Macbeth is a dramatic opera in four acts. Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
(1813 - 1901)
Macbeth
Opera in four acts
libretto by F. M. Piave and A. Maffei based on Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name.
First production: Florence, theater "La Pergola", March 14, 1847.
(recording of the 1st edition)
The action takes place in Scotland and then on the border of Scotland and England in 1040.
Action one.
Generals Macbeth and Banquo return after a successful campaign against the Norwegians. Suddenly, witches block their way. Turning to Macbeth, the sorceresses in turn call the warrior the Glamiss and Cawdor thanes, they prophesy the Scottish crown to him. The knight is surprised: after all, if he should become a Glamis thane by right of inheritance, then the Cawdorian thane is alive, like Macbeth's cousin, the Scottish king Duncan. Banquo witches promise that he will become "not a king, but an ancestor of kings". Macbeth is puzzled - not his descendants will rule the country. Witches disappear. Ambitious aspirations are born in the souls of both commanders. They are overtaken by messengers sent by Duncan: Cawdor the traitor is executed, his possessions and title pass to Macbeth. He shudders - the first part of the prediction has come true, which means that the rest of the prophecies may come true. The desire for power wakes up in him: "a bloody plan, do not tempt me ..." The witches rejoice, now they have Macbeth in their hands ...
Inverness Castle. Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband who informs her of the predictions. They must certainly come true. If Macbeth is only vain, his wife will push him to deceit and cruelty. Nothing will stop her on her way to the throne. Servants report the arrival of Duncan, who will spend the night at Brother Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth assures her husband that this is a sign from above. The knight hesitates: the good Duncan is the brother and benefactor of the Glamis thane. The Lady reproaches Macbeth for not being a man. He begins to imagine a hand holding out a dagger. Overcoming doubts, Macbeth breaks into the bedroom and kills the sleeping Duncan. But from now on, peace of mind and sleep are lost forever. In vain Lady Macbeth tries to calm her husband. The wife's bloody dagger is placed on the king's servants. The news of Duncan's murder causes universal horror and anger.
Action two.
Macbeth is gloomy: according to the prediction, the descendants of Banquo should ascend the throne after him. So far, both the commander himself and his son Fliens are alive. That's not why Duncan was killed. Their fate is also decided, they are doomed.
Banquo goes to a feast in the castle to Macbeth, who has ascended the throne. He is overcome by ominous premonitions: he doubts who the real killers of the king are. Another moment and the commander falls, struck by the hands of mercenaries, but before his death, Banquo manages to warn his son about the danger. Fliance flees.
The Scottish thanes gathered for a feast hosted by the new king. Only Banquo is missing. Macbeth addresses the question: why is his dear friend absent? The assassins who entered tell the king that Banquo's son managed to escape. Macbeth is disturbed by the news - this is a bad sign. Suddenly, the ghost of Banquo with a bloodied forehead appears before him, who takes his royal place.
Not understanding what is happening, the guests are surprised by the behavior of the monarch. Lady Macbeth calms the guests and tries to cheer them up by singing a drinking song. Before Macbeth, the bloody shadow rises again. The king, seized with fear, no longer controls himself. The guests disperse in horror.
Action three.
Macbeth decides to learn his fate from Hecate and goes to the lair of witches. In answer to his question, he hears three prophecies: Macbeth must avoid meeting with Macduff, Thane of Fife; Macbeth cannot be defeated by anyone born of a woman; Macbeth can be calm until the Birnam Forest moves on him ... The knight calms down - there has not yet been a case for the forest to move. However, he wants to hear another prophecy. Macbeth has a vision - eight young men holding mirrors and crowned with crowns - a symbol of the future. In the last of them, the knight recognizes Banquo. Macbeth draws his sword to strike him, but the vision disappears. The frightened knight loses consciousness. When he comes to, the witches and spirits disappear. Lady Macbeth appears. The husband gives her the words of the prophecy. The castle of the Thane Macduff of Fife must burn to the ground.
Action four.
Scottish refugees remember their unfortunate homeland. Among them is Macduff, whose wife and son died at Fife. Prince Malcolm, son of the slain Duncan, approaches at the head of the English troops. Macduff orders each warrior to cut off a branch from the nearby Birnam forest in order to hide the number of troops from the enemy.
Dark night. Lady Macbeth, as in a dream, wanders around the castle. The queen has lost her mind. She sees the ghosts of people killed on her orders: the son and wife of Macduff. She tries in vain to wash the blood stain off her hands. The doctor and the maid with deep sorrow observe the insanity of their mistress.
Macbeth prepares for the upcoming battle. And although he has too few people, he is confident in his invulnerability. The maidservant who enters informs him of the queen's death. "Life is a story written by a fool," exclaims Macbeth and runs to the loopholes.
Seeing the forest approaching him, he remembers the ill-fated prediction. The battle begins. With ease, Macbeth defeats the knights attacking him, but Macduff, thirsting for revenge, appears before him.
The king still hopes for victory, because he cannot fall at the hands of a man born of a mother. Macduff exclaims that he was cut out of his mother's womb before his time. Macbeth is amazed. All predictions came true, his death is inevitable. Dying Macbeth curses witches and the ill-fated crown...
Actors and performers:
Macbeth- Peter Glossop
Lady M.- Rita Hunter
Banco - John Tomlinson
Macduff- Kenneth Collins
Malcolm- Richard Graeger
lady- Milla Andrew
Medico- Christian du Plessis
BBC concert orchestra and chorus
John Matheson
5-07-1978
Format:FLAC
Volume: 627 MB
Download material
Composer - Giuseppe Verdi. Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Andrea Maffei.
The premiere of the opera took place on March 14, 1847 in Florence (La Pergola Theatre). The composer wrote an opera based on the tragedy of the same name by William Shakespeare.
The storyline begins in Scotland, 1400. Scottish commanders - Macbeth and Banquo- meet witches. They predict Macbeth to rule Cawdor and later Scotland. Banquo predicts death, he will become "Not a king, but an ancestor of kings." Macbeth tormented by doubts: it is not his descendants who will become kings ... The ghosts of witches disappear. Emissaries of the king appear with the news: the Thane of Cawdor has betrayed Scotland, and is now killed. His title and possessions go to Macbeth. In the soul of the commander, a thirst for power flares up. The first part of the prediction came true. Witches laugh. Travelers leave with a heavy burden of prediction.
King Duncan and Macbeth arrive at the castle. Out of balance, Macbeth takes the life of his benefactor Duncan while he was sleeping. Lady Macbeth intensifies the suffering, goading her husband into a weakness of spirit. The news of the king's death horrifies people. Curses the murderer and Macbeth himself.
Spouses Macbeth instruct hired killers attack Banquo and Flins (his son). They mortally wound the father, but the son manages to escape.
The coronation took place Macbeth. Hypocritically, he searches among Banquo's guests. Why is he late? But the next moment he feels uneasy: Banquo is here! Bloody, he sits on a throne. Nobody sees him except Macbeth. He is horrified. Lady Macbeth comforts her husband, but he sees the ghost again. Macbeth goes crazy, which scares away the guests.
Wandering around the castle, Macbeth hears voices again. They warn him against meeting Macduff and incite him to be merciless in order to hold on to power. In the meantime, rumors about the murders had spread throughout Scotland. Voices predict Macbeth: no man born of a woman can defeat him. No one can overcome Macbeth until Birnam Wood moves on him.
Upon learning of what happened, Lady Macbeth orders the burning of Macduff's castle along with women and children.
Junction close. An army is gathering on the border of England and Scotland. At the head is Malcolm, the son of the slain King Duncan. Macduff joins the army and gives the order: each cut down a branch and hide behind it in order to hide from the eyes of the enemy. Lady Macbeth is losing her former strength and will. As a somnambulist, she wanders around the castle, unable to bear the weight of her sins. She sees blood stains. Macbeth with an army stands at the border. The Birnam Forest is moving towards him... It will soon be over. Moments fly by, and now - Macduff stands before the bloody king. He wants revenge for his wife and children. Macbeth hopes for a prediction: a man born of a woman will not kill him ... But Macduff was cut out of his mother's womb before birth! Macbeth is killed. Young King Malcolm and the army sing a solemn hymn.
History of creation
Giuseppe Verdiconsidered the work of William Shakespeare the pinnacle of literary art. If you look back at the stories of recreating the works of the English playwright in opera, it becomes clear that the work required unprecedented courage and perseverance from any composer. Verdi was the first to stage Shakespeare's drama almost unchanged. The work on the libretto took a long time. The composer decided on an unprecedented creative experiment. He writes the libretto in prose. Then he turns to Francesco Maria Piave to translate the text into poetic form. Some
The e scenes are finalized by Andrea Maffei. While work was underway on the libretto and music, the composer was looking for suitable opera singers. It is curious that when selecting performers, he put acting talent above singing talent. Giuseppe Verdi corresponds with singers and theater impresario, revealing the essence of the work. Opera "Macbeth" turned out to be a difficult task for all the people involved in the production. It is worth noting that "Macbeth" is the first work of the composer, the details of which were given such keen attention. The opera combines the best musical finds of the three previous operas: The Two Foscari, Joan of Arc and Attila.
The premiere took place in Florence with great success. Theaters vied with each other to conclude a contract for performance of Macbeth, but Verdi did not give permission to some of them. Including refused the theater "La Scala". The reason for the refusal was the composer's conviction that the opera would be spoiled by theatrical revisions.
Seventeen years later, Giuseppe Verdi decided on the second edition of Macbeth. He reworks individual numbers and scenes, adds a ballet to the opera. "Macbeth" again occupies all the attention of the composer. April 21, 1865 in Paris at the "Lyric Theater" is the second premiere. The French audience enthusiastically accepts the opera, but this version does not become popular. Macbeth only lasts ten performances.
D. Verdi opera "Macbeth"
Verdi's tenth opera became a milestone for him and at that time the main one. A plot atypical for Italian opera, a baritone in the title role, new principles of singing in individual arias, intensity of passions, but not love ones, as the audience is used to, but the deepest and most diabolical that a person has - a thirst for power, revenge, envy, hatred. All this, coupled with beautiful music, singled out "" from among the many operas written by the composer in the 1840s.
Summary of the opera Verdi Macbeth and many interesting facts read about this work on our page.
Characters |
Description |
|
baritone | Thane of Glamis, Scottish General | |
Banquo | bass | general in Duncan's army |
Lady Macbeth | soprano | Macbeth's wife |
Macduff | tenor | Tan Fire, Scottish nobleman |
Duncan | party without words | King of Scotland |
Malcolm | tenor | his son |
Summary
The action takes place in Scotland and on the Anglo-Scottish border in the middle of the 11th century. Macbeth is the favorite of King Duncan, who has a great influence on him. The witches, met by Macbeth and Banquo returning from the battle, predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and king, Banquo's descendants will also become kings. Soon news comes from Duncan that for the victory in the battle Macbeth was given the title of Tan of Cawdor - the prophecy begins to come true. Macbeth's thoughts were captured by the second part of the prediction - about coming to power. He writes about this to Lady Macbeth, who is plotting the assassination of the king, to which she persuades her husband. This plan is carried out as soon as Duncan stays overnight in Macbeth's castle - in the morning Macduff finds his torn body.
Macbeth becomes the Scottish king, but he is haunted by the words of the witches that the descendants of Banquo should ascend the throne. He and his wife decide to kill Banquo along with the heir by the hands of mercenaries. The killers are waiting for their victim in the park, where he appears with his son. Banquo dies, but the boy manages to escape. At this time, Macbeth, as the new king of Scotland, arranges a reception for the aristocracy, to which the ghost of Banquo also appears. The nobles begin to suspect that the new king has received power illegally. Macduff supports them.
Macbeth again turns to the witches for a prediction. They warn that he should be wary of Macduff, but may not be afraid of anyone who is born of a woman, and will also be invulnerable until Birnam Wood approaches the castle. Macbeth mercilessly cracks down on Macduff's family. Beside himself with grief, he stands under the banner of Malcolm, the son of the murdered King Duncan, who is coming from England to fight the bloody Scottish ruler, covering his troops with tree branches. Lady Macbeth, under the yoke of what she has done, goes mad and dies. Macduff pursues Macbeth and kills him - this is how the last prophecy is fulfilled, because he really was not born, but cut out of his mother's womb.
A photo:
Interesting Facts
- Verdi spent his whole life looking creatively at various plays by Shakespeare. In the early 40s, he closely studied the plots of Hamlet and The Tempest, in the 60s he hatched the idea of King Lear. In the 50s, he even planned to write operas for all the major Shakespearean tragedies. But it turned out that "Macbeth" was born, and only many years later, at the end of his career - " Othello " and " falstaff (Based on the plays Henry IV and The Merry Wives of Windsor).
- Together with F.M. Piave Verdi created 7 more operas: "Ernani", "Two Foscari", "Stiffelio", " Rigoletto », « La Traviata », « Simon Boccanegra », « Force of Destiny ».
- One of the opera's superbly thought-out scenes is King Duncan's visit to Macbeth's castle. It passes in complete silence to the sounds of a leisurely march, which the composer noted in the score as "village music".
- "Third main role»opera after Macbeth and his wife, Verdi named the parts of the witches, written for three choirs of 6 female voices - 2 from each register. Such an ensemble allowed the composer to express the demonic nature of the music.
- The first Lady Macbeth M. Barbieri-Nini, in addition to "Two Foscari" and "Macbeth", participated in another world premiere of Verdi's opera. In 1848 she sang Gulnara in Le Corsaire.
- After the Paris premiere, some of the press fell upon Verdi - both for the non-musical plot and for the fact that he did not understand the meaning of Shakespeare's tragedy. The composer was determined to publicly appear in the same newspapers with the rationale for his position. “Perhaps I didn’t manage to express everything in Macbeth, but it’s unfair to say that I don’t understand or don’t feel Shakespeare,” he wrote to the French publisher and publicist Léon Escudier. - "I love him very much and constantly re-read, not letting go of my hands from my earliest youth."
- On December 7, 1952, La Scala opened the season with Macbeth, where Maria Callas performed the role of Lady Macbeth for the first time. Exactly 45 years later, in this role, Milan was conquered by the Russian singer Maria Guleghina.
- The premiere of the opera came at a time when in Italy was gaining momentum freedom movement. The final chorus of Scottish exiles in Macbeth was often perceived by the public as a manifesto against tyranny; it became a direct successor to the choirs from Nabucco and Lombards, full of regrets for the lost homeland. In the 1865 version, as the events of the Risorgimento drew to a close, the new choir had already turned to human suffering in a broader sense.
- Verdi compared his hard work in the 1840s with the work of a galley slave - during this decade, 13 of his operas were written and staged - exactly half of those that he wrote in 54 years of his work. Among some rather ordinary and even unsuccessful works for Verdi, there are undoubted achievements, the main of which are “ Nabucco and Macbeth.
Popular arias
"Pieta, rispetto, amore" - Macbeth's aria (listen)
"Vieni t'affretta" - Lady Macbeth's aria (listen)
"Ah, la paterna mano" - Macduff's aria (listen)
History of creation and productions
To create an opera based on the tragedy of Shakespeare was a long-standing desire Verdi , and by 1846 he was increasingly thinking about Macbeth. The maestro rewrote the plot outline of the future opera in prose and suggested that Francesco Maria Piave write poetry. They were not just familiar with the librettist, but understood each other well, having behind them the experience of creating two joint operas. Piave knew the maestro's high demands and sometimes rewrote the scenes many times, trying to achieve their conformity with the composer's intention. In September 1846, Verdi sent his co-author of his adaptation of Macbeth, writing that this tragedy is the greatest of all created by people. He asks Piave to be concise - the verses should express what is happening as briefly as possible to achieve the greatest effect. Verdi also notes that in the speech of witches, he would like to see strange and original nuances that distinguish them from other heroes.
Verdi entrusted the performance of the title role to one of the best baritones of those years - Felice Varese. The surviving letters testify to how detailed the composer explained to the singer not only the nuances of music, but also all the psychological movements of the hero, working with him almost like a director.
If in Shakespeare Lady Macbeth is just a catalyst for her husband's evil intentions, then in Verdi she is a direct instigator and equally a full participant. Her brilliantly written part for a dramatic soprano is as important as the title.
Macbeth opened a new page in Italian opera - it was he who made the final transition from the era of bel canto to the era of realism. The composer made many key arias not vocal, but recitative with orchestral accompaniment - such is Macbeth's monologue before Duncan's murder, such is the scene of his wife's somnambulism. It is no coincidence that Verdi considered these two scenes to be key in the entire opera. Such a presentation speaks of the author's intention to focus not on the music as such, but on the authenticity of the characters and the accurate transmission of the plot.
The premiere took place at the Florentine theater "La Pergola" on March 14, 1847. The part of Lady Macbeth was performed by Marianna Barbieri-Nini, it was her second work at the Verdi premiere - three years earlier she sang the main female part in "Two Foscari". After the first performance, despite the warm reception, the opera was criticized by both specialists and the public - how could it be, not a single decent tenor part and no love affair. At that time, both of these elements in the opera were mandatory. However, Verdi ignored this tradition - he was not interested in a love story, but in the study of the psychology of power.
That is why, before the 1848 production in Naples, he rejected the idea of inviting the outstanding singer E. Tadolini, a beautiful woman with a magnificent voice, to play the role of Lady Macbeth. The composer needed an artist who could not only sing, but bring to life an unpleasant and evil heroine with a deaf, harsh and gloomy timbre. Verdi was looking for the devil, not an angel. Such was Barbieri-Nini, but not Tadolini.
Almost 20 years later, already the author of "Rigoletto", "La Traviata" and " Troubadour”, Verdi will return to his Macbeth. For the premiere in Paris, the maestro completely reworks his early masterpiece - adds, rearranges or deletes scenes (even a ballet appears in the opera), changes the finale. To refine the libretto, he enlists Andrea Maffei, a translator and poet, the wife of Countess Clara Maffei, who provided great support to Verdi in his difficult years. Verdi has already collaborated with Maffei as a librettist, creating the next opera after Macbeth, The Robbers. Thus was born the second edition of Macbeth, which was released on April 21, 1865 on the stage of the Lyric Theatre.
In Russia, "Macbeth" was first heard on December 1, 1854, performed by the St. Petersburg Imperial Italian Opera. Since censorship did not allow performances with scenes of the murders of royal persons, the opera was given edited according to the plot and under the title Siward the Saxon.
Since 2001, the Mariinsky Theater has staged Macbeth staged by D. McVicar. In 2017, a performance was held with an unusual line-up of performers - the tenor Placido Domingo sang the baritone Macbeth, the mezzo-soprano Yekaterina Semenchuk sang the soprano Lady Macbeth. In 2003, Eymuntas Nyakroshyus staged the opera at the Bolshoi Theatre, and in the summer of 2018 the premiere of Macbeth staged by Kama Ginkas is expected at the Theater. K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko.
Music of "Macbeth" in the cinema
Music from the opera can be heard in films different eras. This is the second picture of B. Bertolucci "Before the Revolution" (1964), and the 2004 nominee for 3 Cesar awards the film "Partner" (2004), and the horrors of D. Argento "Opera" (1987). But the 1987 Finnish film Macbeth, based on Shakespeare's tragedy, used Verdi's music, but not from the opera of the same name, but from " Hades ».
Stage versions of Macbeth have been filmed several times:
- Metropolitan Opera, 2015, production by G. Halvorson, cast: J. Lucic, A. Netrebko;
- Covent Garden, 2011, staged by S. Judd, starring: S. Keenlyside, L. Monastyrska;
- "Opera de Paris", 2009, staged by E. Sommer, starring: D. Tiliakos, V. Urmana;
- "Gran Teatro di Liceo", 2005, staged by T. Bargaglio, cast: C. Alvarez, M. Guleghina;
- La Scala, 1997, staged by C. Battistoni, starring: R. Bruzon, M. Guleghina.
It is generally accepted that the main masterpieces Verdi wrote after the 1850s, when he acquired maturity and skill. Nevertheless, every day one of his early operas, "" is performed in two theaters of the world. It was not lost either among the masterpieces of the maestro himself, or in the world opera heritage, which speaks of its undoubted artistic value and ability to impress the public even almost 2 centuries after its creation.
Video: Watch Verdi's Macbeth
Opera in four acts
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Characters
Macbeth, General of King Duncan (baritone)
Banquo, General of King Duncan (bass)
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's wife (soprano)
Macduff, noble Scot (tenor)
Malcolm, son of King Duncan (tenor)
Lady with Lady Macbeth (soprano)
Doctor (bass)
Servant (bass)
Herold (bass)
Assassin (bass)
First Ghost (bass)
Second Ghost (soprano)
Third Ghost (soprano)
Act one scene one
(Deaf area. Witches appear.)
FIRST WITCH
What did you do? Boast.
SECOND WITCH
I choked the pigs.
THIRD WITCH
FIRST WITCH
Wonderful thought come - I will avenge for sure
I'm a sailor's evil wife! Death send me
to hell! My revenge is already close: husband
he will answer for that! Wait for grief: swam into the sea
hubby! The hour of death in the darkness of the abyss is not far away!
THIRD WITCH
With a whirlwind I will spin the wave.
SECOND WITCH
Cheln let him go to the bottom.
FIRST WITCH
Don't see his wife!
Drums! Who is there?
That is Macbeth. Here he is himself.
We are full of passion for wandering,
cut through the air, waves,
a chain of close round dance
embrace land, water.
(Enter Macbeth and Banquo.)
I have never seen a worse day
but nicer...
Never knew a better day.
Who else is there?
Who you are? Earth are you children?
Or to us from the other world?
You would be recognized as women, if it were not for
I have seen your nasty beards.
Well answer!
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WITCHES
Hail Macbeth, Thane of Glamis!
Glory to Macbeth, Tan of Cawdor!
Vivat, Macbeth, Scottish king!
From the predictions you are terribly embarrassed.
Well, what awaits me, is it also clear to you?
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WITCHES
You are lower than Macbeth, but in the end
above him and you will be happier.
Not a king himself, but you are the ancestor of kings.
Glory to the heroes of all victories!
Hail to you, Macbeth and Banquo!
Hail to you, Banquo and Macbeth!
(Hiding.)
Gone! Your descendants are kings!
You yourself will be on the throne. What will happen to us?
MACBETH AND BANKO
Meaning is hidden in words.
Brave leader, you are chosen by Duncan -
to be a Cawdor Thane now!
Did the Thane of Cawdorah die?
No, but the chopping block is waiting soon -
cheating will not be forgiven.
Oh! Doesn't hell sometimes lie!
Two predictions came true in practice!
Throne in the future - there is no higher goal!
But why did the hair stand on end,
Let rock fulfill its promise
I will not stretch out a dishonorable hand!
No, I don't dare!
In the proud hope of the royal throne -
already he sees himself in the crown!
Fates lift the veil
creatures of darkness always and now ...
And then in the dark abyss of sin
without regret they absorb us,
to let us all down.
But why is Macbeth so gloomy,
as if he is waiting for trouble alone?
(Everyone leaves. The witches return.)
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WITCHES
Everyone has dispersed! meet again
at the brilliance of lightning here - under the noise of thunder!
Yes, they all left. Let's run faster
let fate's command be done.
Soon Macbeth will come to us again -
he will become our oracle to question!
Picture two
(A room in Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth enters, reading a letter.)
“On the glorious day of victory, I met them,
he listened to the prophets in terrible amazement,
while Duncan's messengers suddenly appeared
and Thane of Cawdor they called me...
My sisters also predicted the crown for me.
Keep it all a secret.
Ambitious spirit, Macbeth, my husband!
Strive for greatness
won't you become a criminal?
The path of crimes is the path of power;
grief when you turn back, doubting -
died irrevocably!
To the house soon! I'll light it with fire
I am the heart, since it froze!
Let's make a bold plan together,
I will inspire insolence and strength!
Dominant fate brought you with witches ...
I see Macbeth under the shadow of the throne!
What is he delaying? Take the crown
take the throne soon!
As soon as the sun sets, the king will arrive.
Really? Is my husband with him?
Yes, your consort accompanies the king.
We must accept it properly!
Our Duncan will be here. This midnight!
The army of spirits that urged mortals to villainy,
thicken the blood in my veins, snakes give me a sting!
You, night, wrap us in dead darkness from the whistle,
to hide the wounded heart from the gaze of the dagger!
So that the dagger does not see the pierced chest!
(Macbeth enters.)
Oh dear!
Kavdor is mine!
The king is coming!
When back?
No, he won't see the sun tomorrow.
What do I hear?
Don't you understand?
So what?
And if it doesn't work?
Everything will work out, don't just be a coward!
King! With a joyful look
with a cheerful look we will meet him now!
(The march announces the arrival of the King, who passes across the stage, accompanied by Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm, Macbeth with Lady Macbeth and retinue. Enter Macbeth and Servant.)
(to servant)
Tell the lady - just cook
she is a drink to me by the night -
Let him notify with a blow of a bell.
(Servant leaves.)
Before the eyes - a dagger; here's the handle!
If you don’t see, let me grab it!
You anticipate the thought conceived mine:
I wanted to take such a blade for killing!
Terrible image!
That's flowing
blood on the sharp blade!
But still, while you are a ghost!
That was embodied only my bloody plan!
And with a terrible look fools
my gaze is one chimera ...
In half the world, nature froze ...
Only a killer, like a ghost
sneaking in the dark
and witches flock for witchcraft.
Be dumb, earth, do not betray my eye!
(Bell.)
Die is cast!
I hear the call!
Duncan, do not listen to the inconsolable ringing:
he calls to heaven or hell.
(Exit. Lady Macbeth enters at once.)
Sleep reigns over all! ..
Oh what moans?
Then the owl shouted a sad farewell!
(behind the scenes)
What if he suddenly wakes up
and our plan will perish?
(Enters.)
It's all over!
Oh, really, my evil genius,
didn't you hear the moan?
Yes, birds cry in the silence of the night ...
What did you say first?
You said walking here...
When did you go down?
Who sleeps in the next room, tell me?
Duncan's children.
(looking at her hands)
What a terrible, terrible sight.
Drop all this bullshit...
What a terrible sight! They prayed in their sleep
prayers rushed to the sky:
"God, have mercy, save, save!" -
tell them in prison
I should have "amen", but froze
my sinful tongue.
Madness!
Oh, why couldn't I say "amen" at that moment?
Macbeth is covered in blood!
Blackthorn will be your headboard!
Glamis, sleep has killed you forever from now on,
Kavdor, the dream parted with you forever.
Have you heard more speeches from the other world?
Vain, but Macbeth has no courage!
Glamis, and quit your business in half.
Kavdor, you puffy sick child.
Like angels of vengeance, retribution will come
about the valor of Duncan will hear the news.
With a cowardly thought, forgetting about honor,
who could make you a hero!
Bring back your dagger.
Smear the blood of the guards of the retinue,
to put evidence on them.
I can't enter again.
Give me a weapon!
(Takes a dagger and goes to the king's room.)
The slightest rustle makes me shudder!
Oh those hands. The ocean is missing
to wash their blood away!
(Returns.)
Here! We are the same color.
But we will wash the blood off our hands
and let's forget this...
Do you hear this knock?
Away! Let's go away while there's still time
not to be seen with evidence.
Throw off, Macbeth, the burden of fear
and throw away your wild terror.
Oh, when I would about villainy
I was able to erase the thought!
To life, if I'm able
awaken the king.
And a living dream would return.
Duncan, that dream is alive to you.
(The Lady leads him away. Enter Macduff and Banquo.)
The king ordered to wake up early;
I'm a little late.
You, Banquo, wait here.
In the darkness of this terrible night
in the air you can hear the angry moaning of death.
It's hard to hear them, there is no more urine ...
Owl sends ominous predictions.
The earth groans, trembles like a stormy sea.
Oh God! Oh, grief!
What happened?
There ... happened ... no, you yourself
look... there is no power to say...
(Banquo goes to the king's room.)
Here!.. Quickly... everyone run here!
(Enter Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Malcolm, and Servants.)
MACBETH AND THE LADY
What does all anxiety mean?
Ah, everything is dead!
But what happened?
Tell us quickly!
Our valiant Duncan lies slain!
Hell, open up and in the fiery mouth
devour all living things soon!
Heaven, on the villain killer
send your flame and thunder!
Our God, we are all in your rightful power,
our hope, our hope,
give us light, open our eyelids,
for the vile villain to appear
before a dreadful judgment.
Show the power of anger, O right God!
Let the wicked killer be the wrath of those
struck and marked with a seal - killer killer -
Francesco Maria Piave with Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth.
History of creation
Almost twenty years later, the Lyric Theater in Paris offered the composer to supplement the opera with new music, but as a result, Verdi revised almost the entire score. Premiere new version took place on April 21, 1865. The second option is more popular from the very time of its production.
The opera is quite close to the text of the play, but there are curious discrepancies. So, Shakespeare's three witches are replaced by a choir of witches with three parts of different heights. Besides, last action opens with a rally of rebels on the Anglo-Scottish border and ends with a choir celebrating the victory over tyrant, which is after Shakespeare's finale.
The first of Verdi's three Shakespearean operas.
Characters
Role | Voice |
---|---|
Macbeth | baritone |
Lady Macbeth | soprano. |
Banquo | bass |
Macduff | tenor |
Maid of honor | mezzo-soprano. |
Malcolm | tenor |
Doctor | bass |
Servant of Macbeth | bass |
Herald | bass |
Killer | bass |
three visions | 2 sopranos and bass |
Duncan, King of Scotland | without words |
flins | without words |
Witches, Messengers, Nobles, Servants, Refugees |
I act
Scotland, 11th century. Near the battlefield, witches gather for a sabbat. Enter Victorious Generals Macbeth and Banquo. Witches praise Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and the King later . Banquo is declared the ancestor of a great royal dynasty. The witches disappear when messengers from King Duncan appear, declaring Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor.
In Macbeth's castle, Lady Macbeth reads her husband's letter about his encounter with the witches. She decides that Macbeth is made for the throne ("Vieni! t'affretta!"). The letter also informs that Duncan will stay at the castle for the night. When Macbeth appears, his wife convinces him to seize the opportunity and kill the monarch. Solemnly arrive King Duncan and noble thanes and lords. Macbeth had the courage to kill the monarch, but after committing the villainy, he is filled with horror before the deed. Lady Macbeth, accusing him of cowardice, commits a crime. She smears the sleeping guards with blood and places a dagger next to them so that they can be convicted of murder. Macduff discovers the corpse. The chorus asks God to avenge the crime ("Schiudi, inferno, . .").
II act
Macbeth became king, but he is saddened by the fact that not he, but Banquo, will become the ancestor of a great dynasty. He tells his wife that to avoid this, he had Banquo and his son killed while they were on their way to see Macbeth. Lady Macbeth approves of her husband's actions ("La luce langue").
Behind the walls of the fortress, a gang of assassins lurked in ambush. Banquo appears and tells his son about his bad premonitions ("Come dal ciel precipita"). The bandits who ran out of the ambush kill Banquo, but miss his son Flins, who manages to escape.
In the hall of his castle, Macbeth greets guests. Lady Macbeth sings the drinking song ("Si colmi il calice"). Macbeth is informed of the murder. However, when he returns to the table, he sees Banquo's ghost sitting in his seat. Macbeth chases the ghost away with screams, and the guests think that the king has gone mad. The dinner, which began so well, ends with the hasty departure of the guests.
III act
Witches gather around a cauldron in a dark cave. Entered Macbeth wants to know his fate, and the witches for this cause three visions. The first tells the king to beware of Macduff, Tan of Fife. The second asserts that Macbeth will not be harmed no one born of a woman. The third declares that Macbeth is invincible until the Birnam Forest moves on him. After that, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and his eight descendants, future glorious Scottish kings. Fainted, Macbeth woke up in his castle. Lady Macbeth urges her husband to exterminate both Macduff and the Macduff and Banquo families, and he agrees ("Ora di morte e di vendetta").
IV act
Numerous refugees are on the Anglo-Scottish border at Birnam Forest (Chorus "Patria oppressa"). Macduff swears revenge on the tyrant for the death of his wife and children ("Ah la paterna mano"). He joins the late Duncan's son, Malcolm, who leads the English army. Malcolm orders each of the soldiers to cut off a branch in Birnam Wood and carry it in front of them during the attack. Everyone wants to free Scotland from tyranny ("La patria tradita").
At Macbeth's castle, a doctor and a maid witness Lady Macbeth trying unsuccessfully to wash the victims' blood from her hands ("Una macchia") during a fit of sleepwalking.
Macbeth is informed that an army is being led against him, but he recalls the predictions and is calm, indifferently meeting the news of his wife's death ("Pietà, rispetto amore"). Gathering an army, he learns that Birnam Forest has moved to his castle. Boils fight. Macbeth fights Macduff, who says he is not born of a mother, but cut out of her womb before term. As a result of this, Macduff has the ability to kill Macbeth, which he does. The incoming army, together with the people, glorifies the new king of Scotland - Malcolm.
Famous arias
"Vieni t'affretta" - Lady Macbeth in act I, scene 2
"Or tutti, sorgete" - Lady Macbeth in act I, scene 2
"La luce langue" - Lady Macbeth in act II, scene 1
"O voluttà del soglio" - Lady Macbeth in act II, scene 1
"Come dal ciel precipita" - Banquo in act II, scene 2
"Si colmi il calice di vino" - Lady Macbeth in act II, scene 3
"Fuggi regal fantasima" - Macbeth in act III
"O lieto augurio" - Macbeth in act III
"Ah, la paterna mano" - Macduff
"Una macchia e qui tuttora!" - Lady Macbeth in act IV, scene 2
"Pietà, rispetto, amore" - Macbeth in act IV, scene 3
Differences between editions
In an early version, it ended with the death of Macbeth, the final chorus was added in a later revision. The battle scene preceding the scene of Macbeth's death, which in the second edition is an orchestral fugue, was originally created in free form and had a slightly longer running time.