Edmea is an orphan in love with Count Oberto, whose father disapproves. In Oberto’s absence Edmea is forced to marry the servant Ulmo, who is also in love with her, but with the loss of Oberto, Edmea is driven mad and tries to kill herself by jumping into the river. She wanders the countryside with Ulmo who continues to love her and pretends to be her brother. They join up with a band of jesters and with them return to the castle where Oberto has been mourning his loss. On recognising Edmea, Oberto’s declarations of love help her to regain her reason. Ulmo makes the ultimate sacrifice, shooting himself, so that Oberto and Edmea are finally able to celebrate their marriage.

On the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death, La Scala opens the Season with his masterpiece Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, based on the novella by Nikolai Leskov. After its premiere in St. Petersburg, the opera – which was intended to be the first part of a trilogy on women’s condition in Russia – enjoyed great success at home and abroad. Stalin attended a performance in Moscow in 1936; two days later, the famous denunciation titled “Chaos Instead of Music” appeared in Pravda, through which the regime blacklisted the opera and its composer. Years later, Shostakovich prepared a new version that was staged in Moscow in 1963 under the title Katerina Izmailova, after Superintendent Ghiringhelli had unsuccessfully tried to secure its premiere for La Scala. Today, the theatre presents the original 1934 version, conducted by M° Chailly and the debut of director Barkhatov.