariana Cioromila embodied the cliche of a pseudo-seductive, power-lusting woman. The supporting roles were cast convincingly.

Though Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos neglected many of the score's nuances, his achievement with the orchestra stood far above the lifeless readings he has been feared for over the past seasons. Gottfried Pilz built one set for all four acts, a space that registered as the ugliest design seen on this stage for years.

The first Berlin performance of George Enescu's Oedipe also suffered under Pilz's limited capacities. In Oedipe, he adorned the stage with gray stone sculptures that suggested giant penises, thus embarrassingly stressing the story's Freudian aspect, and the costumes, likewise by Pilz, seemed to have been purchased in a sale of a large middle-class department store. Gotz Freidrich's directing was solid, if not overly inspired. The one truly impressive accomplishment came from Monte Pederson in the title role. Bass Gleb Nikolskij was a sonorous Tiresias and the minor part of Iocasta was upgraded a great deal by Karan Armstrong. At the podium, Laurence Foster had the orchestra unfold a multilayered fabric of sound.