Shostakovich: Katerina Izmailova (G Vishnevskaya 1966)

From 1966 film by Mikhail Shapiro of Dmitri Shostakovich's opera 'Katerina Izmailova' (the revised version of Lady McBeth of Mtsensk District).

The great Russian dramatic soprano, Galina Vishnevskaya, both sings and acts as Katerina Izmailova. This is from Act I; after having a run in with the handsome new worker, Sergei, with her boring husband away on a business, Katerina is tired of her meaningless existence and longs for passion in her life... Zherebyonok k kobilke toropitsya.

Konstantin Simeonov conducting the Orchestra of the Shevchenko Opera & Ballet Theatre, Kiev.

If you enjoy this short clip, buy the Decca Label dvd of 'Katerina Izmailova'. Very little of Vishnevskaya's performance during the Soviet era was preserved since all records of her in the USSR were systematically erased after her and her husband, Mtislav Rostropovich, were forced into exile for housing Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn at their dacha while he wrote all those great anti-Soviet books. A crying shame!!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Shostakovich
• Katerina
• Izmailova
• opera
• Lady
• MacBeth
• Ladi
• Makbet
• Mtsensk
• Galina
• Vishnevskaya
• film
• Mikhail
• Shapiro
• smorg

[Threedaysgraace13]

What the fuck did I just witness?

Honestly how can you faggots listen to this. It sounds like a fucking squirrel getting raped by king kong singing show tunes.

[SDCmorg]

@Threedaysgraace13 And just how would you know what a squirrel would sound like when it is "raped by king kong" anyhow?

You not getting this music is fine, but there is really no need to broadcast that extent of that defect to others with better hearing and comprehension, I think. It doesn't quite, er, spice up your image very much.

[Homoclassicus]

Thanks! It's great to see Vishnevskaya in one of her greatest roles. She's the only singer that pleased me completely as Katerina. Her voice is so meaningful, powerful and expressive. Its metallic quality is wonderful, and she knows like no one else how to give great expression to the Russian language.

[SDCmorg]

My pleasure! :o) She is an amazing artist indeed. It's a real shame how few recordings of her pre-1974 exile exist now. Watching this, it's no wonder Shostakovich was so taken with her. Her memoir is one of the most fascinating books I've read, too!

Cheers! :o)

[Machru]

What most of you ignorarnt haters don't take into consideration is the technical ability to edit the recording medium! You stupid people!! This was a long time ago!!

[mutinyinheav3n]

@Threedaysgraace13 Too bad that you listen to Three Days Grace, which is on the same level as Justin Bieber.

[mutinyinheav3n]

@Threedaysgraace13 LOL, you're calling us "faggots" when you listen to three days grace, the shitty radio rock band every mall goth, "hardcore" pussy in middle school listens to?

[gomongio]

Unfortunately, this opera is not very known in the West (Chile I am from) so this is the first aria recording I hear of Katerina... :(

[OlenaGlynka]

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SOUND! What a deep acting! After GAlina Vishnevskaya's interpretation I simply can't perceive any other Katerina Izmailova. This is a refererence performance.

[Threedaysgraace13]

@SDCmorg

No. I just dont listen to music with a depressed pale fucking asian. She should've remained in the kitchen making fucking dumplings. I would rather have a justin bieber CD shoved up my ass so far that I'd have to feel it and listen to it for the rest of my miserable life than listen to this pile of aids infested armadillo shit.

[Threedaysgraace13]

@pfitzner1

-facepalm- You sir, suffer from a serious case of doucheinidous.

[pfitzner1]

@Threedaysgraace13 Stated with great tact and eloquence. There are certainly more attractive voices than GV's, but it would have sounded different in the house. Besides, the intonation is spot on (and it's tricky) and the acting superb. If you want beautiful, try the Eliane Coelho video, or imagine Scotto or Millo in this music.