Verdi’s Macbeth Is Dec. 21, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth is the Dec. 21, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as third in the season’s 23 radio matinees.

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Anna Netrebko reprises her acclaimed 2014-2015 season role debut of Lady Macbeth in Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi’s operatic adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Anthony Tommasini @TommasiniNYT, via Twitter Sep. 25, 2014

Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth is the Dec. 21, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and numbering as the second of 23 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts during the 2019-2020 Met Opera season.

Nineteenth-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) set his musical score for Macbeth to an Italian libretto written largely by Italian librettist Francesco Maria Piave (May 18, 1810-March 5, 1876). Additional portions of the libretto were contributed by Italian poet and translator Andrea Maffei (April 19, 1798-Nov. 27, 1885).

The literary source for Piave and Maffei’s libretto was the same-named play by William Shakespeare (bapt. April 26, 1564-April 23, 1616). The Elizabethan playwright's shortest tragedy, fully titled as The Tragedy of Macbeth, was first printed in 1623 in Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, commonly referred to as the First Folio.

Shakespeare loosely based his Scottish play upon The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, first published in two volumes in 1577 by English chronicler Raphael Holinshed (ca. 1525-ca. 1580). English clergyman and writer Abraham Fleming (ca. 1552-1607) issued an expanded, revised second edition of Holinshed’s Chronicles in 1587. The British Library website links Shakespeare’s usage of Holinshed for more than one-third of his plays to the revised second edition, “. . . based on similarities between some of Shakespeare’s text and passages which only appear in the later edition.”

Verdi’s 10th opera premiered March 14, 1847, at Teatro della Pergola in central Italy’s Tuscany region capital of Florence. Construction of the historic theatre had begun in 1656, under the patronage of Cardinal Gian Carlo de’ Medici (July 3, 1611-Jan. 23, 1663). Italian Baroque architect and sculptor Ferdinando Tacco (1619-1686) designed the theatre.

The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Verdi’s Macbeth took place Feb. 5, 1959. The opera received seven performances during the 1958-1959 season.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season offers six performances of Macbeth. The season’s first performance took place Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season offers seven performances of The Queen of Spades. The season’s first performance took place Friday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The month’s second performance happened Saturday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m.

Four performances were offered in October. The month’s performances took place Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Oct. 12, at 8:30 p.m.

The four-act opera has an estimated run time of 3 hours 4 minutes for the 2019-2020 Met Opera season. Acts I and II run for 85 minutes. An intermission of 34 minutes follows. Acts III and IV are estimated at 65 minutes.

Marco Armiliato conducted all performances. The Italian conductor made his first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera June 16, 1998, in the opera house’s 557th performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 9, 1998, in the opera company’s 1,048th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Marco Armiliato also conducts Puccini’s Turandot and reprises La Bohème.

Anna Netrebko reprises her 2014 role debut as guilt-consumed Lady Macbeth in five performances (opening night, Wednesday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 28; Friday, Oct. 4; Tuesday, Oct. 8; and closing night, Saturday, Oct. 12). The Russian operatic soprano made her Metropolitan Opera debut Feb. 14, 2002, as Natasha Rostova in the opera house’s premiere of War and Peace by Soviet composer, conductor and pianist Sergei Prokofiev (April 23, 1891-March 5, 1953). In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Anna Netrebko also appears in the title role of Puccini’s Tosca and in the New Year’s Eve Gala as La Bohème’s Mimì, Tosca and Turandot.

Anna Pirozzi appears in the Tuesday, Oct. 1, performance. The Italian dramatic coloratura soprano made her Metropolitan Opera debut in her Oct. 1 appearance.

Matthew Polenzani appears in all performances as Macduff, discoverer of the murdered body of King Duncan and killer of King Macbeth. The American lyric tenor made his Metropolitan Opera debut Dec. 19, 1997, as Khrushchov in the opera company’s 251st performance of Boris Godunov by Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (March 21, 1839-March 28, 1881). During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Matthew Polenzani also appears as the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier by German composer Richard Georg Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949) and as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème and in the New Year's Eve Gala.

Željko Lučić appears in all performances as bewitched General, then King, Macbeth. He was originally scheduled to share the role with Plácido Domingo, with the Spanish opera singer appearing in the first three performances (opening night, Wednesday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 28; Tuesday, Oct. 1) and the Serbian operatic baritone singing in the last three performances (Friday, Oct. 4; Tuesday, Oct. 8; Saturday, Oct. 12) of Macbeth. According to an article posted Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7:27 p.m. by NPR Arts Desk senior editor Tom Cole and NPR Music reporter Anastasia Tsioulcas, however, at 5:07 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 24, Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb emailed staff with the announcement of Domingo's immediate withdrawal from both 2019-2020 productions in which he was scheduled: the title role in Macbeth and Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Željko Lučić made his Metropolitan Opera debut Sept. 26, 2006, as Barnaba in the opera house’s 275th performance of La Gioconda by 19th century Italian opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli (Aug. 31, 1834-Jan. 16, 1886). He made his role debut as Macbeth in Met Opera’s 2007-2008 season staging of a new production of the opera. The 2019-2020 season’s performances revive the 2007-2008 season’s staging and also reunite Željko Lučić with Anna Netrebko, who made her role debut as Lady Macbeth to his reprised title role in the 2014-2015 Met Opera season.

Ildar Abdrazakov appears in all performances as murdered General Banquo, whose ghost torments Macbeth. The Russian bass-baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut March 1, 2004, as Masetto in the opera company’s 476th performance of Don Giovanni by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Ildar Abdrazakov also appears as Méphistophélès in La Damnation de Faust by 19th century French Romantic composer Louis-Hector Berlioz (Dec. 11, 1803-March 8, 1869).

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances of Macbeth revive staging by Adrian Noble. The British theatre director’s new Met Opera production of Macbeth debuted Oct. 22, 2007, in the opera company’s 81st performance of Verdi’s Scottish opera. Noble’s production updates the opera’s setting from 11th century Scotland to post-World War II Scotland.

Noble’s production team comprises Mark Thompson as set and costume designer and Jean Kalman as lighting designer. Sue Lefton choreographs the opera.

The takeaway for Macbeth as the Dec. 21, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is that Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi’s 10th opera numbers as the third of 23 Saturday matinee broadcasts that air weekly through Saturday, May 9, 2020.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s revival of British theatre director Adrian Noble’s 2007-2008 season new production reunites Željko Lučić, a veteran of the new staging who reprised the title role for the 2014-2015 revival, and Anna Netrebko, who made her role debut as Lady Macbeth in the 2014-2015 revival: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Oct. 11, 2014

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Anna Netrebko reprises her acclaimed 2014-2015 season role debut of Lady Macbeth in Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi’s operatic adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Anthony Tommasini @TommasiniNYT, via Twitter Sep. 25, 2014, @ https://twitter.com/TommasiniNYT/status/515276100990029824

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s revival of British theatre director Adrian Noble’s 2007-2008 season new production reunites Željko Lučić, a veteran of the new staging who reprised the title role for the 2014-2015 revival, and Anna Netrebko, who made her role debut as Lady Macbeth in the 2014-2015 revival: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Oct. 11, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10154764462890533/

For further information:

Anthony Tommasini ‏@TommasiniNYT. “After all the buzz and speculation, Anna Netrebko sings Verdi's Lady Macbeth at the Met Opera and triumphs.” Twitter. Sept. 25, 2014.
Available @ https://twitter.com/TommasiniNYT/status/515276100990029824

British Library. “Holinshed’s Chronicles, 1577.” British Library > Discovering Literature > Shakespeare & Renaissance > Collection Items.
Available @ https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/holinsheds-chronicles-1577#

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Cole, Tom; and Anastasia Tsioulcas. "Plácido Domingo Out At Metropolitan Opera Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations." NPR > Music News. Sept. 24, 2019.
Available @ https://www.npr.org/2019/09/24/764011716/placido-domingo-out-at-metropolitan-opera-following-sexual-misconduct-allegation

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=216130

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=278290

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350257

“Debuts: Christopher Wheeldon, Holly Hynes, Zeljko Lucic . . .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351556 La Gioconda {275} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/26/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351556

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=330264

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=331123

"Debuts: Ildar Abdrazakov . . ." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 350919 New Production Don Giovanni {476} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/01/2004.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350919

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Available via British Library @ https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/holinsheds-chronicles-1577

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season Opens Monday, Sept. 23, With Porgy and Bess.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 16, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-2020-met-opera-season-opens-monday.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera’s Second Week Has Gershwin, Massenet, Puccini, Verdi.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 23, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-2020-met-operas-second-week-has.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season’s Third Week Has Gershwin, Puccini and Verdi.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 30, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-2020-met-opera-seasons-third-week.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Today at 12:55pm ET, the Live in HD season kicks off with Verdi's MACBETH starring Anna Netrebko and Željko Lučić. Visit metopera.org/hdlive to find your local movie theater. Where will you be watching?” Facebook. Oct. 11, 2014.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10154764462890533/

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352126