Customer Reviews

Verdi: Macbeth

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the reviews of R. Levine and R. Payne. Here we have Verdi's first try at a Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth, premiered in 1847, with more music, more interraction between the principals, closer to the original intent of the play, than in the later revised 1865 score. The vacillation and weak resolve of the future king, and the machinations of his scheming consort, are given more prominence in this version, making the finale that much more tragic, and closer to the source than the later, abridged, rendition.

All the principals are excellent. Peter Glossop (Macbeth) and Rita Hunter (Lady Macbeth) provide exciting dramatic performances; and John Tomlinson (Banquo) and Kenneth Collins (Macduff) are equally convincing in their roles. All are immensely believable characters. The orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, under John Matheson, play with feeling and dramatic pace.

Verdi had a life-long fascination with Shakespeare's works, starting with Macbeth (1847), and finishing, close to the end of his own life, with Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893), his two masterpieces. A King Lear was in the works, but that was not to be, regretfully, considering his very personal interest in father-daughter relationships (e.g., Nabucco, Stiffelio, Rigoletto, Aida, etc). This recording of the original version of Macbeth is a worthy tribute from one great genius to another.

I second Robert Levine's recommendation. Better paced than the Dynamic label recording of the original "MacBeth", the Opera Rara recording also features a lavishly illustrated libretto. A must for Verdi fanatics.

If you speak French, I suggest that you disregard M. Declercq's absurd and discourteous rant; this recording features some of the finest British voices of the 70's and 80's in an enterprising account of the earlier (1847) version of a perennial Verdi favourite. The set has both great artistic and musicological interest and makes a fascinating comparison with the revised 1865 version - the one invariably performed today. Fans of the late Rita Hunter might have fond memories of her stunning performances in Wagnerian roles; she had a voice of formidable size and laser-like penetration and here applies it tellingly to create a truly demonic Lady Macbeth - exactly as Verdi wanted it: "the voice of a she-devil". Peter Glossop, also recently deceased, never had the juiciest Verdi baritone but he used his sizeable voice judiciously and expressively; his breath control rivals that of Cappuccilli and despite a certain dryness of tone really inhabits the character of Macbeth. The supporting cast is strong, especially the under-rated and under-recorded Kenneth Collins, who had a real spinto Verdi tenor; I retain a vivid aural memory of his impressve Manrico in the ENO "Il Trovatore" and here he makes a plangent Macduff. John Matheson's conducting is lean and incisive, the chorus more than adequate.

This is now available on Amazon Marketplace much more reasonably than its original issue price. It makes an excellent supplement to a modern recording of the later version such as that by Abbado with Cappuccilli and Verrett.

A must for lovers of Verdi's Macbeth! The principals, chorus, and orchestra are a cut-above; the recording flawless; and the physical package, including the libretto, is simply the best, but that is not what sets this CD apart from all the others. It is like a trip in a time machine, going back to hear how Verdi wrote it originally! I was excited to hear each note that was different from the familiar 1865 version. Don't let the high price discourage you, because it is worth it. I have spent way more on one opera ticket and have not been as entertained. This recording will give you an experience close to live opera, because you don't quite know what is going to happen next. I am so glad that I have it in my collection.

Ce disque fait partie des cinq opéras de Verdi que Matheson a enregistrés en respectant la version originale (ici, celle de 1847, enregistrée en 1978). Les différences entre les deux partitions sont importantes, surtout à l'acte IV, mais pas assez pour supporter Glossop et Hunter, tous les deux exécrables. Matheson est un chef en général sans intérêt ; ici, il est même moins que cela.

Comme d'habitude Opera Rara fait payer très cher un disque dont finalement l'intérêt ne réside guère que dans le livret et la présentation. Pour l'instant cette maison de disques est la seule à proposer cette version en cd (Voce le proposait auparavant en vinyl) et aucune autre marque ne s'est décidée à la commercialiser, ce qui à mon avis est un signe infaillible.