Macbeth

"Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble," chanted the three witches in Shakespeare's drama, thereby marking the introduction of the supernatural into a play otherwise characterized by strong psychological realism. In Macbeth, one encounters nocturnal phantoms, nightmarish visions in broad daylight, forests in motion, and it is within this fantastic framework that Shakespeare positions his protagonists, skilfully depicting the depth and cruelty of the human heart. Characters such as Lady Macbeth, thirsty for vengeance and full of Machiavellian advice, have become emblematic and archetypal, revealing to modern individuals the shadows that lurk within...

To set such a Baroque masterpiece to music, Verdi had no option but to draw upon the complete chromatic range of his singers, creating roles of incredible vocal complexity, while remaining entirely faithful to the original text. Drawing strength and inspiration from Shakespeare's genius, Verdi's opera achieves the impossible, paving the way for the composer's subsequent works, including the renowned Rigoletto!