Organization

Set designer

Set designer (+1)

Rifail Ajdarpasic

Costume designer

Ariane Isabell Unfried

Dramaturge

Dramaturge (+1)

Marlene Hahn

Bass (+4)

Randall Jakobsh

Boris Timofeyevich Izmailov

Tenor (+1)

Matthias Stier

Zinovy Borisovich Izmailov

Brenden Gunnell

Sergei

Bass (+2)

Ivo Stánchev

Priest

Tenor (+4)

Sven Hjörleifsson

A teacher

Bass (+3)

Peter Dolinsek

Old Convict

Stage director

Stage director (+2)

Francisco Negrín

Tenor (+5)

Dan Karlström

Der Schäbige

Mezzo-soprano (+4)

Nora Steuerwald

Sonjetka

Ghost of Boris Timofeyevich

Oper Leipzig

Chorus

Chorus of the Oper Leipzig

Orchestra

Gewandhausorchester

Lighting designer

Michael Röger

Video

Marc Molinos

Soprano

Ingela Brimberg

Ekaterina Lvovna Izmailova

Soprano (+1)

Friederike Meinke

Aksinia

Baritone (+1)

Christian Moellenhoff

Hausknecht

Ervin Ahmeti

1. Vorarbeiter / Kutscher

Tenor (+2)

Einar Dagur Jónsson

3. Vorarbeiter / Betrunkener Gast

Baritone (+4)

Marian Müller

Bote (Mühlenarbeiter)

Vincent Turregano

Baritone (+3)

Franz Xaver Schlecht

Polizeichef

Polizist

Bass (+1)

Kwangmin Seo

Seargeant

Frank Wernstedt

Soprano (+2)

Kamila Dziadko

Zwangsarbeiterin

Chorusmaster

Chorusmaster (+3)

Thomas Eitler-de Lint

Police inspector

Opernhaus

Bass-baritone (+5)

Michael Raschle

Verwalter / Wächter

Conductor

Conductor (+1)

Fabrizio Ventura

Christoph Gedschold

Bass-baritone (+2)

Liam James Karai

To what lengths may a person to go to free themselves from terrible circumstances? The young Katerina, married into wealth yet lonely nonetheless, imprisoned in a mercilessly cold world dominated by men and controlled by its police force, is longing for something more. She is forced to hide her joie de vivre on account of her tyrannical father-in-law, and suppress her desires for love because her husband is impotent and distant. When he is away and the bravado Sergei starts working on the farm, she seems to have found a way out of this dull situation devoid of action. But in the end, four people are dead, including a murderess. Premiered in Leningrad in 1934, the acclaimed opera was intended to further fuel the promising career of the then 24-year-old Dmitri Shostakovich.But one visit to a performance by Stalin was enough for him to suspect the celebrated star of being a potential enemy of the regime. From then on, Shostakovich was forced to live and compose in oppressive fear. Yet where words are forbidden, his musical world simmers, sizzles and lies in wait to explode at the next touch.

Bilder