Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (2009)
Opera in 4 Acts
At first glance, the title of Shostakovich’s opera seems to speak for itself: Katherina, neglected and unhappy in her marriage, commits the most heinous crime just like the Shakespearian Lady Macbeth. But Nikolai Leskov’s short novel, which portrays Katherina as a monster, was only the starting point for Shostakovich to elicit understanding for an oppressed woman whose pursuit for self-determination is suppressed by society. Through combining satiric, grotesque and tragic elements in his music, Shostakovich succeeds in striking the balance between repulsion at Katherina’s immoral acts and sympathy for her. Violence, eroticism and the paralysing boredom of Russian society in the 19th century are the founding elements of this composition. The choir and orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino conducted by James Conlon accompany tremendous soloists such as Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Vladimir Vaneev and Vsevolod Grivnov in the original language in this live recording.
Cast
- Vladimir Vaneev - Boris Izmailov
- Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet - Katerina Izmailova
- Vsevolod Grivnov - Sergei
- James Conlon - Conductor
Screenplay
Keywords
opera
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk about?
- At first glance, the title of Shostakovich’s opera seems to speak for itself: Katherina, neglected and unhappy in her marriage, commits the most heinous crime just like the Shakespearian Lady Macbeth. But Nikolai Leskov’s short novel, which portrays Katherina as a monster, was only the starting point for Shostakovich to elicit understanding for an oppressed woman whose pursuit for self-determination is suppressed by society. Through combining satiric, grotesque and tragic elements in his music, Shostakovich succeeds in striking the balance between repulsion at Katherina’s immoral acts and sympathy for her. Violence, eroticism and the paralysing boredom of Russian society in the 19th century are the founding elements of this composition. The choir and orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino conducted by James Conlon accompany tremendous soloists such as Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Vladimir Vaneev and Vsevolod Grivnov in the original language in this live recording.
- Who directed Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk?
- Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was directed by Lev Dodin.
- Who stars in Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk?
- Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk stars Vladimir Vaneev, Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Vsevolod Grivnov, James Conlon.
- How long is Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk?
- Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk has a runtime of 2h 49m (169 minutes).
- What genre is Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk?
- Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is a Music film.