Under Rodziński’s leadership, the Orchestra presented the United States premiere of Shostakovich’s controversial opera, "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk," in 1935 — only a year after its debut in the Soviet Union led to a condemnation of Shostakovich’s music by the Soviet press. In his quest to perform the U.S. premiere, Rodzinski was forced to compete with his mentor at the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski. Although Rodziński worried about the Cleveland audience’s reception for the provocative opera, the Orchestra’s performances proved a success. Shostakovich himself had an abiding faith in the Rodziński-led performance: “When you see The Cleveland Orchestra’s presentation of the American premiere of my opera in Severance Hall the last day of January, you will see no traditional opera…I have repudiated all old forms of opera.”