KÁTA KABANOVÁ

About the show

Káťa is gentle by nature, extremely fragile, a feature brought out when juxtaposed with her principled and possessive mother-in-law, who plays an equally important role in the opera. The piece's main focus is the younger woman's ill-adjustment. No character is unequivocally good or bad: none gets a chance to spread their wings. Káťa Kabanova undoubtedly ranks among the most pessimistic works ever written by Janáček. The music’s great lyrical power and intensity derive from the composer's genuine emotion. While fatalistic, the opera radiates sympathy towards the titular character, torn between her principles and desire. Kornél Mundruczó, a director who works with the same enthusiasm in opera, theatre, and film, sees the opera through a contemporary lens. He approaches it as a local story rooted in the post-communist past of Central and Eastern Europe and a tale about a world that is only superficially open, while, in fact, being governed by strict social norms.