Composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" made its premiere in 1934 and became an overnight sensation before all but vanishing after Stalin banned it from what was then the Soviet Union in 1936 — a move which sent Shostakovich into a state of fear that he would be arrested.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra brings that very opera to Symphony Hall this week before moving on to Carnegie Hall. In between rehearsals, The Culture Show host and GBH News Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen caught up with the BSO’s conductor Andris Nelsons and head of artistic planning Tony Fogg for a behind-the-scenes look at this ambitious undertaking.
From there, take a look at a reworking of the classic ballet "Raymonda." Boston Ballet’s artistic director Mikko Nissinen joins the show to talk through what it took to scale the grand ballet down to one act here in Boston.
And along the way, ahead of tomorrow’s Oscar nominations being announced, GBH’s Haley Lerner joins the show to walk through the cameo appearances Greater Boston and its bookstores have made in some of the likely nominees, as well as a recap of the local talent looking to win big.
It's all on The Culture Show—listen to the full episode above!
