In 2016, the world commemorates the 400th anniversary of the death of a man who, in the words of Harald Bloom, first invented "modern man":
William Shakespeare. Whereas before, at least in the theatre, human actions followed a divine will of some kind or the well-ordered laws of nature, his heroes, villains and lovers followed above all their own demons.
In honour of the master, Kammeroper Frankfurt is bringing one of Shakespeare's greatest anti-heroes to the Palmengarten stage in the summer of 2016: "Macbeth" by Giuseppe Verdi. The uncompromising yet popular musical dramatist Verdi found in Shakespeare a brother in spirit, and he used him to make a revolutionary break, composing what he wrote was an "opera beyond the ordinary". In Macbeth, Verdi did away with the Italian convention of bel canto, the pleasing stringing together of scenes culminating in the most cantankerous aria possible, and took a major step forward toward musical theater. This is even shown by his perplexing wishes with regard to the casting of the role of Lady Macbeth. Verdi wrote: "Tadolini has too great qualities to sing this part! She has a beautiful and good figure, and I want Lady Macbeth ugly and evil. She has a fantastic voice, clear, pure, strong; and I want for the Lady a harsh, choked, dull voice. She has something angelic; I want there to be something devilish in the Lady's voice".
One may be curious to see what deviltries the chamber opera will come up with when the sinister yet beguiling play about lust for power and murder unfolds outdoors this summer.
(Text: Kammeroper Frankfurt)
Further information about this event: http://www.kammeroper-frankfurt.de/
