LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK (KATERINA IZMAILOVA) Opera on Film

Adopted from Shostakovich’s opera with his full participation, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (called Katerina lzmailova after its initial banning) is a psychologically complex drama of love, violence, and betrayal. Emotionally stifled by her marriage, Katerina seduces Sergei, a mercenary farmhand. -Believing she has found love, the passionate woman rebels, but her affair soon culminates in murder and betrayal. The film’s overt sexuality and Katerina’s sympathetically portrayed actions outraged Soviet authorities and the film was banned for years and only recently re-released. The music is performed by the Shevchenko Opera and Ballet Theatre Orchestra.