Katyusha Maslova

Katyusha Maslova
Unfinished opera by Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich in 1942
Librettist	Anatoly Mariengof
Language	Russian
Based on	Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy

Katyusha Maslova (Russian: Катюша Маслова) is an unfinished opera by Dmitri Shostakovich, with a libretto by Anatoly Mariengof, based on the novel Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy. Shostakovich received a commission from the Kirov Theatre to compose the opera in October 1940, while he was composing music for Grigori Kozintsev's production of King Lear. The first act of the libretto arrived in November, but further work was stalled because of preparations for the premiere of the Piano Quintet and the suicide of Mariengof's son. By the time work resumed in early 1941, Shostakovich had privately decided not to finish the opera.

The libretto was completed in March 1941 and was revised according to recommendations by the Kirov Theatre. In spite of this, it was summarily rejected by Glavrepertkom, which effectively terminated the project. Shostakovich's sketches for the opera were rediscovered in 1979.