SHOSTAKOVICH : THE NOSE

New York Metropolitan Opera Broadcast
Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 4th of April 2010 at 3.03 pm

INTRODUCTION
COMPOSER
BACKGROUND
CHARACTERS
SYNOPSIS
STORYLINE
LIBRETTO (English)

SHOSTAKOVICH: The Nose (Nos), an opera in three acts based on a short story by Gogol. 
Police Inspector ........... Andrei Popov
The Nose ..................... Gordon Gietz
Kovalyov ..................... Paulo Szot
Ivan Yakovlevich .......... Vladimir Ognovenko
Praskovya Osipovna .... Claudia Waite
Newspaper Clerk ......... James Courtney
Mother ......................... Maria Gabrilova
Countess ...................... Wendy White
Pretzel Vendor ............. Claudia Waite
Doctor; Cabby .......... Gennady Bezzubenkov
Yaryzhkin ..................... Adam Klein
Mme Podtochina .......... Barbara Dever
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Valery Gergiev

Here is young Dmitri Shostakovich, who had been a pianist providing music to accompany silent movies in cinemas, showing his comical side.

This is about a headstrong organ that becomes detached from its owner after a shaving accident; it
follows its nose and grows in stature and status; when its owner comes to fetch the runaway proboscis, it turns up its nose and looks down its nose at him as beneath it. Eventually the recalcitrant organ loses the chase by a nose, and is restored to its lost face. (The role of the nose is assigned to a tenor.)

This is the comical side of Shostakovich on show. The opera is based on a short story by Gogol. Google Gogol, to goggle and giggle, if you want to know more.