Macbeth

by Giuseppe Verdi

The performance history of Macbeth was relatively sparse until it was revived in German in the 1930s; since that time the opera has had continued success, although it did not reach the Metropolitan Opera until 1959.  



Giuseppe Verdi was always fascinated by the plays of Shakespeare;  he wrote three operas based on them, and contemplated a fourth (based on King Lear) but was never able to find the proper libretto.  Macbeth was the earliest of these Shakespeare adaptations, and a work which never quite satisfied the composer. The first version of the opera premiered in 1847 in Florence, but the version best know today is the revision the composer made for the 1865 Parisian revival. 

There is a famous letter in which Verdi states that Lady Macbeth must not have a beautiful voice, but must portray the evil of her character. 

Cast

Macbeth Riley McMitchell, Richard Williams, Thai-Hoa Le

Lady Macbeth   Annette DuCharme, LisaMarie Bresett

Macduff Derek Bacchioni, Paul Duerchen

Banquo Frantz de Rycke, Riley McMitchell

Dama  LisaMarie Bresett, Olga Israfilova

Lennox Peter Munns, Roberto Solla

Malcolm  Michael Novak