The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth

Directed by Gary Halvorson
PG-13
2008    2h 37mDrama, Music
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.
Where to Watch The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth
Cast of The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth
  • Željko LučićMacbeth
  • John RelyeaBanquo
  • Maria GuleghinaLady Macbeth
  • Elizabeth Blancke-BiggsLady-in-waiting to Lady Macbeth
  • Dimitri PittasMcDuff, Thane of Fife
  • Mary Jo HeathSelf - Special Guest Interviewer
  • Richard HobsonA Servant of Macbeth
  • Raymond RenaultDuncan, King of Scotland
  • Russell ThomasMalcolm, Duncan's Son
  • Adam Hauser PiñeroFleance, Banquo's Son
  • Keith MillerA Murderer
  • David CrawfordA Warrior
  • Ashley EmersonA Bloody Child
  • Anne-Carolyn BirdA Crowned Child
  • James CourtneyA Doctor
  • Joseph TuriA Herald
  • MET Orchestra
 
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