Káťa Kabanová

• Sawjol Prokofjewitsch Dikoj, a merchant ( bass)
• Boris Grigoryevich, his nephew (Tenor)
• Marfa Ignatyevna Kabanová (the " Kabaniča "), a rich merchant widow (Alt )
• Tikhon lwanytsch Kabanov, her son (tenor )
• Katya, his wife (Soprano)
• Váňa Kudrjáš, teachers, chemists, mechanics (Tenor)
• Varvara, adopted daughter of Kabanicha (mezzo- soprano)
• Kuligin, friend of the Kudriasch (baritone )
• Glasa, Fekluša, Servants in Kabaniča (mezzo- soprano)
• A woman of the people (Alt )
• Citizens ( chorus)

Káťa Kabanová, German Katja Kabanowa is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček, who also created the libretto by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky's drama thunderstorm. The premiere took place on 23 November 1921 for the National Theatre Brno. The German premiere took place on December 8, 1922 at the Opera House Cologne. On the composition Janáček worked from 1919 until 1921. Playing time is approximately 2 hours, place and time of the action are a small town on the Volga in the second half of the 19th century. The German translation of the libretto gave Max Brod.

Action

Act I

On the banks of the Volga teacher sits Kudryas and enjoy the view of the current. Kaufmann Dikoj and his nephew Boris, who is dependent because of a testamentary disposition of that coming, passing by chance. The grandmother of Boris extorted these as they provided him with one condition: you 'll just leave him an inheritance if his uncle he Dikoj obey until the age of eighteen and was obedient. His uncle takes advantage of this subordination awareness Boris ' and lets him work on holidays. Now, the merchant's widow Marfa, called the Kabanitscha appears, with her son Tikhon and his wife Katja, is secretly in love with Boris. The Kabanitscha is jealous of her daughter Katya and raises her son Tikhon ago, his mother not to love since the wedding as before. To keep him for a while Katja, she forces him to take a trip to the market to Kazan, as it formerly also always did the Father. The weak-willed Tikhon can towards her not prevail and agrees. When Katya, is with Barbara, the foster daughter of Kabanitscha in a room, she tells her about her dreams and the fact that they love Boris, another man, until finally Tikhon enters into the room and said goodbye to her. Katja asks him in vain, not to make the trip. As she tries to give him the promise to exchange up to his return with a stranger words or looks, he rejects this request from them as senseless and instead speaks according to the desire of the mother to Katja strict admonition from them to be diligent in his absence should obey and his mother.

Second Act

Katie's mother Kabanitscha keeps the garden gate of the property, which leads to the banks of the Volga, always closed. Barbara has secretly leave for this, however, make a duplicate key. She gives him Katja and tells her to meet in the evening, but this still has difficulties to let their emotions to run free of the possibility of Boris Boris. One day Dikoj her mother comes to visit and this deflects it, Katja Barbara follows the garden gate which there wants to meet Kudryas. Katja is already expected by Boris, so that they gradually give way to their feelings and both fall into the arms. Late in the evening they separate, as Barbara urges to return to the house.

Act Three

Two weeks later, Katie's husband Tikhon has returned from his trip. During a violent thunderstorm Search Kudryas, his friend Kuligin, Dikoj, Boris and others in an abandoned building shelter from the storm. Katja enters the building and indicated the storm as a wrath of the gods on them. It is therefore very upset and depressed and admits Kabanitscha her adultery. Then she goes back out into the storm. Tikhon makes them worry and decides, along with some helpers to seek it on the banks of the Volga. Your search is unsuccessful, so they give up. Katja - wandering about on the banks of the River - calls for help Boris names until he finds them. He tells her about the devastating news that his uncle has summoned him to a business visit to the rearmost Russia. Katja can not cope with this news, has now completely the feeling of being left alone and plunges into the waters of the Volga. Tikhon can recover their dead bodies out of the river and collapses over the body.