Macbeth: Melodramma in quattro atti di Giuseppe Verdi

While not one of my favourite Verdi operas, Macbeth alongside Luisa Miller and Nabucco(the latter if more for the music than the story) is one of Verdi's better early operas. This La Scala production is very compelling, if not as good as the Cappuccilli/Verrett production from 1976. The costumes are striking, fitting well with the opera's dark and quite bloodthirsty tone, and while the sets are sparse they add to the atmosphere. The lighting apart from a couple of instances where it is a little too dark is very well done on the whole. The musical values are superb, lush and very powerful orchestral playing and Riccardo Muti again showing what a musical and intelligent conductor he is. The chorus have a large role to play in this opera, and they sing beautifully, while the witches are quite creepy to say the least. Renato Bruson's Macbeth is characteristically vocally velvety rich, and dramatically powerful, moving also in his act 4 aria. Maria Guleghina apart from some squalliness in Nel Di Della Vittoria curdles the blood as Lady Macbeth, her voice is big and cuts through the orchestra excitingly and she is suitably forceful. Carlo Colombara is a sonorous Banco and gripping in his act 3 aria and the banquet aria, Studia Il Passo... Come Dal Ciel allows him also to convey a nobility and fatherly sincerity. Roberto Alagna is a very poignant Macduff, excepting his 1994 Romeo this is the best I've heard him, Ah La Paterna Mano is sung with handsome tone, controlled legato and great emotion. Overall, a compelling and great Macbeth. 9/10 Bethany Cox