Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District

Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (Ledi Makbet Mtsenskago Uezda) (Shostakovich). Libretto by composed by and Aleksandr Preis; 4 acts; first performance Leningrad (St Petersburg) 1934, conducted by Samuil Samosud.

Russia, 1865: Katerina Ismailova is unhappily married to Zinovy Ismailov, son of Boris Ismailov. While her husband is working away, she interrupts Sergei, the servant, molesting the cook, Aksinya. Boris himself lusts after Katerina and sends her to her room, but Sergei follows and they make love. Boris catches Sergei leaving Katerina's room and sends for Zinovy. Katerina puts poison into her father-in-law's mushrooms and he dies. Zinovy returns and notices Sergei's belt in Katerina's room and uses it to whip her. She and Sergei kill her husband and hide his body in the cellar. They plan to marry, but at the festivities a drunkard, looking for more drink, finds the body in the cellar. Katerina and Sergei admit their guilt and are arrested. On the road to Siberia they are separated. Sergei is attracted by another young convict, Sonyetka. Katerina pushes her into the river and jumps in to her own death.