How destructive can a relationship become? What kind of dark chemistry makes a couple into a monster that neither of them would be on their own? Danger rings out in Verdi’s legendary classic. King Macbeth and his wife covet power and have blood on their hands.
Power, revenge, death – ‘the best Macbeth ever’
The majestic Macbeth is the opera of operas. From the very opening of the witches’ chorus, the music sends shivers down your spine. At the first performance in 1847, the composer was called for by the audience 25 times. He had succeeded in capturing the profundity of Shakespeare’s original drama as well as the haunting, ominous mood of the story. Now the principal role is sung by Ludovic Tézier, the world’s number one baritone, who made a huge impression on audiences in Tosca at the Opera Festival in 2022. Lady Macbeth is the dramatic Saioa Hernández, whom Montserrat Caballé herself described as the diva of the century.
This vibrant production by Ralf Långbacka dates back to 1993 but hasn’t aged at all, and has travelled from Savonlinna all over the world. The Verdi expert Carlo Colombara called it ‘the best Macbeth ever’.
