Shostakovich, Stalin and Lady Macbeth

Dec 15, 2020 | Webinars

Shostakovich, Stalin and Lady Macbeth
presented by Sebastian Grand
December 2, 2020

It was on 26 January, 1936 that Stalin paid a rare visit to the opera: Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District was the work performed. It was an event that was to have a lasting impact on Shostakovich’s musical life and leave him fearing for himself and his family. We’ll investigate the events of 1936-7, Shostakovich’s political denunciation and his return to favor with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony.