This autumn's operatic highlight is Macbeth by Verdi. The King of Scotland and his viciously ambitious wife, set out on a murderous journey towards an inevitable abyss.
Verdi loved Shakespeare and especially the terrifying story of Macbeth, King of Scotland, and his viciously ambitious wife. The result is an opera with music that brilliantly describes the play's terrifying undertones - with its eerie witches, savage murders and violent emotions. Emanuele Muzio, Verdi's assistant and his only student, wrote in a letter after the premiere in Florence in 1847: " What sublime music! I tell you that there are things in it that make your hair stand on end!"
The plot
The Scottish royal couple are alarmed by witches' predictions of a new royal line. Together they make a bloody plan to secure their continuing place on the throne.
The opera's most famous arias include the vivid drinking aria (brindisi) when the newly crowned couple throw a party, and the chilling sleepwalker scene in the last act, where Verdi's music seems to tremble as Lady Macbeth tries in vain to wash away the blackness of her conscience.
This new production by Bergen National Opera is directed by Shakespearean specialist Lenka Udovicki. Chief conductor Edward Gardner leads the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. The title role is sung by baritone Lester Lynch, who has already been acclaimed for several major roles at Bergen National Opera, among them Jago in Otello, and the devilish Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd. Alex Penda, known for her intense and lyrical soprano, sings Lady Macbeth.
– Mr. Lynch has a ravishing, rolling baritone with power to spare, and excellent hook-up from top to bottom. Opera Today
The production
Opera in four acts, performed as a staged concert
Sung in Italian with Norwegian surtitles
Duration: Approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes, including a 30-minute interval
A new production by Bergen National Opera
Presented by Bergen National Opera and Musikkselskapet Harmonien