Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Macbeth - Opera in four Acts (1847, revised 1865)
Macbeth - Leo Nucci (baritone); Lady Macbeth - Sylvie Valayre
(soprano); Banquo - Enrico Iori (bass); Macduff - Roberto Iuliano (tenor);
Malcolm - Nicola Pascoli (tenor); Doctor - Enrico Turco (bass); Lady
Macbeth’s attendant - Tiziana Tramonti (soprano)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio, Parma/Bruno Bartoletti
Directed by Liliana Cavani
Set Designer: Dante Ferretti
Costume designer: Alberto Verso
Video Director: Andrea Bevilacqua
rec. Parma Verdi Festival, 6-17 October 2006
Sound Format: DTS-HD MA 5.01 PCM Stereo: Filmed in HD 1080i Aspect
ratio: 16:9
Booklet languages: English, German, French
Subtitles: Italian (original language), English, German, French,
Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese
C MAJOR BLU-RAY 722104 [157:00 + 11:00]
Like its place in the sequence of the composer’s operas, this
recording of Verdi’s Macbeth is numbered ten in the line of
recordings issued to celebrate the bicentenary of the composer’s
birth. Under the title Tutto Verdi this series of twenty-six of his
operas, plus The Requiem, is largely based on the Parma Verdi
Festival. Each opera has a ten-minute narrative introduction, in English,
using visual snippets from the performance. Two titles are not included:
Aroldo (1857) and Jérusalem (1847), which was a
re-write of his fourth opera, I Lombardi (1843) to a French libretto
for the composer’s debut at the Paris Opéra. Aroldo was
a re-write of Stiffelio (1850) to get away from the portrayal of a
married Protestant Minister that offended some audience sensibilities.
The problem of the number of different operas Verdi composed is
complicated by the major revisions he made, to both Macbeth and
Simon Boccanegra among others, but which do not carry new
titles. This might be justified as the revisions share the same musical core
as the original, but with significant additions, revisions and even
heightened musical sophistication. To clarify this in respect of
Macbeth and this recording requires a little background to both
versions.
In 1846, Verdi was engaged to compose a new opera for Antonio
Lanari, the impresario at Mantua. However, the contract was assigned, by
mutual agreement to Antonio's father, Alessandro, himself an important
impresario and manager and director of Florence's Pergola Theatre. The
birthplace of The Renaissance, Florence deemed itself the intellectual
capital of Italy, hence this was a prestigious commission for the
33-year-old composer, who had already proved himself in Milan, Venice, Rome,
and Naples. Florence had recently seen the Italian premieres of two foreign
operas, Weber's Der Freischutz and Meyerbeer's Robert le
Diable, both of which featured plots involving diabolical forces. Verdi
had two possible subjects in mind: the drama Die Ahnfrau by the
Austrian poet and playwright Franz Grillparzer. This demanded a doughty
tenor. The other subject was Shakespeare's Macbeth, which called for a very
strong baritone. Since Lanari's company could provide only the latter, in
the considerable presence of Varesi, who would later create Rigoletto, Verdi
chose Macbeth. The work was premiered on 14 March 1847.
Macbeth was a bold choice for Verdi. Shakespeare's play had not yet
been staged in Italy, though it had been translated. With Florence also the
centre of liberal thought Verdi was able to treat scenes of the
supernatural, interference in political events, even regicide and political
tyranny, which the censors elsewhere in Italy would never have permitted.
When it was staged in Rome, the supernatural elements were excised and the
witches became fortune-telling gypsies. In Naples and Palermo, it was not
King Duncan who was murdered, but merely his head-of-staff. In
Austrian-occupied Milan, the chorus patria oppressa (CH.29)
‘oppressed fatherland’, of the exiles' chorus became patria
amata, beloved fatherland. The phrase vil corona, despicable
crown, was removed.
Move forward eighteen years. Whilst Verdi and his wife were away in
the more temperate climes of Genoa for the winter of 1863-1864, his Paris
representative, Léon Escudier, visited them. He informed the composer
that the Théâtre Lyrique had enquired if he would write ballet
music for insertion into his score of Macbeth for performance at the
theatre. Verdi’s response was more than Escudier could have hoped. The
composer wished to undertake a radical revision of the opera he had written
eighteen years before. Verdi’s proposals for the revised
Macbeth included new arias for Lady Macbeth in act 2 with the
conventional two verse Triofonai securo being replaced by the
extraordinary monologue-aria La Luce langue, its chromatics being in
his later style. He made substantial alterations to act 3 with a duet for
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (CH.28) as well as adding the ballet, de rigueur
for Paris (CH.23). In act four, Verdi re-wrote the opening chorus Patria
oppressa (CH.29), a wonderful study in advanced choral sonorities and
added the thrilling battle scene. He replaced Macbeth's death scene with the
finale inno de Victoria (CH.39) where Macduff reports killing Macbeth
to great rejoicing.In several other places, the original music was
significantly tightened or retouched. It is this later revision that is
performed here.
In tightening the original music and substituting his by then more
sophisticated style, Verdi certainly got rid of any remaining rum-ti-tum
elements, typical of his early period. He did so without emasculating the
work’s vitality and rhythmic vibrancy. Regrettably, this performance
under a frail-looking eighty-year-old Bruno Bartoletti does just that. The
overall effect is anaemic when compared with the outstanding audio
recordings conducted by Abbado (DG 449 732-2) and Muti (EMI 5 67128). Add a
staging and production that meanders in respect of costume and atmosphere
and much is lost. For the Florence premiere, a special
‘fantasmagoria’, a kind of projector, was ordered from Milan. In
the end it was never used, since it only worked effectively in a darkened
theatre. In those days the house lights were not extinguished during
performances. In early programmes for Macbeth, one can also find a
special credit for 'the inventor of the chemical smoke'. Verdi's concern for
scenic effects is well documented. Genoa Opera installed a ferris wheel
under the stage that brought the apparitions of the eight kings magically
and motionlessly into view. In this production the costumes are a mish-mash
of periods and certainly more Elizabethan than plaid. The witches of act one
are washerwomen doing their laundry. They don beards when mentioned in the
libretto (CH.2). When Macbeth returns to the witches (CH.27) and the Kings
of Scotland process before him, there is no stage smoke: the whole scene
lacks atmosphere. In both witches scenes, and elsewhere, the nylon-clad
ladies of the chorus, legs neatly crossed, can be seen at the rear of the
stage. However, with the video director tending to focus on mid-stage they
are not too intrusive. The concentration of focus does change when Lady
Macbeth applies her feminine wiles to persuade Macbeth as to the need for
more murder that the crown may come to them (CH.14).
The solo singing is adequate. Sylvie Valayre as Lady Macbeth is a
big-voiced lyric soprano. Lacking in strong lower notes, she hollows her
tone effectively to read Macbeth’s letter with his news of the meeting
with the witches (CH.6) and sings La luce langue with welcome even
tone and phrasing (CH.15). Why the letter had to be brought by a dwarf
defeats me, her toy boy perhaps to keep her amused during Macbeth’s
absences at war? In general, she sings with a good range of expression and
acts with conviction, particularly when Macbeth sees the vision of Banquo at
the festive table (CHs.20-21). In this scene Leo Nucci’s acting is
thoroughly convincing. He even manages to invest more colour and variety
into his wiry tone than usual. Given that he was into his sixties at the
time of this performance he copes well with the demands of the drama,
showing few signs of vocal unsteadiness or pressure. Regrettably, after his
final aria, Pieta rispetto anore (CH.36) he comes out of role to
acknowledge the over-enthusiastic applause. Of the lesser roles Enrico Iori
brings nice phrasing and tone to his aria (CH.17). Roberto Iuliano as
Macduff sings with clear well enunciated lyric tone ((CHs.31-33). Nicola
Pascoli in the small role of Malcolm is better than many I have heard (CHs.
32 1d 39). The chorus is outstanding in all their appearances, however
dressed. The ballet is danced with elegance but seems inconsequential
(CH.23).
Designs for the 1865 Theatre-Lyrique Macbeth survive and
reveal a very large, sumptuous and elaborate production.
Verdi devised the scenario himself, describing it as “a
little action that fits very well with the drama.”My guess
is that it would have had significantly more atmosphere than this tepid
production. To my mind there is no really good video recording of this
opera. One of the best is that from Glyndebourne in 1972, with Josephine
Barstow and Kostas Pakalis as the murdering couple; it has the atmosphere
this one lacks. I saw the production a couple of times and the procession of
the kings was distinctly eerie. I cannot offer it as a recommendation as it
is quite heavily cut (Arthaus 101 095).
Robert J Farr
Regrettably this production and performance fails to meet the need for a recommendable video recording of the first of Verdi’s Shakespeare operas.
Support us financially by purchasing this disc from |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|