I won't patronise you by reminding you of the plot to Macbeth. Verdi's opera sticks pretty closely to Shakespeare's play except that rather than just three witches, there is a whole chorus of them who drive the plot by first tempting Macbeth and then taunting him with the likelihood of his downfall. In Opera North's excellent production they are dressed as cleaning ladies which somehow works really well.

There is great psychological depth to this work and for me the character of Lady Macbeth is more intriguing than that of her husband. In many ways her character is more nuanced here than in the play. In her aria 'La luce langue' (The light fades), excellently sung by Antonia Cifrone, as she plots the assassination of her husband's enemies, she delights in the opportunity for wrongdoing that comes with darkness. However, she seems to be motivated by something other than simply ruthless ambition making her eventual collapse under the weight of guilt more understandable.

Robert Hayward's rendition of 'Pietà, rispetto, amore' is another highpoint. As Macbeth's castle is surrounded by rebels, he realises that he might die but also that should he win his life he will be unhappy as he will be unloved and forever detested as a tyrant. Perhaps the greatest scene is the one added by Verdi. A chorus of Scottish refugees wait by the English border ready to fight to remove the tyrant from power and sing of the suffering in their homeland ('Patria Oppressa'). Then, in Macduff's aria 'Ah, la paterna mano' (Ah, the paternal hand) he vows vengeance for the murder of his children, here sung powerfully by Peter Auty who seemed to win the most appreciation from the audience.

I have to admit that I'm fairly new to opera appreciation. I tended to regard operas as plays with only a few lines of dialogue that unfortunately have to be sung. However, this performance has made me appreciate the power and richness of the opera experience and perhaps it will do the same for you.

Opera North will perform 'Macbeth' again on Saturday 31st May 2008 at the Theatre Royal. They will also be performing Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on Thursday 29th and Saturday 31st (matinée) and Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette' on Friday 30th.
 

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