Opera North: Katya Kabanova at The Lowry
Johnny James, Managing Editor
A tale of temptation, passion and guilt, Janáček’s wildly beautiful Katya Kabanova is coming to The Lowry, courtesy of Opera North.
One of opera’s true masterpieces, Katya was first performed at the National Theatre (Národní divadlo v Brně) in Brno, 1921. A highly charged, tense and erotic work, it features some of Janáček’s most beautiful music. The composer took inspiration from a number of sources: a Russian play called The Storm, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, but most of all, his own doomed love for a married woman.
Katya Kabanova tells the poignant and passionate tale of a heroine driven to temptation. Stifled by the repressive social dynamics of a small town and trapped in an unhappy marriage, the volatile Katya has an affair with another man while her husband is out of town on business. Overwhelmed by guilt, she can’t help but confess her sin upon her husband’s return. This leads her to take a further, even bolder action – one that can never be reversed.
From its brooding opening to its dizzying close, Katya Kabanova is a wildly gripping opera, and a thrill to behold. First seen at Opera North in 2007, this production will be led by one of the country’s most distinguished conductors, Sian Edwards, in her Opera North debut. The fantastic cast includes Stephanie Corley as Katya, Harold Meers as Boris, Heather Shipp as Kabanicha and Katie Bray as Varvara.
Having received rave reviews in Leeds earlier this year, we can’t wait for Opera North to bring the storm of Katya our way very soon!
