T h e R oya l o p e r a
Cast
Macbeth (Thane of Glamis)
Simon Keenlyside
Banquo (Thane of Lochaber)
Raymond Aceto
Liudmyla MonAStyrSka
LAdy MAcbeth
music director sir antonio pappano
director of opera kasper holten
Lady-in-Waiting
Elisabeth Meister
Servant to Macbeth
Nigel Cliffe
DUNCAN (King of Scotland)
Ian Lindsay
Malcolm (Son of Duncan)
Steven Ebel
MAcduff (Thane of Fife)
FLEANCE (son of Banquo)
Dimitri PIttas
Will Richardson
Assassin
Olle Zetterström
First Apparition
Jonathan Fisher
Second Apparition
William Payne
Third Apparition
Archie Buchanan
M AC B E TH
opera in Four Acts
Music Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto Francesco Maria Piave
Herald
Jonathan Coad
after the play by William ShakespearE
Doctor
Lukas Jakobski
Witches, messengers, noble ladies and gentlemEn, servants,
Conductor Antonio Pappano
assassins, Scottish exiles, soldiers, children
ROYAL OPERA CHORUS, EXTRA CHORUS, ACTORS AND DANCERS
Director Phyllida Lloyd
REvival Director Harry Fehr
Designs Anthony WArd
Lighting Design Paule Constable
Choreography Michael Keegan-Dolan
REvival Choreographer Kirsty Tapp
Fight Director Terry King
Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Concert Master Peter Manning
apProximate timings
Act I
Act II
Interval
Acts III and IV
51 minutes
32 minutes
20 minutes
72 minutes
in association
with
directed for the screen by
sue judd
recorded LIVE at the royal opera house
on monday 13 june 2011
The opera is set in Scotland, and on the Scottish and English border.
and reassure the troubled guests, and when the ghost vanishes the celebrations resume. But
when Banquo’s ghost appears for a second time, Lady Macbeth is unable to disguise her
husband’s ravings. As the guests realize that that their land is now in the grip of criminals,
Macbeth decides to visit the witches again (Sangue a me quell’ombra chiede).
ACT I
ACT III
THE STORY
Scene 1
In a raging thunderstorm, three groups of witches appear and describe their evil deeds (Che
faceste?). Macbeth and Banquo, two generals in King Duncan’s army, approach (Giorno non
vide mai). The witches greet Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of
Scotland; they hail Banquo as the father of future kings. Messengers arrive and announce the
fulfilment of the second of these prophecies. Banquo and Macbeth reflect on the third (Due
vaticini compiuti or sono). The generals leave and the witches anticipate seeing Macbeth again
(S’allontanarono!).
Scene 2
Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling her of his victory in battle and of the
witches’ prophecy. She resolves to help him fulfil it (Vieni! t’affretta!). When a servant announces
that the King is on his way to the castle with Macbeth, she determines that they must act that
night and calls on the powers of evil to help her (Or tutti sorgete). Macbeth arrives ahead of
Duncan and husband and wife quickly agree to murder their King.
As Macbeth waits for the castle to be silent, a vision of a dagger appears to him (Mi si
affaccia un pugnal?!). He ignores the omen but, having committed the murder, is then filled
with doubt and remorse (Fatal mia donna! un murmure!). His wife accuses him of cowardice.
She snatches the dagger and smears the king’s sleeping guards with blood in order to
incriminate them.
It is nearly dawn, and Macduff and Banquo arrive at the castle. While Macduff goes to
wake the King, Banquo reflects on the wild night. Macduff discovers the murder and the
household vow vengeance on the unknown assassin (Schiudi, inferno, la bocca ed inghiotti).
ACT II
Scene 1
Macbeth is now King of Scotland and Duncan’s son Malcolm, blamed for his father’s death,
has fled to England. Fearing the witches’ prophecy that Banquo would be the father of kings,
Macbeth and his wife now plot to kill him and his son (La luce langue).
Scene 2
Assassins in Macbeth’s service wait for Banquo in the dark (Sparve il sol). Banquo and his son
Fleance arrive, Banquo uneasy with foreboding (Come dal ciel precipita). Banquo is murdered
but Fleance escapes.
Scene 3
Macbeth and his queen welcome guests to his coronation festivities and she proposes a toast (Si
colmi il calice). An assassin tells Macbeth of Banquo’s murder. As Macbeth comments publicly on
his friend’s absence, the ghost of Banquo appears to him. Lady Macbeth tries to calm her husband
On a stormy night the witches brew their magic potions (Tre volte miagola). Macbeth
arrives and asks them to prophesy his destiny. In response they conjure up three apparitions
who, in turn, tell him to beware Macduff, that he need fear ‘none born of woman’, and that
he will be invincible until Birnam Wood marches on his castle. The witches then summon
apparitions of kings, whom Macbeth recognizes as Banquo and his descendants (Oh! mio
terror! dell’ultimo). Macbeth faints and the witches dance round him (Ondine e silfidi), then
disappear. Macbeth recovers; Lady Macbeth enters and he tells her what he has seen. They
resolve to exterminate all their enemies (Ora di morte).
ACT IV
Scene 1
Refugees lament the suffering of their oppressed homeland and its wretched people
(Patria oppressa! il dolce nome). Macduff is distraught at the murder of his wife and his
children (Ah, la paterna mano). Malcolm arrives, leading a troop of English soldiers, and
urges Macduff to find comfort in exacting revenge. Together, Malcolm and Macduff rally
the refugees, urging them to join forces in attacking Macbeth (La patria tradita).
Scene 2
A doctor and lady-in-waiting listen as Lady Macbeth, who has taken to sleepwalking,
describes and relives the atrocities she and her husband have committed (Una macchia è
qui tuttora).
Macbeth awaits the advancing troops (Pietà, rispetto, amore) and hardly reacts when
news is brought of his wife’s death. When soldiers announce that Birnam Wood is on the
move – that is, English soldiers carrying branches are advancing – he recalls the third
apparition’s prophecy.
Scene 3
In the ensuing battle, Macbeth and Macduff are brought face to face. The other two
prophecies are now fulfilled: Macduff reveals that he was not born naturally but surgically
removed from his mother’s womb; in the ensuing fight Macbeth is killed. To the sound of a
hymn of victory (Macbeth, Macbeth ov’è?) Malcolm is proclaimed King.
Harry Fehr
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