Katia Kabanova

As in love with life as she is incapable of breaking the social ties that hold her prisoner, Katia Kabanova is a caged bird who dreams of spreading her wings to sample the pleasures of freedom. Subjected to an arranged marriage with a man lacking in character, the beautiful Katia then has to endure the presence of a mother-in-law who manages her home with an iron hand. When she succumbs to the charms of another man while her husband is away, she chooses to kill herself rather than fall into the role of the adultress who has to run away to build a new life for herself. No one has forgotten “The Clever Little Fox” by Janáček directed by André Engel. A workshop with young lyrical artists from the Royaumont Foundation provided the opportunity for Engel to choose Janáček and Katia Kabanova, one of his most popular operas. More than a simple show, the aim of this production, under the musical direction of Irène Kudela, is to demonstrate to new young singers the extent of the adventure involved in taking on a role in all its depth and richness. The freshness in the discovery of others and of oneself at the start of a life full of promise.