The sound of the witches’ chorus here was a bit diffuse, with the voices not blending as well as they did in Act III, when a version of the chapel is the backdrop for the witches’ cave. The opening in the chapel may startle some as the witches emerge from those assembled in the pews. In Macbeth, the chapel succeeds visually as a space to frame the action, and it is sufficiently expansive to make the scenes with the full company fit the stage. Macfarlane previously contributed strong designs to Lyric Opera with a riveting Queen of Spades in the 2018/2019 season and a striking Elektra in the 2012/2013 season (the blood-spattered steps of the palace linger in one’s memory). The entire opera takes place in a nineteenth-century chapel created by set designer John Macfarlane: a bold gesture that sets the tone with its ubiquitous shape.

Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its 2021-2022 season with Sir David McVicar’s new production of Verdi’s Macbeth, which uses the 1865 ‘Paris’ version. Second Apparition – Maria Novella Malfatti (JLZ) Sondra Radvanovsky (Lady Macbeth) and the company (c) Ken HowardĪssassin, First Apparition – Anthony Reed United States Verdi, Macbeth: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago / Enrique Mazzola (conductor).

Lyric opera 2016 17 season