DIMITRIJ

Presented by Odyssey Opera at Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30 and up. 617-826-1626, www.odysseyopera.org

Russian history’s dramatic, often blood-stained pages have provided ample fuel for operatic composers, from Mikhail Glinka’s “A Life for the Tsar’’ to Sergei Prokofiev’s “War and Peace.’’ But few historical characters have proved more irresistible than the protean False Dmitri.

A scheming pretender to the Russian throne in the chaotic opening years of the 17th century, Dmitri shows up in several operas, most famously as the ambitious villain of Modest Mussorgsky’s masterpiece “Boris Godunov.’’ But on Friday night at Jordan Hall, Odyssey Opera will show us his kinder, softer side, as it presents the Boston premiere of “Dimitrij,’’ a fascinating and juicy work by Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904).

“It’s a big, gorgeous score that takes many lovely turns,’’ says the indefatigable Gil Rose, Odyssey Opera’s artistic and general director, who will conduct the concert performance. For this extravaganza, Rose has assembled impressive forces, including a full orchestra and a chorus of 74 singers, plus singers imported from the Czech Republic in the three leading roles of Dimitrij (tenor Aleš Briscein), Marina (soprano Dana Burešová), and Xenie (soprano Olga Jelinková). “Dimitrij’’ will be sung in the original Czech, with English supertitles.

Performing the title role for the first time and for his American debut, Briscein said the opera “has a lot of fantastic music’’; he’s especially fond of the romantic duets he has with Xenie, but finds the work demanding because “it frequently goes out of the traditional tenor range.’’ A longtime member of the company at Prague’s National Theater, Briscein is well known for the role of the prince in Dvorák’s opera “Rusalka.’’

In Russian history, the real Dmitri was the last child of Czar Ivan IV (“The Terrible’’). When he died in 1584, Ivan IV was succeeded by Dmitri’s elder brother Fyodor. In 1591, Dmitri died as a child under mysterious circumstances; persistent rumors maintained it was murder. So when Tsar Fyodor died childless in 1598, the succession line ended. To the throne ascended his brother-in-law, Boris Godunov. But Boris, increasingly unpopular, himself, died in 1605. Enter False Dmitri.

Taking advantage of the chaos, a man believed by many to have been the rapscallion Russian monk Grigory Otrepyev pretended to be Dmitri — who, he claimed, had never really died. Fleeing to Poland, he enlisted the support of the Russian-hating Polish aristocracy and married a conniving princess, Marina Mniszek. They shared visions of making Orthodox Russia into a colony of a greater Catholic Poland. Together they returned triumphant to Moscow and began to rule.

But things didn’t go well. Dmitri became so unpopular that he was slaughtered by his Russian foes after a year on the throne. His naked corpse was dragged “by the genitals’’ (according to an authoritative account) through Moscow and burned. With a final theatrical touch, his ashes were fired from a cannon pointing toward Poland. Dvorák’s opera does not include this colorful final chapter.

The Czech writer Marie Cervinková-Riegrová wrote the libretto for “Dimitrij,’’ using two highly romanticized and inaccurate literary sources, one by Ferdinand Mikovec and the other by Friedrich Schiller. First performed in Prague in 1882, “Dimitrij’’ was subsequently revised for productions in 1883 and 1894. The authoritative critical edition that Odyssey Opera is using was prepared by Dvorák scholar Milan Pospíšil for publication in the Czech Republic in 2004. According to Rose, it represents “Dvorák’s final thoughts on the matter.’’

What remains in all versions is Dmitri’s belief that he really is Ivan IV’s son, as he has been told — falsely — by Marina’s uncle, a Polish nobleman. Only in Act III does Marina, jealous of Dmitri’s affection for Xenie, surviving daughter of Boris Godunov, confront him with the truth.

In Act IV, Dmitri’s true identity is exposed. In the final moments he is shot and killed by Prince Shuisky, who covets the throne for himself.

Known primarily today as an orchestral composer (especially for his exquisite if overly familiar “New World’’ Symphony), Dvorák lavished time and passion on opera. It was an often unrequited love. Of his 10 operas, only the late, lusciously folksy “Rusalka’’ has attained fame outside Czech lands. In the early “Dimitrij,’’ Dvorák drew heavily on the grand opera example of Giacomo Meyerbeer and the inescapable influence of Richard Wagner.

“The musical language feels like that of Dvorák’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies,’’ says Rose, adding that one reason “Dimitrij’’ didn’t catch on is because it didn’t have as many catchy tunes as “Rusalka.’’

“When Dvorák revised the score, he extracted some of the Wagnerisms and put in more Czech nationalism, folk tunes, and Russian flavor,’’ Rose says. “The performance will carry a real punch in the intimate surroundings of Jordan Hall, with so many musicians onstage.’’

Later in the season, Odyssey Opera will continue to pursue its mission of presenting lesser-known works. “Wilde Opera Nights’’ will offer performances in various venues of four works inspired by the life and work of writer Oscar Wilde: Lowell Liebermann’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray’’ on Nov. 18, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “The Importance of Being Earnest’’ on March 17 and 19, Alexander Zemlinsky’s “The Dwarf’’ on April 14, and the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera “Patience’’ on June 3 and 4.

DIMITRIJ

Presented by Odyssey Opera at Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30 and up. 617-826-1626, www.odysseyopera.org

Harlow Robinson can be reached at harlo@mindspring.com.