Macbeth (opera)

Macbeth is an opera in four acts and ten scenes with music by Giuseppe Verdi and an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Andrea Maffei, premiered at the Teatro della Pergola, from Florence on March 14, 1847. The libretto is based on the homonymous tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was Verdi's tenth opera and also the first of Shakespeare's works that he adapted for the operatic stage.

History

Composition

Of his opera Macbeth, Verdi wrote: Here is this Macbeth, which I love more than all my other operas. Written after the success of Attila in 1846 by then the composer was well established, but it predated the great hits of 1850-1853, Rigoletto, The Troubadour and La traviata that propelled Verdi to universal fame. As a source, Shakespeare's works inspired Verdi throughout his life: some, such as Re Lear, he never performed but composed his last two operas using Othello as the basis for Otello (1887) and The Merry Wives of Windsor for Falstaff (1893).

Influenced by his friendship in the 1840s with Andrea Maffei, a poet and man of letters who had suggested to him both Schiller's Die Räuber (The Thieves) and Macbeth as appropriate themes for operas, Giuseppe Verdi began writing the music for Macbeth in 1846 after receiving a commission from the Teatro della Pergola in Florence and being assured that certain singers would be available, especially the baritone, Felice Varesi. (Maffei was already writing the libretto for I masnadieri, which was based on the suggested Schiller play. Due to various complications, including Verdi's illness, that play would not have its premiere until July 1847.).

The first version of Macbeth was finished in the middle of what Verdi called his "galley years" (years of captivity). From 1842 to 1850, this period saw the composer produce 14 operas, but by the standards of almost all Italian operas of the first fifty years of the century XIX, Macbeth was very unusual. Verdi tried here to build a true musical drama, which did not follow the traditional (and expected) conventions of Italian opera (recitatives, arias, concertante numbers, etc.).

Piave's text was based on a prose translation by Carlo Rusconi that had been published in Turin in 1838. Verdi did not find Shakespeare's original work until after the opera's first performance, although he had read Shakespeare in translation for years, as he noted in a letter from 1865: "He is one of my favorite poets. I have held it in my hands since my earliest youth".

Writing to Piave, Verdi made it clear how important this issue was to him: "...This tragedy is one of the great human creations... If we cannot make something great out of it, let us at least try to do something extraordinary". Despite disagreements and Verdi's need to constantly correct Piave's drafts (to the point that Maffei participated in the rewriting of some scenes of the libretto, especially the chorus of witches in Act III and the sleepwalking scene,) his version follows Shakespeare's play rather closely, but with some changes. Instead of using three witches as in the play, there is a large female chorus (Streghe), singing in a three-part harmony. The last act opens with a gathering of refugees on the English border, and, in the revised version, ends with a chorus of bards celebrating their victory over the tyrant.

Representations

Macbeth Cartel in Florence, 1847.

The 1847 version was very successful and widely performed. Delighted with his opera and its reception, Verdi wrote to Antonio Barezzi, his former father-in-law and long-time supporter, on March 25, 1847, about two years after its premiere: "I have long wanted to dedicate an opera to you to you, who have been a father, benefactor, and friend of mine. It was a duty that I should have performed sooner if compelling circumstances had not prevented me. Now, I send you Macbeth which I value above my other operas, and therefore I consider the most valuable that I can give you" The 1847 version was successful and was performed throughout Italy until the 1865 version appeared. The first version opened in the United States in April 1850 at Niblo's Garden in New York with Angiolina Bosio as Lady Macbeth and Cesare Badiali as Banco. The British premiere took place in October 1860 in Manchester.

In 1864 Verdi was asked for additional music, a ballet and a final chorus, for a production at the Théâtre Lyrique (Théâtre-Lyrique Impérial du Châtelet) in Paris. He at first thought that these additions were all that was needed, but then he realized that he needed to review the whole opera. Advising the impresario of the Lyrique that he needed more time, he had the opportunity to revise the whole opera, in particular adding music for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Acts I and III; the addition of a ballet in act III; and changing the ending of Acts III and IV, in the latter case removing Macbeth's aria Mal per me che m'affidai - "Trusting in the prophecies of Hell" and adding the triumphant chorus at the end. Piave's services were again required, and the new version was performed for the first time on April 21, 1865. This version was less successful (a fiasco, in the composer's words). This astonished the composer: "I thought he had done it pretty well...it seems I was wrong."It remains the version of choice for modern performances.

After the 1865 premiere of the revised version, which was followed by only 13 more performances, the opera largely disappeared from the repertoire. It was staged in Paris in April 1865 and until around 1900, it was rarely performed until after World War II. The American premiere of this version did not take place until October 24, 1941 in New York.

Two European productions, in Berlin in the 1930s and in Glyndebourne in 1938 and 1939, were important in helping the revival in the 1930s XX. The 1938 production was the British premiere of the revised version and the first to combine the death of Macbeth from the 1847 version with the triumphant ending of the 1865 version, something completely contrary to Verdi's wishes. Glydebourne revived it in the fifties but it was not until 1959 when it appeared on the list of the Metropolitan Opera for the first time. It has had 91 performances between 1959 and 2008. Similarly, the first performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with Tito Gobbi and later others in the title role, took place only in 1960.

Giuseppe Verdi by Giovanni Boldini.

In recent times, the opera has appeared more frequently in the repertoires of the Washington National Opera (2007) and the San Francisco Opera (November-December 2007) and many other opera houses around the world, but almost all productions represent the revised version with the exception of both the original and the revised version which were presented in 2003 as part of the "Verdi cycle" of all the composer's operas in their different versions performed by the Sarasota Opera.

This opera is among the most performed in the repertoire; in the Operabase statistics it appears no.

Characters

Plot

Note: there are several differences between the 1847 version and the 1865 version

Place: Scotland

Time: centuryXI

Act I

A group of witches greet Macbeth as Baron of Cawdor, and later King. Banco is hailed as the founder of a long line of future kings. Messengers from the king appear naming Macbeth Baron of Cawdor.

Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling him about the encounter with the witches. She is determined to propel Macbeth to the throne. Lady Macbeth is told that King Duncan will spend the night in his castle; she is determined to have him killed (Or tutti, sorgete - "Arise now, ministers of hell"). When Macbeth returns, she urges him to seize the opportunity to kill the king. Lady Macbeth finishes off the crime, framing the sleeping guards by staining them with Duncan's blood. Macduff discovers the crime.

Act II

Macbeth is now king, but he is troubled by the prophecy that Banco, not him, will found a great royal dynasty. To prevent it, he tells his wife that they will have her kill Banco and his son when they come to the banquet.

Banco is killed, but his son Fleanzio manages to escape. They tell Macbeth of the murder, but when he returns to the table the ghost of Banco is sitting in his place. Macbeth screams at the ghost and the horrified guests believe that he has gone mad. The banquet ends abruptly with their horrified and frightened march.

Act III

Macbeth goes to the witches' cave and conjures them up. The first advises him to take care of Macduff. The second tells him that no man "born of a woman" can harm him. The third that it cannot be conquered until Birnam Forest marches against it.

Macbeth is then shown the ghost of Banco and his descendants, eight future kings of Scotland, confirming the original prophecy. He passes out, but regains consciousness in the castle.

In the original version, the act ends with Macbeth recovering and resolving to assert his authority: Vada in fiamme, e in polve cada.

When the queen arrives, Macbeth tells her about his encounter with the witches and they decide to kill Banco's son and Macduff's family (Duet: Ora di morte e di vendetta - " Hour of death and revenge").

Act IV

Birgit Nilsson as Lady Macbeth, 1947

In the distance is Birnam Forest. Macduff is determined to avenge the deaths of his wife and children at the hands of the tyrant. He is joined by Malcolm, the son of King Duncan, and the English army. Malcolm orders each soldier to cut a branch from a tree in Birnam Forest and carry it when they attack Birnam's army.

Meanwhile, in Macbeth's castle, a doctor and the lady observe the sleepwalking queen Lady Macbeth, who rubs her hands trying to clean them of blood (Una macchia è qui tuttora! - &# 34;There is still a stain here").

On the battlefield, Macbeth knows an army is coming, but he is sure by remembering the prophecy of apparitions. He discovers that Birnam Forest is in fact nearing the castle and battle breaks out.

In the original version ending Macduff chases Macbeth and fights him, and Macbeth falls. He tells Macbeth that he is not "he was born of a woman"; but they "pulled it out" of the maternal womb. Keep up the fight. Mortally wounded, Macbeth, in a final aria - Mal per me che m'affidai - "Too bad for me that I trusted the prophecies of hell" -proclaims that trusting the prophecies of hell have caused his downfall. He dies onstage, while Macduff's men proclaim him the new king.

Structure

The structure presented below refers to the 1865 version. In the earlier version, the 1847 version, the aria in Act 2, Scene 2 of Lady Macbeth is Trionfai! secure alfine; at the end of the third act, instead of the duet between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, an aria from Macbeth is performed, Vada in fiamme e in polve cada; at the end of the opera it shows the staged death of Macbeth (Mal per me che m'affidai).

Act I

• 1 Prelude
• 2 Introduction
  • Coro Che faceste? (Streghe) Scene I
  • Scene Giorno non vidi mai sì fiero e bella! (Macbeth, Bank, Streghe, Messaggeri) Scene II-III
  • Due Due vaticini compiuti or sono... (Macbeth, Bank) Scene III
  • Coro S'allontanarono! (Streghe) Scene IV
• 3 Lady Macbeth Divet
  • Scene Nel dì della vittoria io incontrai... (Lady) Scene V
  • Cavatina Vieni! (Lady) Scene V
  • Tempo di mezzo The cader della sera il re qui giunge (Servo, Lady) Scene VI
  • Cabaletta Or tutti sorgete, ministri infernali (Lady) Scene VII
• 4 Recitative and March
  • Scene - Caudore! (Macbeth, Lady) Scene VIII
  • March Scene IX
• 5 Great Scene and Duet
  • Great Scene Sappia la sposa mia (Macbeth, Lady) Scene X-XI-XII-XIII
  • Due Fatal mia donna! a murmure (Macbeth, Lady) Scene XIII
  • Tempo di mezzo Allor questa voce m'intesi nel petto (Macbeth, Lady) Scene XIII-XIV-XV
  • Cabaletta Vieni altrove! ogni sospetto (Lady, Macbeth) Scene XV
• 6 Final I
  • Scene Di destarlo per tempo il re m'impose (Macduff, Bank, Lady, Macbeth) Scene XVI-XVII-XVII-XIX
  • Sestetto Schiudi, inferno, la bocca, ed inghiotti (Macduff, Bank, Lady, Macbeth, Malcolm, Dama, Cor) 19th century

Act II

• 7 Scene and Aria of Lady Macbeth
  • Scene I lost my sfuggi, e fiso (Lady, Macbeth) Scene I
  • Aria La luce langue... il faro spegnesi (Lady) Scene II
• 8 Coro de Sicarios y Escena de Banco
  • Coro Chi v'impose unitevi a noi? (Sicari) Scene III
  • Scene Studia il passo, o mio figlio!... (Banco) Scene IV
  • Adagio Comes dal ciel precipitate (Banco) Scene IV
• 9 Convito, Visione, Final II
  • Convito Salve, or re! (Cor, Macbeth, Lady) Scene V
  • Brindis If colmi il calice (Lady, Cor) Scene V
  • Tempo di mezzo Your sangue hai brutto il volto (Macbeth, Sicario) Scene VI
  • Apparition and Brindis Che ti scosta, o re mio sposo (Lady, Macbeth, Cor) Scene VII
  • Quarteto Sangue a me quell'ombra chiede (Macbeth, Lady, Macduff, Dama, Cor) Scene VII

Act III

• 10 Coro de Introduction
  • Incredible Tre volte miagola la gatta in fregola (Streghe) Scene I
• 11 Dance
• 12 Scene of the Apparizioni and Finale III
  • Scene Finché appelli, silenti m'attendete (Macbeth, Streghe, Apparizioni) Scene II
  • Apparition Fuggi, gift fantasima (Macbeth, Streghe) Scene II
  • Coro Ballabile Ondine e Silfidi (Streghe) Scene III
  • Scene Ove are io?... Svaniro! (Macbeth, Lady) Scene IV
  • Due Ora di morte e di vendetta (Macbeth, Lady) Scene IV

Act IV

	«Ah! The paternal hand" Interpreted by the tenor Enrico Caruso.
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• 13 Introduction
  • Coro Patria oppressa! il dolce nome (Profughi scozzesi) Scene I
• 14 Scene and Aria of Macduff
  • Scene Or figli, or figli miei! (Macduff) Scene I
  • Aria Ah, the paternal hand (Macduff) Scene I
  • Tempo di mezzo Dove siam? (Malcolm, Macduff, Cor) Scene II
  • Cabaletta Homeland (Macduff, Malcolm, Cor) Scene II
• 15 Scene of Lady Macbeth's Sonambulism
  • Recitative Vegliammo invan due notti (Doctor, Dama) Scene III-IV
  • Scene of sleepwalking A macchia è qui tuttora... (Lady, Dama, Medico) Scene IV
• 16 Scene, Battle and Final
  • Scene All'anglo contro me v'unite! (Macbeth) Scene V
  • Aria Pietà, rispetto, amore (Macbeth) Scene V
  • Scene She's morta! (Dama, Macbeth, Cor) Scene VI-VII
  • Battle Via le fronde, e mano all'armi! (Malcolm, Soldati, Macduff) Scene VIII
  • Scene Carnefice de' figli miei, t'ho giunto (Macduff, Macbeth) Scene IX
  • Final Vittoria! (Macduff, Malcolm, Soldati, Donne, Popolo) Scene X