Myths and Legends of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is one of the most popular and frequently performed operas of the last century. But the Cold War narrative of martyrdom that has been such a successful aspect of its marketing since Mstislav Rostropovich’s landmark EMI recording of 1979 places restrictions upon our understanding of the opera itself. This article outlines a few of the most enduring myths of Lady Macbeth, including those established in the Stalin era, as a first step in acknowledging their power over musicians and audiences today.