27 Feb - 1 Mar
Grand Theatre, HK Cultural Centre

A great 20th century masterpiece for adults only
Erotic and violent

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, one of the most brilliant achievements of Dmitri Shostakovich's long career, is a tale full of turbulence: in the opera and for the composer. Two years after the opera's successful premiere, Stalin saw the opera; a nation-wide ban followed and the rising composer faced death threats. Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was silenced for nearly 30 years and Shostakovich, a great genius of opera, would turn away from the theatre and focus on symphonic and chamber music instead.

This production is a perfect coupling of music and theatre. Shostakovich boldly experimented with music, matching it to the sustaining tension of the drama &emdash; a drama that includes sexual longing, infidelity, murder and suicide. Explicit sex scenes and violent acts, underlined by vintage Shostakovich sound, belong equally to the theatre.

Latvian National Opera produced the opera, in 2006, to commemorate the composer's centenary anniversary. With a 200-strong orchestra and chorus, this is an opera with unparalleled impact.

Performed in Russian with English and Chinese surtitles
Recommended for ages 16 and above