A classic story of the unquenchable thirst for power returns to the Sofia Opera and Ballet stage during a time in which the news is full of talk about political wars and horror stories. “McBeth”, Giuseppe Verdi’s ninth opera, will premiere on the 25th of February in order to remind us that people in power can always choose between good and evil… and that they usually make the wrong choice.
The opera will be produced by Vera Petrova who is determined to retain Verdi’s spirit but also to show respect to the dramaturgical foundation laid by Shakespeare. The story is widely known: it takes place in Scotland, during the 11th century. McBeth is a loyal but ambitious subject of the Scottish king and is tempted to steal his ruler’s crown. He first sees himself on the throne in the witches’ vision but in the end the prophecy becomes reality when Lady McBeth, his wife, encourages him to murder the king. More murders follow until the reigning tyrants lose themselves completely.
“The silhouettes and decors on stage are in a dark medieval style: sadly, we also see this in our everyday lives; murders, ambition, power, blood…, director Vera Petrova explained in front of the media. “The entire world is drowning in blood, nothing new under the sun. However, we’re telling the story you know in the form of a fantasy thriller with an intriguing goth aesthetic which projects a sense of looming danger throughout the entire performance”.
Petrova defines “McBeth” as “A psychological thriller which gives no answers but instead poses the hardest questions: who are we, why were we born, is there any meaning to life and if so, what is it”. Even though Petrova was greatly tempted to include references to current events, she decided against it. There was no need for it, she believes:
“To our regret, from the 1600s when Shakespeare wrote this play, through the 1800s when Verdi’s opera was written, all the way to present days, human nature hasn’t changed. You will immediately feel it on stage: without forcing it on our viewers through contemporary costumes, it’s apparent nothing has changed in the rollercoaster of the so called great mechanism which Jan Kott explains in his research of Shakespeare’s works: kill so you don’t get killed; destroy so you don’t get destroyed; take the throne so you don’t sit at its base. A rollercoaster of our lives in which we forget the now while hurrying to get to tomorrow and struggling to remember yesterday.”
Conductor will be the Italian Alessandro D’Agostino who also sees “McBeth” not as a “museum opera” but as a revolutionary one, even in our time:
“This is an opera about the feeling of power and about the man in the face of this power: respectively, a very relevant opera. Verdi himself poses the question how a man can transform when he receives power. He may choose between good and evil… very often, he chooses evil. The problem of power is present in many of Verdi’s later operas such as “Don Carlos” and “Aida”. This is also a problem of our own time”.
This is D’Agostino’s debut at the Sofia Opera. Even though he’s working with the Bulgarian ensemble for the first time, he stated in front of journalists he’s well acquainted with the institution’s history and also stated that it serves as an example to all Balkan opera theaters.
“McBeth” returns to the Sofia Opera stage after a twenty-three year-long absence: Verdi’s opera was last set in 2003, in director prof. Plamen Markov and scenographer Salvatore Russo’s take on it. It’s not only Bulgarian opera theaters that rarely reach for this title; one of the possible reasons for this is that “McBeth” is a “vocally extreme” opera which demands the ensemble’s entire possible diapason, as the Sofia Opera team explained. Lady McBeth alone has four arias, for example. Besides, the singers must also act since they don’t just perform as Verdi characters but as Shakespeare ones as well.
“McBeth” will be performed on the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th of February and on the 1st of March. The audience will witness this story presented with flair: over seventy choir members will take part; ballet elements are also included.
Almost all singers have a personal connection to “McBeth”. Ventseslav Anastasov, for example, who will be one of two performers of the role of McBeth, shared he first saw the performance when he was three years old: his parents performed the main roles at the Rousse Opera in the 70s. Lilia Kehayova, one of four performers of the role of Lady McBeth, owes her Sofia Opera career to this role: eleven years ago, she took part in an audition with it. Alessandra di Giorgio, another performer of the role of Lady McBeth, says the character marked her entire career path and helped her develop from a mezzo-soprano into a dramatic soprano with an international career. Rosen Nenchev who will perform as McDuff, prepared for the role during Jose Carreras’ masterclass and the latter encouraged him to develop the role in its entirety. To Nenchev, McDuff is the only symbol of hope in the entire opera:
“McDuff is a good man in a terrible world of wars and finds the strength to overcome evil, despite suffering personal losses. I wish there were more people like McDuff in the world”, Nenchev wished.
A total of six singers will perform as McBeth and Lady McBeth. Also starring: Biser Georgiev, Gabriela Georgieva and Radostina Nikolaeva, Svetozar Rangelov, Petar Buchkov and Nikolai Voinov as Banko; Daniel Damyanov, Emil Pavlov and Georgi Sultanov as McDuff; Ivanka Ninova and Daniela Panchevska as Lady McBeth’s court lady and many others.
Alessandra di Giorgio will perform on the 25th and 27th of February; the singers to perform on the other dates are yet to be revealed.
https://www.ploshtadslaveikov.com/prastara-istoriya-koyato-predpochitame-da-si-ostane-v-operata/