Shostakovich's bold opera is on the nose

The Mariinsky Theatre's first release is a bold and brilliant recording of Shostakovich’s controversial opera-satire The Nose

Composer: Shostakovich
Repertoire: The Nose
Artists: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre/Valery Gergiev
Rating:  4.5/5
Genre: Vocal/Orchestral
Label: Mariinsky MAR0501

The Mariinsky Theatre launches its own label with a bold statement of intent: a complete recording of Shostakovich’s opera-satire The Nose, first performed in 1929 and still controversial. The plot is proto-Pythonesque – the nose of a petty local official leaves his face and sticks itself where it’s not welcome, blowing open corrupt bureaucracy. Shostakovich’s music emerges as a revelation, brilliantly mimicking a society that can’t quite fit itself together. Well worth a pick.