Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk [Blu-ray]

Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) first mounted his epic opera +Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk in 1934; an examination of greed, lust and betrayal that Shostakovich adapted from the short story "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District" by Nikolai Leskov, it tells of a working-class Russian woman who falls hard for one of her husband's co-workers and is driven to homicide. The production in this release emerged in 2006, under the auspices of De Nederlandse Opera and its managing director Truze Lodder. It stars Eva-Maria Westbroek in the title role; the supporting cast includes Carole Wilson, Alexandre Kravets and Christopher Ventris. The Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra lend added musical support, Martin Ku?ej directs for the stage, and Mariss Jansons handles musical direction.