The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth
Storyline
Verdi’s admiration for Shakespeare led to such masterpieces as Othello and Falstaff, and if the earlier Macbeth isn’t on their exalted level it’s still a powerfully dramatic opera that hews closely to the original’s story line. The MET’s production retains the dark aura of the opera while updating it to a vaguely post-modern context. So the witches are bag ladies in various stages of decrepitude, with children in tow. The Banquet Scene features lowered chandeliers, a plethora of chairs, and a slew of extras dressed in tuxedos and party gowns. Macbeth sports a leather coat, the soldiers are in drab brown uniforms and seem to have fingers on their triggers even when they’re supposed to be in non-threatening situations. Director Adrian Noble also has Lady Macbeth do an inordinate amount of writhing around and singing from a lying-down position, adding to the feeling that a less interventionist directorial hand might have generated more impact.
Cast & Crew
Željko Lučić
Macbeth
Lead
John Relyea
Banquo
Maria Guleghina
Lady Macbeth
Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs
Lady-in-waiting to Lady Macbeth
Dimitri Pittas
McDuff, Thane of Fife
Mary Jo Heath
Self - Special Guest Interviewer
Richard Hobson
A Servant of Macbeth
Raymond Renault
Duncan, King of Scotland
What People Are Saying
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Gary Halvorson's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
