A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk (2025)
On the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death, La Scala opens the Season with his masterpiece Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, based on the novella by Nikolai Leskov. After its premiere in St. Petersburg, the opera – which was intended to be the first part of a trilogy on women’s condition in Russia – enjoyed great success at home and abroad. Stalin attended a performance in Moscow in 1936; two days later, the famous denunciation titled “Chaos Instead of Music” appeared in Pravda, through which the regime blacklisted the opera and its composer. Years later, Shostakovich prepared a new version that was staged in Moscow in 1963 under the title Katerina Izmailova, after Superintendent Ghiringhelli had unsuccessfully tried to secure its premiere for La Scala. Today, the theatre presents the original 1934 version, conducted by M° Chailly and the debut of director Barkhatov.
Director: Arnalda Canali
https://www.raiplay.it/programmi/unaladymacbethdeldistrettodimcensk
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Sara Jakubiak as Katerina L’vovna Izmajlova |
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Alexander Roslavets as Boris Timofeevič Izmailov |
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Yevgeny Akimov as Zinovij Borisovič Izmailov |
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Najmiddin Mavlyanov as Sergej |
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Alexander Kravets as Seedy Lout |
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Chao Liu as Millhand |
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Valery Gilmanov as Priest |
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Jiří Rajniš as Yard Keeper |
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Ivan Shcherbatykh as Foreman |
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Oleg Budaratskiy as Police Seargeant |
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Riccardo Chailly as |
| Art | Zinovy Margolin | Set Designer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Olga Shaishmelashvili | Costume Design |
| Lighting | Alexander Sivaev | Lighting Design |
| Writing | Alexander Preis | Writer |
| Writing | Dmitri Shostakovich | Writer |
| Sound | Dmitri Shostakovich | Original Music Composer |
| Directing | Arnalda Canali | Director |
| Sound | Riccardo Chailly | Conductor |
| Directing | Vasily Barkhatov | Stage Director |