Kazushi Ono conducts Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in Lyon
First night on Saturday 23 January of Tcherniakov's bold and contemporary production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, an opera about love, sex and power. Shostakovich's operatic masterpiece of the Soviet era mixes expressionist dissonance and sardonic neoclassicism, a monumental score that Kazushi Ono brings to life with his irresistible energy.
Edited like a movie script, this opera multiplies conflicting musical atmospheres. A godsend for Kazushi Ono who is particularly inspired (...). Between paroxysms reminiscent of Mahler, satirical touches and refinements worthy of Mussorgsky, the conductor sustains a constant musical tension, enhancing the sometimes violent and erotic, sometimes revolting, images suggested by Tcherniakov's production.
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk tells the story of a bored and lonely merchant's wife, who seeks solace and excitement in an affair that ultimately leads to her downfall. Its graphic language and explicit portrayal of sex and violence led to the work being banned in the Soviet Union for almost 30 years.
This co-production with English National Opera and Gran Theatre del Liceu features Ausrine Stundyte as Katerina, John Daszak as Sergueï, Vladimir Ognovenko as Boris and Peter Hoare as Zinovy.
