Macbeth - Schedule, Program & Tickets
Macbeth
State Opera Choir
Orchestra of the State Opera
Throughout his life, Giuseppe Verdi was an ardent admirer of William Shakespeare, the internationally acclaimed Elizabethan playwright. When the Italian master was looking for a theme for his tenth opera in the summer of 1846, he finally decided on Macbeth. As an outstanding operatic dramatist, Verdi recognized the potential of the story of power and corruption. In Macbeth he trod the path to musical drama, in which the singing reflects the psychology and inner emotion of the characters, with dramatic content far more important than bel canto.
Macbeth was indeed a bold choice for the Italian opera scene. In the absence of a love story unprecedented for the genre with a plot filled with violence, murder, military conflict, gruesome action and supernatural elements, the big question was how local audiences would react to the play. But the premiere on March 14, 1847 in Florence, conducted by Verdi himself, was a complete success. The new opera was soon being performed to great acclaim throughout Italy, as well as in a number of theaters in Europe, North and South America. In 1865 Verdi revised it substantially for the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris, which presented the new version in French translation on April 21 of the same year. However, the second Macbeth was poorly received and did not fare well. It was not until the 1960s that the opera experienced a revival, and its revised version in Italian has since become a staple of the repertoire of theaters worldwide.
Surprisingly, it took a very long time for Verdi's Macbeth to be presented in Prague. It was premiered here on November 30, 1935 in the New German Theater (now the State Opera).
Suitable for viewers aged 12 and over.
Subject to change.
Orchestra of the State Opera
Throughout his life, Giuseppe Verdi was an ardent admirer of William Shakespeare, the internationally acclaimed Elizabethan playwright. When the Italian master was looking for a theme for his tenth opera in the summer of 1846, he finally decided on Macbeth. As an outstanding operatic dramatist, Verdi recognized the potential of the story of power and corruption. In Macbeth he trod the path to musical drama, in which the singing reflects the psychology and inner emotion of the characters, with dramatic content far more important than bel canto.
Macbeth was indeed a bold choice for the Italian opera scene. In the absence of a love story unprecedented for the genre with a plot filled with violence, murder, military conflict, gruesome action and supernatural elements, the big question was how local audiences would react to the play. But the premiere on March 14, 1847 in Florence, conducted by Verdi himself, was a complete success. The new opera was soon being performed to great acclaim throughout Italy, as well as in a number of theaters in Europe, North and South America. In 1865 Verdi revised it substantially for the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris, which presented the new version in French translation on April 21 of the same year. However, the second Macbeth was poorly received and did not fare well. It was not until the 1960s that the opera experienced a revival, and its revised version in Italian has since become a staple of the repertoire of theaters worldwide.
Surprisingly, it took a very long time for Verdi's Macbeth to be presented in Prague. It was premiered here on November 30, 1935 in the New German Theater (now the State Opera).
Suitable for viewers aged 12 and over.
Subject to change.