Prior to the LA Opera's performance of Macbeth, I had never seen a live opera. I am however a fan of both Shakespeare and Macbeth and that alone was lure enough to coax me to the LA Opera's "Macbeth." Placido Domingo leads the cast as the Scottish king with Ekaterina Semenchuk as his fiendish queen, Lady Macbeth.
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Placido Domingo and Ekaterina Semenchuk photo: LA Opera - For a first timer like me, context helps decode the significance of the piece. Italian composer Guiseppe Verdi wrote “Macbeth” in 1847 as the first of three operas he would base off of Shakespeare–“Othello”(1887) and “Falstaff” (1893) would follow later when he was an established composer. Verdi’s work was also a challenge to the vanity of Italian prima donnas. He believed the opera was meant to function as a vehicle for the story instead of broken scenes to showcase the singers. In his program notes, music director and conductor James Conlon, emphasizes that the opera is further a departure from its predecessors in that it is loveless. It revolves around individuals’ inner’ struggles with their desire for power while for the Witches, the opera is closer to a comedy. Thus, the opera is unusual against the landscape of its and our time as Verdi calls for points with “hollow sound with no lyrical nicety”. For someone who is more accustomed to theatre and rather attached to the language of Macbeth, the show was jolting and frustrating at many points. The opera is sung in Italian with brief, plain text translations projected above the action, rather like receiving Macbeth through a kaleidoscopic wash of sound of and snatches of words. Unfamiliar with the large gestures associated with opera’s acting style, I read the acting as over-dramatic and cartoonish. This frustration however, was the basis for a learning experience which has increased my appreciation for opera.
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Ekaterina Semenchuk as Lady Macbeth photo: LA Opera - For someone so unfamiliar with it, trying to understand opera was like learning a new language. Even for someone as unlearned as myself, the talent and work behind was undeniable. The actors commanded the stage and successfully conveyed the complexity of emotion. The duets between Domingo and Semenchuk captured the audience. Joshua Guerrero’s MacDuff was beautiful to listen to. In his aria, Guerrero was able to express an incredible range and depth of emotion.
The chorus of witches stood in fascinating contrast to the order and simplicity of the rest of the show. Some of the witches were dressed in fairly typical tattered garments. However, other witches were rendered almost as a complete nightmare cat-like creature. The costume was mainly a nude bodysuit with spots and a tail. The back however, gave the appearance of skin torn outwards leaving exposed flesh and bone. These chorus members dance and seem to control the plot, delighting in the mayhem they create.
Today, opera's audience is often thought of as an older, elite crowd. The high price tag to attend opera is limiting for younger audiences. However, this opera challenges understandings of what is comfortable to watch and listen to. It is a reminder that entertainment is not always immediately pleasing; it is a family with diverse forms and a long lineage that includes opera. For more practiced ears, "Macbeth" is a well done opera, with an incredible cast.
Macbeth plays at the LA Opera until October 16th. Tickets can be purchased at laopera.org.
Contact contributor Dora Kaplan at dzkaplan@usc.edu.
Annenberg Media