SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Verdi's Macbeth Opens the New Season of Lyric Opera of Chicago: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Renato Palumbo (conductor) Civic Opera House, Chicago, 9.10.2010 (JLZ)

Production:

Set Designer: James Noone

Costume Designer: Virgil C. Johnson

Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel
Director: Barbara Gaines

Choreographer: Harrison McEldowney

Chorus Master: Donald Nally

Conductor: Renato Palumbo

Cast:
Macbeth: Thomas Hampson

Lady Macbeth: Nadja Michael

Macduff: Leonardo Capalbo

Banquo: �tefan Koc�n

Lady in Waiting: Carter Scott

Malcolm: Konstantin Stepanov

Servant/Assassin/Herald/Doctor: Sam Handley 

First Apparition: Evan Boyer

Second Apparition: Jennifer Jakob

Third Apparition: Amanda Majeski

Macbeth (Thomas Hampson) and Lady Macbeth (Nadja Michael)
Picture � Robert Kusel

Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2010-2011 season opened with a revival of the revised (1867) version of Verdi's Macbeth in a new production by internationally recognized director Barbara Gaines. Among her theatrical accomplishments at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Ms. Gaines was recently responsible for an innovative production of Shakespeare�s Macbeth, and while she is well known for her theatrical efforts, this was her first venture into opera.

Using innovative staging, the production takes Shakespeare�s play�and Verdi�s opera�out of its traditional setting in medieval Scotland and sets it instead as a timeless depiction of an ageless story. As Ms. Gaines comments in her program notes, the set takes its inspiration from some aspects of architect Frank Gehry�s structures, especially the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago�s Millennium Park, the site of the city�s Grant Park Music Festival and other musical events. Steel panels and other architectural elements convey a sense of power, reinforcing the story while defying associations with a specific time in history. The setting allows director Gaines and conductor Renato Palumbo to focus on the interpersonal relationships at the core of opera, especially those between Macbeth and his wife.

The production has already evoked various responses to the staging and the performances. By its very nature, opera requires a synthesis of all its individual elements, and the true test of this production is its effectiveness in conveying the moral dilemma at the core of the play, the depiction of the dehumanizing struggle for power over mercy. The uniformly strong score of the opera is matched with a production that supports it: the Finale for example, injects new energy into a scene sometimes depicted in a static, anticlimactic manner, but in Ms. Gaines� production, the d�nouement includes theatrical elements not necessarily found in the libretto, but implicit in the text. To make the defeat of the tyrant more poignant, for example, images of MacDuff�s murdered wife and children cross the scrim as he points out the dead Macbeth to them. This sets up the celebration of the final chorus, with couples reunited and confetti raining onto the set, thus resolving the emotional tensions of the preceding drama. Theatricality like this, including the flying witches and the circle of candles in which Lady Macbeth stands to conjure up magical support for her plans, make the work come alive.

These elements support the strong musical performances in the production, particularly those of baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role and Nadja Michael as Lady Macbeth. Both are consistently solid in the vocal depictions of their characters. In the opening scene, Hampson conveys all of his character�s initial skepticism vividly, which contrasts nicely with his confident response in the third act, when the witches show him the apparitions. Hampson�s embodiment of the character emerges through consistent acting and musicianship, and his fourth-act aria �Piet�, rispeto, amori� is sung particularly persuasively.

Nadja Michael�s Lady Macbeth is also impressive from the start, with the cavatina (�Vieni, t�afretta�) and cabaletta (�Or tutti sorgete�) delivered very convincingly. Her accurate pitch and vocal attack are matched by careful phrasing and delivery. Her generally full-bodied sound is equally comfortable in the higher passages of the sleepwalking scene of Act IV (�Una macchia � qui tutt�ora�) which emerge with masterful ease and she is alsoimpressive for the sense she conveys of her character�s progression from overt aggressiveness in the first act through to ultimate disintegration.

Hampson and Michael work very well together. Their rapport is outstanding in the famous banquet scene at the end of Act II where they are both show as obviously drunken. Even when they are not singing together, the production highlights their contrasting natures with Lady Macbeth�s sleepwalking scene carefully echoed by Macbeth�s own aria �Pieta, rispetto, amore.� Touches like this occur throughout the production, which make both portrayals all the more meaningful.

Among the other principals, �tefan Koc�n as Banquo uses his evenly clear and resonant bass to bring out the lyricism of this role. This is evident in the second-act aria �Come dal ciel precipita,� and again in his duet with Hampson in �Due vaticini,� where the two low voices contrast splendidly with distinctive but complementary timbres.

Leonardo Capalbo�s Macduff shows a resilient and inviting tenor voice in �Ah! La paterna mano,� with all due emphasis on the bel canto and lyrical elements. With the secondary characters, Lyric was wise to cast members of the Ryan Opera Center like Sam Handley, one of many fine performers in the Ryan group. Donald Nally�s chorus was also noteworthy. The witches� scenes were exceptionally well prepared and it was good to hear the women articulate their lines so well. The men sang the assassins� chorus in the second act with equal acumen and spot-on intonation. As precise as the chorus was in the banquet scene (Finale of Act II) however, their shimmering sound at the opera�s conclusion was stunning.

Conductor Renato Palumbo gave a fine reading of the score; stylistically savvy and well-matched with Barbara Gaines� staging, the orchestral and excellent playing providing a warm, rich accompaniment. All in all, this is an outstanding production that does credit to Chicago�s Lyric Opera. Ms. Gaines�s experience at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater translated well to the operatic stage, offering a fresh presentation of this familiar score. Lyric Opera is to be congratulated for engaging her.

James L. Zychowicz