As its last operatic title before the summer break, Milan's Teatro alla Scala is presenting a revival of Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, the 2021-22 season opener production, directed by Davide Livermore and revived by Marco Manzini.

When the production premiered, critics noted the numerous features that were clearly intended for the telecast, rather than for being seen live on stage. The back sets featuring a host of skyscrapers in a gloomy, grayish light and the stage divided between a lower and a higher level, the latter sometimes descending in order to provide scene changes, principals singing in an elevator placed in the center of the stage ended up creating a confusing effect for live spectators (and partly also penalizing the singers’ vocal performances). On the other hand, stage directions were very accurate, with the singers clearly following the director’s instructions and giving life to very a compelling set of characters.

In the first act, the witches are divided into an upper group (the chorus) and a lower one (dancers) later mixing, with chorus members also dancing, even joined by Lady Macbeth in the third act. Signs of power are a trademark of the production, especially highlighted by the interior of Macbeth’s palace and the luxurious garments of the Lady. In the last act, Macbeth has completely lost his mind, possibly also under the effect of alcohol (he holds a bottle of whiskey in his hand) while the desperate population is confined in a cage during the chorus ‘Patria oppressa’.

Singers alternated in the vocal cast. I saw the performance of June 29th, with Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat in the title role. As usual, the singer perfectly mastered the role vocally, his lavish and firmly sustained voice easily filling the theater, depicting a power eager character, but never vulgar. At his side, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko looked and sounded in great shape, with ringing high notes in the second act and nice coloratura in the toast scene, then touchingly hopeless and despairing in the sleepwalking scene. I found somewhat less compelling Korean bass Jongmin Park as Banco, who was perhaps not at his best. Italian tenor Giorgio Berrugi, on the other hand, was an idea cast for Macduff, as he could show especially in his aria ‘Ah la paterna mano’.

In the pit, conductor Giampaolo Bisanti adequately led the orchestra and the singers. Simply outstanding was the performance of the chorus, instructed by Alberto Malazzi. Enthusiastic applause greeted the singers at the end, with a real (and deserved) ovation for Netrebko.