Milan’s renowned Teatro alla Scala celebrated its gala season premiere on December 4, 2023, featuring Dmitry Shostakovich’s opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. This marks the second consecutive year the prestigious opera house has showcased a Russian opera since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Unlike last year’s event, which faced protests against the promotion of Russian culture, a flash mob gathered outside the venue to advocate for peace and support for Ukraine.
Conducted by Riccardo Chailly, the performance attracted a wide array of influential figures from the realms of culture, business, and politics, solidifying its status as one of the year’s most anticipated cultural events in Europe. The opera, originally composed in 1934, deals with the plight of women in Stalin’s Soviet Union and was notably blacklisted after a performance witnessed by Joseph Stalin in 1936, a pivotal year marking the onset of the Great Purge.
A dozen activists from a liberal Italian political party staged a silent demonstration, brandishing Ukrainian and European flags. Their aim was to highlight the ongoing threats to liberty and democracy posed by President Vladimir Putin’s Russia and to extend support to the Ukrainian populace. The party emphasized that Shostakovich’s work serves as a critique of power and illustrates the importance of personal resistance.
In a separate demonstration, a larger group of several dozen individuals gathered outside city hall, calling for freedom for Palestinians and an end to colonialism. This protest was kept at a distance from arriving dignitaries by a police cordon. Historically, La Scala’s gala season premieres have been accompanied by demonstrations against war and various forms of inequality.
Chailly began collaborating with Russian director Vasily Barkhatov on this production around two years ago, following the previous gala performance of Boris Godunov. That event was attended by prominent figures such as Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, both of whom distinguished between Russian culture and its political leaders. In contrast, protests from the Ukrainian community marked last year’s performance, reflecting ongoing sensitivities surrounding Russian cultural presentations amid the conflict.
Chailly described the staging of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at La Scala as a “must,” citing its historical significance. “It is an opera that has long suffered, and needs to make up for lost time,” he remarked during a press conference.
La Scala’s new general manager, Fortunato Ortombina, defended the decision to include both Shostakovich’s and Mussorgsky’s works in the theatre’s predominantly Italian repertoire. He stated, “Music is fundamentally superior to any ideological conflict,” asserting that the influence of Russian music transcends the political landscape shaped by Putin.
American soprano Sara Jakubiak made her debut at La Scala, taking on the challenging role of Katerina, a character whose fight against oppression leads her to commit murder and ultimately face death in a Siberian prison. Jakubiak, who previously performed the role in Barcelona, acknowledged the complexity of Shostakovich’s Katerina. “That I’m a murderess, that I’m singing 47 high B flats in one night—these challenges are significant,” she noted, expressing confidence in her preparation and support team.
Chailly humorously remarked on his rigorous approach to the production, suggesting he was “squeezing” Jakubiak like an orange. The soprano indicated a shared philosophy with the conductor, emphasizing the importance of both text and music in her preparation for the role. “I always start with a cup of coffee at my piano,” she explained, before layering in additional elements of performance.
Barkhatov, now 42, has established a successful international career and described the choice of Lady Macbeth as “very brave and exciting.” His staging situates the opera in a 1950s cosmopolitan Russian city during the final days of Stalin’s regime, a departure from the original 19th-century rural setting. He believes that the oppressive atmosphere of Stalin’s rule defines the narrative and the characters’ motivations, framing the opera as a personal tragedy rather than a political commentary.
The action unfolds in a restaurant designed with period Art Deco decor, featuring a rotating balustrade that creates various settings, including a kitchen and an interrogation office. Barkhatov acknowledged the tragic elements of the story but framed it as a “weird … breakthrough to happiness and freedom,” while lamenting the harsh realities many face in pursuit of such ideals.
