The stunning Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin's oldest and most impressive opera house, was the setting for Guiseppe Verdi's memorable and tragic opera, Macbeth.

Macbeth, with Music by Giuseppe Verdi, Text by Francesco Maria Piave, Conducted by Michael Gielen, Directed by Peter Mussbach, with Set Design by Erich Wonder, Costumes by Andrea Schmidt-Futterer, and Choral Direction by Chorus Master Eberhard Friedrich, was an exceptional night to remember on March 11, 2007 with Sergey Murzaev in the title role of Macbeth, Hanno Müller-Brachmann as Banquo, Sylvie Valayre as Lady Macbeth, Carola Höhn as Kammerfrau, Andrew Richards as Macduff, Patrick Vogel as Malcolm, Yi Yang as Erscheinung/Mörder/Arzt, Bernd Riedel as Ein Diener, and accompanied by the Staats Berlin Orchestra and the Staatsoper Choir.

Guest singers, baritone Sergey Murzaev, Parisian-born soprano Sylvie Valayre, and lyric tenor Patrick Vogel gave commanding performances in their roles as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Malcolm respectively. Ms. Valayre is no stranger to the role of Lady Macbeth since first performing the role in 1995, which has become a signature role for her.  

Staatsoper Unter den Linden ensemble singers bass-baritone Hanno Müller-Brachmann as Banquo, soprano Carola Höhn as Kammerfrau, tenor Andrew Richards as Macduff, bass Yi Yang as Erscheinung/Mörder/Arzt, and baritone Bernd Riedel as Ein Diener, all gave engaging performances to this well-executed opera which used a minimalist set design.

Safely secured in my office and away from the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, I feel comfortable to mention the name "Macbeth," written by Guiseppe Verde in 1847, and considered to be his most important opera. Based on the play by William Shakespeare about the famous "Scottish King," legend holds that is bad luck to even mention the name "Macbeth" inside a theatre.

Sung in Italian with German subtitles, the family performance of the four act opera ran for 2 hours 45 minutes, taking the audience along on an exhilaratingly wild tale of sorcery, ambition, rise to power, war, murder, anguish, torture, loss of power, and ghosts, which resulted in so many multiple curtain calls by the appreciative audience, that after three, I stopped counting. Brava!

For information on upcoming shows, please contact the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden, 7
Berlin
Telephone:      +40 30 20 35 40
Fax:                 +49 30 20 35 44 80
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   
www.Staatsoper-berlin.de  

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