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| Royal Opera House Muscat |
In 1607 Shakespeare published a play that is almost always referred to as Macbeth, but the actual title is more descriptive - The Tragedy of Macbeth. Literary tragedy originated in ancient Greek theatre where tragic plays were meant to arouse pity and instil terror in order to convey a moral lesson. When challenged by fate, a highborn hero with great promise succumbs to an insidious flaw in his character. The fall from grace is swift and inevitably ends in death.
ROHM's 2014-15 Season opened last week with Giuseppe Verdi's magnificent operatic version of Macbeth. Verdi, who kept the complete works of Shakespeare at his bedside, was thirty-four in 1847 when he composed Macbeth, the first of his three Shakespearean operas.
Murderous ambition in white mask
In the production, by the renowned Teatro Verdi Trieste, all the players except the witches had their faces painted white in a semblance of Greek masks. The witches wear black masks and slither eerily in streaming rags. They are demonic underworld creatures that lurk in the shadows whenever they smell the possibility of evil.
Undulating ominously, the horrible witches haunt Lady Macbeth whose murderous ambitions stain her hands with blood so red and incriminating that it cannot be dispelled, not even by all the perfumes of Arabia. Guilt and horror have driven Lady Macbeth mad and will send her hurtling into the cruel vortex of suicide.
Spurred on by his wife, Macbeth murders his way to the crown, only to find that paranoia born of guilt compels him to keep on murdering. Even the wife and innocent young children of Macduff are pitilessly slaughtered. Macbeth is under the illusion that he can act with impunity because the witches assured him that "no man born of woman" can kill him. It did not occur to Macbeth that a man ripped from the womb at birth would be considered not 'born of woman'. Macbeth dies at the hand of just such a man – in the person of Macduff, the good Thane of Fife, who has raised an army against him.
The sword that strikes down King Macbeth is the thunderbolt of Justice. There is not even a moment for Macbeth to wish he had been content to remain a victorious general honoured by his King. This thought is left to the audience. The opera ends with Scotland rejoicing, as Malcolm, son of Duncan, the King slain by Macbeth, rightfully assumes the throne.
Tragedy in tones of grey – gloomy and overcast
If a production of Macbeth is to be outstanding, the dramatic power of the tale and magnificence of Verdi's music must be matched by the staging – a daunting task, to which Stage Director & Lighting Designer, Henning Brockhaus, brought originality and artistry. Black is the colour of tragedy, but Henning chose tones of grey for his thematic costumes and sets – and grey becomes as gloomy and overcast as the worst of winter weather in the Highlands.
Between scenes, a screen of granular grey rock drops as if falling from a barren moonscape. Macbeth's castle is represented by suspended slices of wall, looming and ominous. Subtle cinematic effects emanate from within the real sets. The only colour in costume is accorded the slain King, Duncan, a vaguely seen, faraway figure - inaccessible in the immeasurable, translucent layers of the abode of the dead. On Henning's grey slate of time, black appears sparingly - as a stark statement.
The singing was of the highest calibre and could have carried the opera on its own, but the combination of powerfully moody and dramatic staging, Verdi's brilliant score, and the magnificent, awe-inspiring voices had the effect intended by Verdi. The audience responds in silence and pathos - with pity, terror and self-reflection, while their souls are filled with the beauty of music.
The Conductor, world-famous Maestro Donato Renzetti, explains that "for the tragic effect in Verdi's Shakespearean operas, atmosphere and orchestration are of utmost importance. This is a kind of magic achieved through emphasis, not on the strings, but on the wood instruments and brass, which make the tragic melodies very strong."
Lady Macbeth's sorrowful sleepwalking scene and the chilling appearance of Banquo's ghost are not cast as highlights – instead, the production is outstanding from start to finish.
A modern, empathetic interpretation
Brockhaus emphasized the relevance of Macbeth for today's world where the appetite for violence and war has not abated. Shakespeare reveals the psychology of demented action in its universal human aspects. Lady Macbeth may seem the incarnation of unbridled evil, but she does not lose our sympathy. Csilla Boross, the sparkling, virtuosic soprano who plays Lady Macbeth, gives a brilliantly empathetic, modern interpretation of the role, which Verdi apparently intended to be 'dark-hued and ugly'. Csilla explains:
"Lady Macbeth lost a child. In compensating for this, her vision of power is like a drug that keeps her going. She believes she is acting in the best interests of her husband. I think they really love each other - and I like this very much. I feel there are moments when it's Macbeth who has the power. Lady Macbeth does not dominate, nor are the characters one-sided.
"In certain moments I must be ferocious. Sometimes the music has a sensuous tone and impels me to show softness and feminine vulnerability with a tender voice - and still be Lady Macbeth."
The renowned dramatic Baritone, Michael Chioldi who plays Macbeth, agrees: "For me, the characters are complex and display an interesting diversity. Intention is primary – how you feel when you are carrying out an action. Showing depth of feeling in both voice and action is the central challenge of dramatic opera. The great thing about Verdi is the interpretation he invites - oftentimes we must contradict the beauty of the music, and at other times we enhance it. Gradually, you learn to master Verdi's musical complexity, which has fascinated me since the age of two."
Michael Chioldi is a baritone in great demand, appreciated for his warm, rich tone, and deeply communicative phrasing. Following his stunning debut at the Met in 1995, Chioldi has performed in the major opera houses of America as well as abroad, receiving numerous awards. Michael Chioldi has enormous on-stage charisma, commanding the stage with his impressively powerful and versatile voice. His performance at the ROHM was incredibly moving, frequently taking my breath away.
With her compelling, often electric and mesmerising stage presence, rising star Csilla Boross is well-matched with Chioldi. Csilla is distinguished by a remarkably beautiful 'full-throated' soprano voice, and her talent for precise coloratura (ornamentation of the melody). To hear the strength, clarity, luminosity and sheer power of Csilla Boross' voice in all registers is an overwhelming experience. She has been described as 'an early Maria Callas'.
At the Italian Residence…
Both stars are wonderful to meet at leisure off-stage, as I did at an informal reception graciously hosted by HE Paola Amadei at the Italian Residence. Warm and unaffected, they take a sincere interest in those around them. They love to travel and are thrilled to be in Oman, which is for them an exotic destination – and yet they seem perfectly at home, as did their colleagues in the cast.
Luciano Ganci, the tenor who sang Macduff, royally entertained us by singing O Solo Mio (My Own Sun) in a voice of such resounding power that I thought he surely must have an amplifier inside his lungs.
With soaring declamation O Solo Mio celebrates the glory of a sunny day. Well, almost every day in Oman is sunny – and all the more so with the new season at the ROHM.
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