Macbeth (complete opera recorded in 1984)

Verdi's Macbeth is in four acts and sets an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave with additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name.

Verdi started writing music for Macbeth in 1846-47. Verdi did not encounter Shakespeare's original work until after the first performance at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence on March 14, 1847. Nearly 20 years later, Verdi was asked to provide additional music for a production at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and this gave him an opportunity to revise the whole opera. This new version was first performed on April 21, 1865 and remains the preferred one for modern performances.

His version follows the Shakespeare play quite closely, but he makes some interesting changes. Instead of using three witches as in the play, he creates a large female chorus of witches, singing in three part harmony. The last act begins with an assembly of refugees on the English border, and ends with a chorus of bards celebrating victory over the tyrant, no doubt as a compliment to Shakespeare himself.

'Sinopoli presents Macbeth as a searing Shakespearean inspiration. In the banqueting scene, for example, Sinopoli creates extra dramatic intensity by his concerns for detail and his preference for extreme dynamics, and Renato Bruson and Mara Zampieri respond vividly. Zampieri matches exactly Verdi's request for the voice of a she-devil. Neil Shicoff as Macduff and Robert Lloyd as Banco make up the excellent quartet of principals. CD adds vividly to the realism of a recording that is well balanced and focused but atmospheric.' (A Key Recording from The Penguin Guide to Classical CDs)