Genre:

Opera

Release Date:

Feb 2012

Recorded:

2011

Number of Discs:

1

Sound:

2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS

Subtitles:

EN, FR, DE, IT, ES

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 Anamorphic

Display:

NTSC

Catalog Number:

OA1063D

Verdi: Macbeth (The Royal Opera)

Simon Keenlyside (Macbeth); Liudmyla Monastyrska (Lady Macbeth); Raymond Aceto (Banquo);

Black, red, cream and gold are the colours that define Phyllida Lloyd's Royal Opera House staging of Verdi's robust, yet penetrating setting of Shakespeares Scottish play. Manipulated by a whole coven of cunning, scarlet-turbaned witches, the characters often evoke figures in a splendid Gothic fresco. With Simon Keenlyside making his British debut, as an athletic, brooding Macbeth and Liudmyla Monastyrska as his Lady, both imperious and subtle, this performance, masterfully conducted by Antonio Pappano, goes far beyond mere sound and fury.

Reviews

"... an impressive company showcase, full of moments when chorus and orchestra are at full throttle. Whipped up by Antonio Pappano's baton, they sound truly thrilling." (The Guardian)

"He conducted Verdi’s score with a tangible sense of drama and fire." (Seen and Heard International)

"Simon Keenlyside and Liudmyla Monastyrska give one of the finest portrayals of the couple that I have come across. In both cases what lifts them into the category of the very special is the way they manage to chart the character’s development. Macbeth is a role that Keenlyside has grown into. He has the depth, the charisma and the energy that make the role complex and interesting; more than a great soldier laid low. His baritone is rounded and complex, just right to capture the many facets of the character’s journey." (Musicweb International)

Extra features

Cast gallery. Interviews with Simon Keenlyside, Raymond Aceto and Liudmyla Monastryrska. Rehearsing Macbeth with Antonio Pappano.