MILAN — In a powerful demonstration of art transcending geopolitical conflict, Milan’s legendary Teatro alla Scala staged Dmitry Shostakovich’s provocative opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” for its prestigious season opening gala on Sunday. This marks the second Russian opera presentation since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but unlike last year’s controversial premiere, this performance was accompanied by peace advocacy rather than cultural protests.
Under the baton of Music Director Riccardo Chailly, the production transformed what could have been a diplomatic flashpoint into a platform for cultural diplomacy. The opera itself—banned by Stalin in 1936 for its subversive portrayal of female oppression in Soviet society—serves as a timeless critique of authoritarianism that resonates profoundly with contemporary tensions.
Italian political party +Europa organized a symbolic demonstration emphasizing “the defense of liberty and European democracy threatened by Putin’s Russia” and expressing solidarity with Ukraine. However, authorities relocated the protest from La Scala’s main square to a secondary location behind City Hall due to security considerations.
La Scala’s leadership vigorously defended their artistic choices. General Manager Fortunato Ortombina asserted that “music is fundamentally superior to any ideological conflict,” adding that “Shostakovich, and Russian music more broadly, have an authority over the Russian people that exceeds Putin’s own.”
American soprano Sara Jakubiak made her highly anticipated La Scala debut in the demanding lead role of Katerina, a woman driven to murder by existential repression. Jakubiak described the challenging role—requiring 47 high B-flats in a single performance—as both technically demanding and emotionally transformative.
Director Vasily Barkhatov’s innovative staging transported the narrative from its original 19th-century rural setting to a cosmopolitan 1950s Russian city during Stalin’s final years. The production unfolds primarily within an Art Deco restaurant featuring rotating sets that create multiple spaces from kitchen to interrogation room.
Despite the opera’s tragic arc—culminating in the protagonist’s death in a Siberian prison—Barkhatov interprets the story as “a weird breakthrough to happiness and freedom,” albeit noting that “many die on their way to achieving it.” This nuanced production demonstrates how classical art continues to provide relevant commentary on power, resistance, and human dignity across generations.
