Katya Kabanova @ Palais Theatre

This is opera at its most raw.

In a provincial town, Katya’s dull, loveless life is made worse by her tyrannical mother-in-law, Kabanicha. She longs for freedom and, when her husband leaves on business, she is swept into a brief but passionate romance with an outsider, Boris, who has loved Katya from afar. When her husband returns, she finds herself tormented by her guilty conscience and the pressures of society.

Katya Kabanova is a turbulent love story by Czech composer Leoš Janáček that does not shy away from raw, human feeling. Anguish, resolve, guilt and love are put on full, inescapable display via impressive audio-visual effects and powerful performances from the cast.

Janáček’s score is famously lyrical. Inspired by Slavic folk songs, the score captures beauty and tragedy in equal measures and will remain with you long after the curtain has fallen.

Presented by Victorian Opera with Performance Partner Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).