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The concept of the Kát’a Kabanová
The theatre is busy rehearsing the new production of Leoš Janáček’s Kát’a Kabanová: the premiere performances take place on 16 and 18 December.


Music Director and Conductor of the production Peter Feranec: “All around the world we can witness a deep interest in Janáček’s work. For instance, in Germany alone Kát’a Kabanová has seen at least 20 different stagings. The Petersburg public has been acquainted with Janáček’s operas Jenůfa and The Makropulos Affair. It’s high time we produced Kát’a Kabanová. To my mind, this opera is essential for the repertory of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, moreover, the score is ideal for our company. Kát’a Kabanová is certainly introvert, intimate music, the music of situations. And we’re preparing a deep production, which will be psychological both in stage direction and musiñ, with elaborate study of intonations. Besides, in our theatre there has never been such thorough psychological director’s work with the soloists. The singers are so wrapped up in the process; they live the lives of their characters and won’t step back.”

The stage Director Niels-Peter Rudolph last visited Russia 25 years ago, so his arrival to this country is a re-opening of the country and the people. And his work on Kát’a Kabanová, according to Mr Rudolph, is “meeting the Russian woman.” “There is a theory that in opera society gets rid of the strong women — either by murdering them, or killing them off with consumption. It’s not the problem of strong female characters; it’s the problem of society which doesn’t want to see strong women gain the upper hand. They don’t want strong women to set an example for free and decisive behavior. The same thing happens to Kát’a Kabanová. But the important breakthrough of Janáček is the fact that Kát’a dies through her own choice, it’s her decision. Unlike her prototype, Ostrovsky’s character, Janáček’s Kát’a commits suicide not under pressure from society and circumstances, but because of her own inner tensions. She can’t accept herself as she is, she can’t accept her feelings. But against all the moral norms, she’s an emancipated woman.”

Purchase tickets to the premiere of  Kát’a Kabanová