A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk
Una Lady Macbeth del distretto di Mcensk
Synopsis
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.
Top Cast
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Sara Jakubiak
Katerina L’vovna Izmajlova
Alexander Roslavets
Boris Timofeevič Izmailov
Yevgeny Akimov
Zinovij Borisovič Izmailov
Najmiddin Mavlyanov
Sergej
Alexander Kravets
Seedy Lout
Chao Liu
Millhand
Valery Gilmanov
Priest
Jiří Rajniš
Yard Keeper
Ivan Shcherbatykh
Foreman
Oleg Budaratskiy
Police Seargeant
Riccardo Chailly
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Arnalda Canali
- Screenplay & Story
- Alexander Preis, Dmitri Shostakovich
- Original Score
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Original Title
- Una Lady Macbeth del distretto di Mcensk
- Country of Origin
- Italy
- Spoken Languages
- Italian, Russian
- Runtime
- 3h 51m
- Production Studios
- RAI
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Arnalda Canali
Alexander Preis, Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Department Leadership Roster
Olga Shaishmelashvili
Costume Design
Alexander Preis
Writer
Dmitri Shostakovich
Writer
Dmitri Shostakovich
Original Music Composer
Arnalda Canali
Director
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk.
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Frequently Asked Questions About A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk about?
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.
Who directed A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk?
A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk was directed by Arnalda Canali.
Who stars in A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk?
The principal cast of A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk includes Sara Jakubiak, Alexander Roslavets, Yevgeny Akimov, Najmiddin Mavlyanov, Alexander Kravets.
When was A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk released and how long is it?
A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk was released in 2025 with a total runtime of 3h 51m.
Who composed the musical score for A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk?
The original motion picture soundtrack for A Lady Macbeth of the District of Mcensk was composed by Dmitri Shostakovich.