Boundless hunger for power, blood-thirsty ambitions and a supernatural prophecy – “Macbeth” is an opera thriller that tells of human seductions and the abyss of the psyche.

As the Scottish nobleman Macbeth returns victorious from a glorious battle, he encounters three witches, who predict a brilliant future for him as Lord of Cawdor and King of Scotland. When the first part of the prophecy comes true, Lady Macbeth urges her husband to spur fate by killing the King. At the stroke of midnight, a dagger is thrust into the heart of the King of Scotland.

The love between Macbeth and his wife displays a radicalism rooted in uncompromising desire that had previously been unthinkable in the world of opera. The work thus marks the departure from antecedent Italian music theatre traditions that had revolved around love stories, sensuality and bel canto. Verdi’s music creates a morbid atmosphere of doom and gloom that aptly befits Shakespeare’s original drama.

Giuseppe Verdi’s (1813–1901) opera “Macbeth” saw its world premiere at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence in 1847. The performance was conducted by Verdi himself and was enthusiastically received by the audience. The work was soon revised to create the Paris version.