BBC Proms: Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth from massed BBC & ENO forces but Amanda Majeski's Katerina triumphs

Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mstsensk - John Findon, Amanda Majeski, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, ENO, John Storgårds - BBC Proms (Photo: BBC/ Andy Paradise)

Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mstsensk; Amanda Majeski, Brindley Sherratt, John Findon, Nicky Spence, director: Ruth Knight, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, Chorus & Orchestra of ENO, conductor: John Storgårds; BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall
Reviewed 1 September 2025

Massed forces bring out the power and savagery of Shostakovich's score but it was Amanda Majeski in a masterly account of the title role who really triumphed

One of the strands in this year's BBC Proms has been the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Shostakovich and Monday 1 September at the Royal Albert Hall saw what must be the large-scale centre piece of these, a collaboration between the BBC Philharmonic and English National Opera to present Shostakovich's 1936 opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in all its messy magnificence. 

John Storgårds conducted the BBC Philharmonic and the brass section of the Orchestra of English National Opera with the BBC Singers, and Chorus of English National Opera. Amanda Majeski was Katerina with Brindley Sherratt as Boris, John Findon as Zinovy, Nicky Spence as Sergey plus Thomas Mole, Ronald Samm, Alaric Green, Chuma Sijeqa, William Morgan, Willard White and Niamh O'Sullivan. The semi-staging was directed by Ruth Knight.

For all the operatic talent on stage, it was very much the orchestra which was the focus here. The huge forces of the BBC Philharmonic and brass of the ENO Orchestra - 60 strings, triple woodwind, five horns, eight brass, eight percussionists plus 15 players from ENO in the choir stalls - almost filled the stage. There was a narrow acting area at the front of the stage but Ruth Knight's production made the most of what was available so the the theatrical performance took place in front and behind of the orchestra. Dramatically this was highly imaginative, make the best use of the stage and present the opera with great clarity. Unfortunately, the Royal Albert Hall is not the most sympathetic of venues and placing much of the action at the back of the stage, behind the orchestra rather compromised the balance. And even when singers were at the front of the stage, Shostakovich's exuberant orchestration overbalanced things.

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mstsensk - Amanda Majeski, Nicky Spence, BBC Philharmonic - BBC Proms (Photo: BBC/ Andy Paradise)

It was the orchestral performance that dominated. The opera, with its five orchestral interludes and strongly satirical writing (Shostakovich uses popular-style tunes to undercut some of the dramatic action) lent the whole a particularly savage feel. During the murder of Zinovy, Shostakovich writes jauntily for the orchestra but as rendered here by the massed forces on stage, the results were terrifying and causing Nicky Spence's (Sergey) dramatic efforts to strangle John Findon (Zinovy) to very much take second place in the drama. And there were moments when the grimly comic stage action seemed very much at odds with the savagely satirical writing in the orchestra.

The advantage was that in the second interlude we were made very clear that Katerina's libido had been awakened by her wrestling with Sergey in the previous scene, well before their infamous coupling (also vividly captured by the orchestra). And in the third interlude the passacaglia really screamed after Boris' death. The almost operetta-like writing for the police chorus here became rather heavier and more oppressive than usual. Overall, Storgårds seemed to be giving primacy to Shostakovich's orchestral commentary in the opera, making the piece weightier, more savage and positively vicious at times. It was only in Act Four that everything really came together as the stage action moved away from satire to tragedy.

We first saw Amanda Majeski in 2016 as the Countess in Strauss' Capriccio at Santa Fe Opera [see my review], and then caught up with her again in 2019 as Katya Kabanova in Janacek's opera at Covent Garden [see my review]. It is fascinating to see the parallels between this latter work and Shostakovich's opera. Janacek based his work on a Russian play by Ostrovsky, and Shostakovich includes something of the piece (the scene where Katerina is forced by Boris to vow to be faithful to her husband). Both works have a weak husband, a bored wife, an oppressive parent and an illicit affair. But in Janacek, the real rapture turns quickly to tragedy. In Shostakovich we first see grim farce, along with Katerina's real relish for killing.

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mstsensk - Thomas Mole, Brindley Sherratt, BBC Philharmonic - BBC Proms (Photo: BBC/ Andy Paradise)

Amanda Majeski seemed to have an astounding ability to make her voice cut through the orchestra no matter how challenging the sound and hers was the only performance that soared. This was a consummate account of the role, taking us from the pallid, bored Katerina to the awakening of her rampant libido, along with a highly striking moment when Majeski made it clear that the idea to poison Brindley Sherratt's odious Boris had occurred to her. Subsequent relish for killing surfaced, but leading to the intense obsession with her late husband's body in the cellar. Throughout Majeski ensured that the sympathy for Katerina that Shostakovich inculcates in his score was present throughout. Then in the final act, Majeski rose to real tragic proportions.

Nicky Spence was a vivid, highly physical Sergey making him very much a man out for what he could get. Spence and Majeski played some of the sexual romping almost as grim comedy, yet Spence's Sergey always seemed to have the upper hand. His swagger returned even in Act Four when Sergey has transferred his attentions elsewhere.

Brindley Sherratt was wonderfully down to earth as Katerina's controlling father-in-law, Boris. Sherratt's performance was masterly, being both comic and chilling. John Findon was Katerina's weak husband, Zinovy and it was a shame that the role is so small, yet Findon made it count in his terrific final scene.

Brass section of the Orchestra of English National Opera - BBC Proms (Photo: BBC/ Andy Paradise)

Around these characters, Shostakovich and librettist Alexander Preys create a series of smaller, sometimes cameo roles. In this staging, not all these performers got the chance to project character fully but all the performances were strong. Thomas Mole's cameo as a mill hand was complemented by his terrific turn as the creepy priest who doesn't notice Boris was murdered and is more interested in getting drunk than in Sergey and Katarina's wedding. Ava Dodd was well projected Aksinya, the servant who gets raped (this was done in silhouette at the rear of the stage), and she popped up as a convict in Act Four. Ronald Samm gave a fine turn as the Shabby Peasant who finds Zinovy's body, yet even Samm's heroic tenor failed to fully rise above the vivid hubbub of the orchestra.

The palm must really go to Sir Willard White (whom I remember as Boris at ENO many, many years ago). Though placed towards the back, White made every note and every word of his two solos as the Old Convict really count. Alaric Green was rather underused as the steward, whilst Chuma Sijeqa played the comic police sergeant with G&S relish. William Morgan's teacher, projected from the back of the stage, did not really come over, but Niamh O'Sullivan was terrific as the selfish Sonyetka, the object of Sergey's affections in Act Four.

The opera was sung in David Pountney's classic English translation, though we definitely needed the surtitles. 

The joint forces of the BBC Singers and ENO Chorus sang with power and relish, contributing to the full sound of the ensembles. Though stationary and using scores, they contributed much characters including the men of the chorus performing the policemen's G&S routine with relish yet the full chorus also brought real tragedy to the final act.

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mstsensk - Nicky Spence, Ava Dodd, BBC Singers, ENO Chorus - BBC Proms (Photo: BBC/ Andy Paradise)

But ultimately it was John Storgårds and his massed orchestral forces that made the impact, bringing out the various facets in Shostakovich's score and creating a sound world without precedent.

This was a performance of Shostakovich's opera like no other. Whilst the orchestral focus rather undermined some of the more theatrical elements, what could not be doubted was the sheer power and originality of Shostakovich's score. 

The performance was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and is available on BBC Sounds until 30 days after the end of the BBC Proms, and in all likelihood the balance will be a hell of a lot better than in the hall! See BBC Sounds.

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