Salzburg Festival: Macbeth

With his Macbeth, Giuseppe Verdi broke with the operatic conven- tions of the time and created one of his darkest and most abysmal works. Monumental choral scenes contrast with extremely expres- sive arias and duets, in which Verdi sonically illuminates the mental abysses of the power-obsessed protagonists. Directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, the timeless drama unfolds in a new interpretation that takes the audience on an intense journey into human abysses: Disappointed by life and angered by their childlessness, Macbeth and his lady seize the next opportunity to gain power, and they do it over dead bodies. Tormented by feelings of guilt, however, the two soon fall into delusions and become victims of their own lust for power. An opera of this kind demands not only outstanding voices but also outstanding actors.