Bleak and bitter, but shot through with pathos and comic irony, Shostakovich’s 1932 opera The Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, is a lacerating work. This powerful semi-staging, combining forces from the BBC Philharmonic and English National Opera, succeeded in translating the unique impact of the hugely demanding piece from stage to concert hall, and featured a phenomenal performance in the central role of Katerina by the American soprano Amanda Majeski.