One of the most famous operas of the 20th century returns to the Greek National Opera after almost a quarter of a century. Based on the novel by Nikolai Leskov, with music by Russian composer Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk addresses the subject of a woman’s position in provincial society.
The work became famous worldwide in 1936 following its condemnation by Joseph Stalin and ultimate banning in the Soviet Union until 1961, on the grounds that its music was vulgar with a too positive stance toward its murderess protagonist.
The new theatre and stage of the Greek National Opera in Athens. Photograph: courtesy GNO/Akriviadis.gr
Today the work is performed almost exclusively in its original version, allowing audiences to enjoy its inspired, tense and powerful music. This Greek National Opera (GNO) production is directed by Fanny Ardent, a prominent figure in the world of French cinema and theatre, who collaborates for the first time with the GNO.
Also collaborating is distinguished German set designer Tobias Hoheisel and famous costume designer Milena Canonaro, who has won four Academy Awards for Best Costume Design (Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire, Sofia Coppola’s Maria Antoinette and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel).
ABOUT LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is an opera in four acts and nine scenes by Dmitri Shostakovich, his Opus 29. The libretto is jointly written by Alexander Preys. It incorporates elements of expressionism and verismo telling the story of a lonely woman in 19th-century Russia who falls in love with one of her husband’s workers and is driven to murder.
The original uncensored version was not performed again in Russia until 2000.
Conductor: Vassilis Christopoulos
With the GNO Orchestra and Chorus
Why Athens Tip: This performance of the Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk will feature subtitles in both English and Greek.
ABOUT THE VENUE
The Stavros Niarchos Hall is the main auditorium of the opera wing found inside SNFCC complex. Designed by the acclaimed Renzo Piano, it comprises of 1400 seats with outstanding acoustics designed to stage traditional operas and ballets. It became the new home of the Greek National Opera in 2017.
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