Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, a story of passion, crime, and deceit, premiered in 1934 and was well-received until Stalin viewed it two years later. A harsh review in Pravda led to its replacement with a censored version, later renamed Katerina Ismailova. The original version is now being performed internationally again. The story centers on Katerina, the daughter-in-law of a wealthy merchant and the wife of his impotent son. Driven by frustration, she poisons her father-in-law. With her lover, Sergei, she then murders her husband and hides the body. The corpse is discovered during their wedding celebration. Overwhelmed by guilt, Katerina confesses, and she and Sergei are exiled to Siberia. When Sergei begins an affair with another woman, Katerina pushes the woman into the river and then commits suicide.

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