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Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
This opera is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Sadly, Joseph Stalin did not share my enthusiasm—he went so far as to openly condemn it in Pravda shortly after its premiere, issuing a veiled threat to Shostakovich. The composer never wrote another opera again.
This particular performance, recorded in Milan in 1964, is sung in Italian and features Inge Borkh as Katerina Ismailova. Borkh’s voice is a perfect fit for the role, capturing every facet of the character’s transformation—from a discontented housewife to a cold-blooded murderer, and finally to the hollow shell of a woman in the opera’s haunting conclusion. Her Italian is surprisingly idiomatic, and one can only imagine how her striking stage presence would have further elevated the role in a live production.
Track List
Act I, Scene i — Katerina's Room
Tracks 1 - 5
Act I, Scene ii — The Ismailovs' Yard
Tracks 6 - 8
Act I, Scene iii — Katerina's Room
Tracks 9 - 13
Act II, Scene iv — The Yard
Tracks 14 - 19
Act II, Scene v — Katerina's Room
Tracks 20 - 26
Act III, Scene vi — Near the Cellar
Tracks 27 - 28
Act III, Scene vii — The Police Station
Tracks 29 - 31
Act III, Scene viii — The Ismailov Garden
Tracks 32 - 35
Act IV, Scene ix — A Temporary Convict Camp
Tracks 36 - 42
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4.0
Based on 3 reviews
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✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Dynamic Performances from the Entire Cast!
I think this was the Italian premiere of Shostakovich's shocking opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and not the slightly watered down revision Katerina Ismailova. The scenes of social parody are here, but the Italian censors were still not comfortable with some of the composer's more blatant sexual episodes. The famous horn slides depicting Sergey's sexual relief have been cut and there are some minor cuts elsewhere to tighten things up or gloss over more objectionable name-calling (Sergei refers to Katerina in the last Act as "Assassina!" rather than the more explicit Russian epithet.)The singers are all excellent and commit to these challenging roles wholeheartedly. Borkh is brilliant as Katerina, moving from bored, flirtatious housewife in the first scene to the frightening nihilist in her final monologue. She sounds completely at home in the Italian translation; I'd love to have heard her sing this in her native German. Dondi is the lecherous, tyrannical father-in-law to perfection and Gibin in first-rate as the lecherous heel Sergey. The entire supporting cast is terrific. I will single out Antonio Zerbini's beautifully sung Old Convict as a highlight of the last act. Luciano Piccolo sings Sonyetka very well, but her screams when pushed in the river are so lame it almost ruins the final scene. The sound is very good though there is some choral "ghosting" in the last act and warped tape elsewhere.
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Czechia
