Giuseppe Verdi wrote three operas based on Shakespearean themes. Two of them, “Otello” and “Falstaff,” are undisputed masterpieces, composed at the end of his career. “Macbeth,” which came much earlier, could easily be taken for a masterpiece in the powerful new production at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, which opened Saturday night at the Loretto-Hilton Center.
Written in 1847 and revised in 1865, the music of “Macbeth” doesn’t always fully reflect the darkness and drama of the story, particularly in the cheery polka Verdi gave the witches. In the brilliantly capable hands of music director Stephen Lord, however, it all seemed plausible.
This “Macbeth” also benefits from a production team that’s fully invested in the opera and its setting. Director Lee Blakeley, costume designer Mark Bouman and set designer Alex Eales approached this medieval tale in the spirit of its own time and setting, rather than indulging, as too many producers do, in irrelevant fancies of their own, and the result is stellar.
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OTSL put together a cast with the chops to handle Verdi’s big sing, particularly in the two main leads. Baritone Roland Wood, in the title role, has a powerful, steely voice and terrific stage presence, and he found the right psychological balance between the hardened warrior and the guilt-ridden murderer. As Lady Macbeth, Julie Makerov displayed a big, gleaming instrument and the stone-cold ambition needed to propel the story forward; her voice hit a rough patch right at the end of the sleepwalking scene, but Makerov’s was a compelling performance. They were a well-matched pair in every sense.
Bass Robert Pomakov brought a strong voice and presence to Banquo, the Macbeths’ next target after the king, holding the stage even as a bloodied ghost. Matthew Plenk’s dulcet tenor and dramatic commitment made Macduff’s grieving remembrance of his murdered family a high point of the evening.
The secondary roles were taken by members of the Gerdine Young Artists program to strong effect, particularly tenor Evan LeRoy Johnson as Malcolm, soprano Cheyanne Coss as the lady-in-waiting, and the three apparitions, baritone Zane Hill, and sopranos Chelsea Ritenour and Olivia Boen.
“Macbeth” is a big chorus opera — the witches are, essentially, the third leading character — and Robert Ainsley’s ensemble was more than up to the task, singing with the right amount of power and meaning. There was a messy spot or two in the refugees’ “Patria oppressa” chorus, but otherwise their work was near-flawless.
This production provides a vision of a grim, dark and stormy Scotland. Blakely has played down the supernatural aspects of the story in favor of concentrating on human ambition, but he still gave the witches their due (and brought them back at the end); he used both his singers and the space well. Choreographer Sean Curran’s performers moved well. Shaun Sheley’s fight choreography was believable.
Eales created a claustrophobic space with sliding panels to change settings and a few pieces of multipurpose stage furniture. A collection of sticks scattered on the stage floor created everything from a magic circle to Birnam Wood; when turned into a cauldron, the pile did have an unfortunate resemblance to the nest of a giant bird.
Bouman gave his Scots some great costumes, including a collection of fantastic fur-trimmed cloaks; the one oddity was a brace of bishops, traveling in tandem and always fully vested in miters and overlong chasubles. Christopher Akerlind’s lighting was appropriately murky. Wig and makeup designer Tom Watson and his staff worked overtime, especially with the crowd of 18 ginger-haired chorus witches.
The company considered programming this opera throughout its 41 seasons before finally presenting it. It was worth the wait.