The National Opera Company of Mexico will present Macbeth, the opera by Giuseppe Verdi based on the text created by William Shakespeare in 4 performances this September 13th, 18th, 20th and 23rd at the Main Hall of Palacio de Bellas Artes

The new production of the National Opera Company will have the conduction of maestro Marco Guidarini and Pablo Varela as guest conductor of Bellas Artes Choir, while the stage direction will be in charge of Lorena Maza .

The cast is lead by baritone Alfredo Daza as Macbeth and by soprano Csilla Boross as Lady Macbeth. As Banquo and Macduff, respectively, the Spanish bass Rubén Amoretti and the Mexican tenor José Manuel Chú. Mexican singers Orlando Pineda, Frida Portillo, Rodrigo Urrutia, Tomás Castellanos, Sandra Maliká Sandoval, Zita Ángela García and Octavio Pérez, as well as the actor Medin Villatoro and the child actor Mateo Luna, all accompanied by the Orchestra and Choir of Teatro de Bellas Artes.

Alonso Escalante, director Ópera de Bellas Artes, said that presenting this version is rediscovering the works in their original version, an important aspect since it is the first work with which Verdi has an encounter with Shakespeare.

Marco Guidarini, who specified that it is the first time he is in Mexico, said that doing a work as fantastic as Macbeth in a miraculous city like Mexico City, has a particular meaning to him.

He affirmed that from the first contact of Verdi with Shakespeare, the writer becomes a reference throughout the life of the composer whose desire is to compose music at the same level of the dramaturgy of the English bard.

He pointed to Verdi as a composer who throughout his life profoundly changes the formal rules of Italian opera, thestyle bel canto with structures and architectures very formal and precise, as was the case of Donizetti or Rossini, to be placed in the same equality of style with Victor Hugo and Schiller and move on to a search of a theatrical truth that until that moment Italian music did not possess.

The stage director, Lorena Maza, shared that Macbeth is an extraordinary work that brings together the talents of two great creators, Shakespeare and Verdi.

She added that Shakespeare is the greatest literary creator that exists, he is the master of the human heart. Verdi wants to give voice to the criminal soul of Macbeth, chooses this piece, condenses it and concentrates on the soul of the characters. For Verdi, said Maza, the important thing is in the way he achieves, from the changes of the tradition bel canto, a more theatrical and dramatic expression that reflects the psychological depth of the characters.

Using the voice of a baritone in the main character, gives darkness to the character of Macbeth. The light will mark atmospheres and moods, while the scenery will merge from various periods and Elizabethan aspects, such as royalty, and will use some elements of medieval aesthetics.

The set designer and illuminator Alejandro Luna commented that the Palacio de Bellas Artes is a fantastic place to work, the resources available for the scenic changes and lighting are excellent, it is the ideal place to do theater and opera par excellence.

He affirmed that the mixture of Shakespeare with Verdi is fantastic, the talent of both is enhanced, the music expresses emotional moments, of sadness, audacity, it is a resounding and complex art. He said he was happy to take on the visual part of the production.

The soprano Csilla Boross was excited to appear for the first time in Mexico and even more with a work as beautiful as Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi. “In this version my character, Lady Macbeth, is much more complex and even more feminine than in the 1865 version. What I like most about the 1847 version is that I can show the other side of Lady Macbeth, her side more feminine, as a woman, wife and mother” commented the soprano.

The baritone Alfredo Daza said that he had not performed in Bellas Artes for 18 years, so he was happy about his return, since the dream of every singer is to appear at this marble palace. He asserted that Macbeth is the apex for every baritone in the world of opera and mentioned that he began performing essays at the Berlin Opera and now he will make his debut in Mexico.

He stressed that an opera singer has to be an actor, have body movement in accordance with the text and music. The opera, he said, is a major art. He indicated that in order to prepare the role in the most professional way it is necessary to read, see the work, films, documentaries and reach the balance between the vocal and the staging, besides working psychologically on the character.

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Macbeth in Mexico