Opéra de Lyon 2017-18 Review – Macbeth: Ivo van Hove Turns Shakespeare & Verdi Into a “Bonfire of the Vanities” Video Game
Redemption At Last
... the chorus of the Opéra de Lyon managed to overcome the obstacles of the mis-en-scène with some very solid singing and concertante sections such as “Schiudi, inferno, la bocca ed inghiotti,” “La patria tradita,” and “Salve, o re!” were rousing and refulgent. The crisp changes from fff to ppp in “Schiudi, inferno” were particularly impressive.
The highlight of the performance however was the conducting of Opéra de Lyon’s immensely talented musical director Daniele Rustioni. Tempi were tenacious and pungent without being rushed and there was plenty of orchestral color in the woodwinds and brass. The frantic string accompaniment to “Schiudi, inferno” was fierce and fiery and Rustioni’s attention to frequent marcati and sforzandi consistently outstanding. The sprightly alla marcia passages were foot-tappy taut. Although mindful of the singers, the young Milanese maestro wasn’t going to keep Verdi’s orchestral forces subdued and there were some roof-raising orchestral tuttis, especially in the concertante sections with a tsunami of sound in the “Colga l’empio” passage of the Act One finale.
This production of “Macbeth” may have had nothing to do with Shakespeare or Piave, but it did prove that Verdi’s extraordinarily powerful music was immune to any Belgian blight put upon it. ...
Operawire, Jonathan Sutherland