Summary

After a victorious battle, the witches predict a crown for the Scottish commander Macbeth. In response to the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth’s thirst for power is fuelled dangerously by his wife and they decide to murder their king Duncan in his sleep. With this act of blood, they unleash an unprecedented spiral of violence that will lead them straight into the abyss. Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare's most demonic works. In order to capture the supernatural atmosphere of the original play, the ardent Shakespeare admirer Giuseppe Verdi composed closely to the text and boldly experimented with new timbres. In a remarkable stage design by Henrik Ahr, which resembles a huge cauldron, Michael Thalheimer focuses his production on Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the witches. Verdi specialist Antonino Fogliani conducts a stellar production, in which the opulent choruses repeatedly provide musical highlights.