“The role has surely never had a more jaw-droppingly powerful interpreter than Estonian Ain Anger, the real bass article and an artist with an ability to lift the key drama right off the page”

“the excellent, glowering Ain Anger”

“Ain Anger graduated from Pimen – his part at Covent Garden – to give a rounded and moving portrait of the title role, both vocally and dramatically. His large, wide-ranging bass accommodated easily the Tsar’s pained outbursts while finding intimate tones for the familial scenes.”

“Towering above all physically, vocally and dramatically, however, was bass Ain Anger as Dosifei. It was a monumental performance of the mystical, fanatical, uncompromising religious zealot that was the bedrock of the production”

“Estonian bass Ain Anger was well cast as Dosifey, leader of the Old Believers, impressively rolling out unforced waves of well-founded singing”

“Ain Anger had a massive and minatory dignity as the leader of the Old Believers.”

“His exceptional monologue in the fifth scene was notable less for its anxiety than its calm intelligence and hints of resignation: in his gentle phrasing, punctuated by moments of rising doubt, one could discern a tsar who was only beginning to understand that his own life was subject to forces beyond his control. In the equally impressive final scene Anger managed to avoid the obvious pitfalls of vocal overacting, instead summoning nobility and clarity for Boris’ final address to his son.”

“Ain Anger enters the scene as Godunov… The Estonian, who sings this role for the first time, has something Christ-like with his long smoothed hair; his deep, penetrating bass is permeated with honest felt emotions — poetic, desperate, but also powerful. Voice and appearance are of touching fragility and at the same time of Old Testament power… they are all surpassed by Ain Anger, who also makes the dying scene, which is fundamentally ridiculous, into a character study.”

“Ain Anger, a brooding, dark Fafner”

“There was the added bonus that Terfel’s voice contrasted well with the far darker sound of Ain Anger’s Pimen, an assumption that rivaled and at times surpassed that of Terfel. Pimen’s long monologues in Part Two were an example of someone completely inside a part, from the resonant opening (“Just one final tale”) through to the climactic strains of his witnessing of ​“the bloody sin”.”

“[Ain Anger] has all the characteristics of the most profound Russian basses; namely cavernous authority and the narrative articulation to match. He is utterly commanding in this repertoire, not just in setting the narrative scene – showing that you don’t need an opera stage to tell a story – but especially when he spoke the words of Death himself, booming with authority when, for example, he spoke the words ​“You are mine!” at the end of the Serenade. His is a voice you don’t argue with and you don’t forget.”

“There is real darkness in the rich-toned chronicling of Ain Anger’s Pimen”

“Ain Anger, as the monk Pimen, has wonderfully sympathetic gravitas”

“Ain Anger’s mellow, booming bass voice perfectly suited Peneios”

“As Dosifey, Ain Anger was enormously impressive : a tall, imposing stage presence, he rolled out his phrases in a generous, beautiful bass, mixing dignity and dangerous charisma in his characterization.”