Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” is set to return to the Prague State Opera in a new production.

The opera, which opens on Nov. 24 will be directed by Martin Čičvák and conducted by Hermann Bäumer.

In a statement, Čičvák noted, “There is nothing worse in theatre than feigning sex…We strive to create a plausible, delicate erotic tension, giving the audience the impression that it is genuine, while not coming across as repugnant. Yet everything takes places under camera surveillance, which is a metaphor of totalitarian control and totalitarian being, with an entrapped woman resorting to murder.”

Meanwhile, Per Boye Hansen, Artistic Director of the National Theatre Opera and the State Opera noted, ” “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is one of the finest twentieth-century operas. Shostakovich succeeds in a remarkable way in reconciling seemingly irreconcilable opposites. The main character, Katerina, is a monster, a serial killer, who wins the audience’s sympathy. On top of that, the opera is full of humour. An unsurpassed masterpiece with the most expressive music,”

“Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” is set to run through Dec. 17, 2023.