I wish so much there was ANY video of this great 80's Peter Hall production. I saw it in Atlanta on the Met tour in 1983. I still of it often. Thank you for including this beautiful and very rare color photo of this production. I would love to also see other photos as well! And of course, the music and performance are also wonderful!
@@pianistajs In this production, Peter Hall's goal, as I understand it, was to capture the essence of the 1865 Paris version, and he achieved this brilliantly. The opera itself, is a mix of fun, horror, and drama. Hall was a TRUE opera director and had insight. He had understanding and insight to style and subtlety, and could make it truly grand and entertaining. Here are a few examples as best I remember: The witches' music tells us they are much like the witches of our imagination: mischievous and scary. The chorus was effectively choreographed in mass, even cackling at the close of the first scene, to the energetic early Verdi score. The big witches' scene of Act 3 was genius. In the slow movement of the ballet, the huge cauldron elevated, with the witches' goddess, Hecate, rising from underneath. As goddess of the night, it was appropriate that a woman having dark skin was cast to portray her, with her upper body being nude, as are many classic depictions of mythological characters. It was a magical opera moment, when we feel privileged to have a window to another secret world. The entire scene was dark, in reds and black prominently. Later in the scene, the Spirits of the Air ballet was another striking memory, as the corps de ballet, was in vivid snowy white, in traditional ballet attire. (I do not remember the flying witches. I saw it in Atlanta. Maybe they had dropped the flying witches for the tour.) The music of Lady Macbeth's bold and noble opening aria IS the drama itself. As I remember it, there was no overdramatized theatrics, but instead Scotto staying largely in place with the music being the primary focus. (There is a video on UA-cam of Scotto singing the Sleepwalking Scene. She had subtlety and intensity that was powerful.) There were stylized visuals, one of the most memorable being the shadow silhouette of Lady Macbeth's horse, after she finds Macbeth at the close of Act 3. I remember it well, even from the upper dress circle. Even the floor of this production was in swirls of red and black. Opera has always attracted the elitists. Maybe they couldn't open their minds to the fun spirit of this production. Different ideas in art and music are sometimes booed, and initially rejected. Who knows? We all have different opinions. Bottom line: this production fit the music, and spirit of the opera. That is why I love it.
@@Sam_Lee_ Glad to encounter someone who remembers this production with the fondness that I felt for it, though I saw it only once during its final run in early '88 (fortunately not the one with the famous disaster), and by that time they say there was very little of Peter Hall left in it. I was lucky to see Justino Diaz in the title role, who was quite powerful.
@@kennethwayne6857 thank you so much for sharing this with me. Likewise, I appreciate hearing from another person who remembers this exceptionally insightful and exciting production. What a privilege we had to see it. Real opera.
A lovely reminder of seeing her at Covent Garden in 1981 - her final performances in that house. I think her voice was ideal for Lady Macbeth. I saw Milnes a few years later as Macbeth- superb. Thanks for sharing.
I was at the premiere, part of the bonus of registration at a local community college’s music appreciation class. I thought the premiere was Dec 1982. The other tix we got were Lucia w Sutherland & Kraus! Anyway, the public was primed for vengeance, mostly against Scotto, Levine, and Hall. When Scotto lightly touched and dropped the opening high-C, all the pent-up anger began. Some in the audience began laughing loudly. I thought Scotto & Milnes sang brilliantly. Truth be told, the production really was over the top, and when the corps de ballet came prancing out in their tutus, even I thought it had gone off the rails. Of course, compared with some of today’s productions, this was a model of restraint and tradition.
Why was the public primed for vengeance? Couldn't have been the Callas claque, as it had already gotten its pound of flesh a few years prior! Years ago, I also talked to someone who watched Scotto in Macbeth (don't know which production). He said that during the Sleepwalking scene, there was so much tension (both good and bad) because Scotto appeared to be on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
You are lucky to have been there! I've read quite a bit about that premiere evening, mostly from the point of view of Sherrill Milnes who was very unhappy that the production had omitted Macbeth's death aria, 'Mal per me' (rightly so, I believe).
@ER1Cwc At that time, Scotto was THE reigning diva at the Met, getting new productions and telecasts that might have gone to other artists. She was really hated, not only by the Callas claque, but by a lot of other resentful people. In the right roles (at that time), she was extraordinary (Tabarro, Luisa Miller, and even Macbeth), but she could drop bombs too (Norma, Musetta).@@ER1CwC
I wish so much there was ANY video of this great 80's Peter Hall production. I saw it in Atlanta on the Met tour in 1983. I still of it often. Thank you for including this beautiful and very rare color photo of this production. I would love to also see other photos as well! And of course, the music and performance are also wonderful!
The one where boos and hisses were the audience's response? With the high flying witches? If I may ask, why?
@@pianistajs In this production, Peter Hall's goal, as I understand it, was to capture the essence of the 1865 Paris version, and he achieved this brilliantly. The opera itself, is a mix of fun, horror, and drama. Hall was a TRUE opera director and had insight. He had understanding and insight to style and subtlety, and could make it truly grand and entertaining. Here are a few examples as best I remember:
The witches' music tells us they are much like the witches of our imagination: mischievous and scary. The chorus was effectively choreographed in mass, even cackling at the close of the first scene, to the energetic early Verdi score. The big witches' scene of Act 3 was genius. In the slow movement of the ballet, the huge cauldron elevated, with the witches' goddess, Hecate, rising from underneath. As goddess of the night, it was appropriate that a woman having dark skin was cast to portray her, with her upper body being nude, as are many classic depictions of mythological characters. It was a magical opera moment, when we feel privileged to have a window to another secret world. The entire scene was dark, in reds and black prominently. Later in the scene, the Spirits of the Air ballet was another striking memory, as the corps de ballet, was in vivid snowy white, in traditional ballet attire. (I do not remember the flying witches. I saw it in Atlanta. Maybe they had dropped the flying witches for the tour.)
The music of Lady Macbeth's bold and noble opening aria IS the drama itself. As I remember it, there was no overdramatized theatrics, but instead Scotto staying largely in place with the music being the primary focus. (There is a video on UA-cam of Scotto singing the Sleepwalking Scene. She had subtlety and intensity that was powerful.)
There were stylized visuals, one of the most memorable being the shadow silhouette of Lady Macbeth's horse, after she finds Macbeth at the close of Act 3. I remember it well, even from the upper dress circle. Even the floor of this production was in swirls of red and black.
Opera has always attracted the elitists. Maybe they couldn't open their minds to the fun spirit of this production. Different ideas in art and music are sometimes booed, and initially rejected. Who knows? We all have different opinions. Bottom line: this production fit the music, and spirit of the opera. That is why I love it.
@@Sam_Lee_ Glad to encounter someone who remembers this production with the fondness that I felt for it, though I saw it only once during its final run in early '88 (fortunately not the one with the famous disaster), and by that time they say there was very little of Peter Hall left in it. I was lucky to see Justino Diaz in the title role, who was quite powerful.
@@kennethwayne6857 thank you so much for sharing this with me. Likewise, I appreciate hearing from another person who remembers this exceptionally insightful and exciting production. What a privilege we had to see it. Real opera.
Bravo!!!
A lovely reminder of seeing her at Covent Garden in 1981 - her final performances in that house. I think her voice was ideal for Lady Macbeth. I saw Milnes a few years later as Macbeth- superb. Thanks for sharing.
"Ideal for Lady Macbeth"??? How?
Una masterclass di legato.
Magnificent!
I was at the premiere, part of the bonus of registration at a local community college’s music appreciation class. I thought the premiere was Dec 1982. The other tix we got were Lucia w Sutherland & Kraus! Anyway, the public was primed for vengeance, mostly against Scotto, Levine, and Hall. When Scotto lightly touched and dropped the opening high-C, all the pent-up anger began. Some in the audience began laughing loudly. I thought Scotto & Milnes sang brilliantly. Truth be told, the production really was over the top, and when the corps de ballet came prancing out in their tutus, even I thought it had gone off the rails. Of course, compared with some of today’s productions, this was a model of restraint and tradition.
Why was the public primed for vengeance? Couldn't have been the Callas claque, as it had already gotten its pound of flesh a few years prior!
Years ago, I also talked to someone who watched Scotto in Macbeth (don't know which production). He said that during the Sleepwalking scene, there was so much tension (both good and bad) because Scotto appeared to be on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
You are lucky to have been there! I've read quite a bit about that premiere evening, mostly from the point of view of Sherrill Milnes who was very unhappy that the production had omitted Macbeth's death aria, 'Mal per me' (rightly so, I believe).
@ER1Cwc At that time, Scotto was THE reigning diva at the Met, getting new productions and telecasts that might have gone to other artists. She was really hated, not only by the Callas claque, but by a lot of other resentful people. In the right roles (at that time), she was extraordinary (Tabarro, Luisa Miller, and even Macbeth), but she could drop bombs too (Norma, Musetta).@@ER1CwC
@@wotan10950 and should be silent WHY and HOW Scotto could sing These roles at the Met at that time
👏👏👏
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