G. Verdi - MacBeth (1st Recording of 1847 Florence Version) - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Verdi considered Shakespeare's MacBeth to be 'one of the greatest creations of man'. The opera's unbroken dramatic line, incisive libretto and range of expression from the comic to the sublime, made it a work that was way ahead of it's time. Verdi explores unusual theatrical characters with MacBeth, the darkness of which resonated with his desire to convey Shakespeare's brutal realism in a visionary masterpiece that would only be fully appreciated by the mid-1900s. MacBeth is performed here in it's rarely heard 1865 French language version.

A vivid demonstration of how widely Fabio Biondi's musical imagination runs comes with his new recording of Giuseppe Verdi's work of genius, MacBeth, issued on Glossa. It is the original Florentine 1847 version of the work, shorn of the Paris revisions more typically found on record, which Fabio Biondi has opted to conduct, the director believing in it's greater dramatic and stylistic coherence. Verdi was of the opinion that the Shakespearean tragedy was Inchone of the greatest creations of the human spiritInch and set himself the task of rendering the fire of it's drama into music during and following a period when his physical health had broken down. With it's scenes of murder, battle and sleep-walking, brindisi and witches' choruses all creating a somber atmosphere drenched with paranoia and a lust for power, the dramatic flow of the opera places vast demands on the soloists, notably upon the unhappy title-role couple. Fabio Biondi's version comes with baritone Giovanni Meoni, a leading Verdi specialist as MacBeth whilst the larger-than-life role of Lady MacBeth is taken by a noted present-day Salome, Médée (and Medea), the soprano Nadja Michael. Bass Fabrizio Beggi assumes the part of Banquo, both when alive and as a ghost. Important also in the work is the chorus, a leading protagonist for the composer, and here the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir. Critical also is Verdi's orchestral writing for MacBeth, introducing rare and radical tonal colorings and Fabio Biondi, directing his Europa Galante from the violin, is just the radical, challenging musical spirit to breathe new life into Verdi's masterpiece and it's search for dramatic truth.

Verdi / Argeo Quadri - MacBeth [COMPACT DISCS] date 09/09/2014