Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Op. 29. Opera. Score. (In two volumes.)

Form:

Opera in four acts, nine scenes for full orchestra, chorus and 23 characters.

Instrumentation:

Piccolo, 2 Flutes (II = Piccolo II and Flute in G), 2 Oboes, Cor anglais, E flat Clarinet, 2 Clarinets (B flat and A), Bass Clarinet, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon
4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba
Timpani, Triangle, Wood block, Tambourine, Side drum, Cymbals, Bass drum, Gong
Flexatone, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Celesta, 2 Harps
Brass band:
4 Cornet (Es), 4 Cornet (B), 4 Trombe (B), 4 Alto Saxhorns (Es), 4 Tenor Saxhorns (B), 4 Baritone Saxhorns (B), 4 Bass Horns
Strings:
Violin I (20), Violin II (18), Violas (16), Cellos (14), Double basses (12)

Composed:

Shostakovich worked on the opera for almost three years, from 1930 to December 1932. We can assume the work began on 14 January 1930, which was the date the author wrote on the first page of the piano draft with instrumentation layout. There are author's notes indicating the time and place of the beginning and end of each act of the opera in the author's manuscript of the score that has survived:
 Act One was begun on 14 October 1930 in Leningrad, work on it continued in 1931 in the cities of  Gudauta and Batum and was finished on 5 November 1931 in Tiflis (Tbilisi);
 Act Two was begun on 19 November 1931 in Leningrad and finished on 8 March 1932 in Moscow;
 Act Three was begun on 5 April 1932 in Leningrad and finished on 15 August 1932 in Gaspra (the Crimea);
 Act Four was finished on 17 December 1932 in Leningrad (there is no note on the time and place of the beginning of the work on Act Four in the author's manuscript of the score).

Duration:

Approx. 3 hours in score.

Dedication:

To Nina Vasilievna Varzar (fiancee).

The opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, one of the most vibrant and important phenomena in Russian music culture of the 20th century, occupies a special place in Dmitri Shostakovich's creative work. The most tragic pages of his life and creative journey are associated with this composition. The fate of the opera proved similar to the fate of many of the composer's fellow countrymen: at the height of its glory and phenomenal success, it was suddenly removed from the repertoire and doomed to long years of oblivion.

The opera did not return to the stage of Russian theatres until a quarter of a century later, but this time in its second edition, after the author revised it. Nowadays it arouses an ever-growing interest. Nevertheless, the score of the first edition of the opera has never been published, and the need for its publication is becoming increasingly obvious with each passing year. We hope to correct this deficiency by publishing the score of the first edition of the opera for the first time.