Senseless people and the hypocritical morals of a bigoted society surround Káwell like a straitjacket. With her weak-willed husband Tikhon, she lives under the regiment of his jealous and domineering mother Kabanicha. With Boris, a man comes to town who awakens longings and Kátja falls in love. During one of her husband's trips, she can no longer suppress her need for love and gives herself to Boris for ten consecutive nights. Upon her husband's return, Kátja interprets a powerful thunderstorm as a psychic sign. Upset, she confesses her misstep in public. The ostracism by those around her and the loss of Boris, who has to leave town again, are unbearable to her. She goes into the Volga and puts an end to her life. To characterize his operatic characters, Leoš Janáček captured the inflections and nuances of the Czech language and translated them into speech melodies. Unusual rhythmic structures, an expressive orchestral treatment, and echoes of Slavic folk music create a haunting portrait of a young woman breaking with the conventions of her time. Lydia Steier, who has already directed Perelà, Armide and Saul in Mainz with great success, will bring Kátja Kabanová to the stage of the Großes Haus as a new production based on her work for the Oldenburg State Theatre.
Text source and more information about this event: http://www.staatstheater-mainz.com/web/veranstaltungen/oper18-19/katja-kabanova
