*Macbeth,* Sept 29 2026
Stephanie and I saw Verdi's *Macbeth* at the Met on Sept 29 2026.
This was my fifth time seeing the opera, I had no idea I liked it so much! The only other operas I've seen so often are *Salome* (six times) and *Tristan und Isolde* (five times). The difference with *Macbeth* is that there are new things in the score I notice each time. That's very rewarding.
This time it was a moment in the orchestra. The men in the chorus are getting ready to kill Banquo and the music is going along, la dee dah, nothing special to see here. But the violas and then the flute have a constantly repeating figure, churling around, seeming to stand still and yet in relentless skittish movement. It seems to convey the undercurrent of dread in the situation. This happens at 59:20 in this performance.
I think we have artistic director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to thank for this! I suppose officially we have Verdi to thank but I'll thank Nézet-Séguin for bringing it out.
Stephanie added this: "The orchestration in this opera is so fabulous, I don’t even care if there are singers! The idiomatic, characteristic details that make Verdi sound like Verdi are in full display in every moment and are so exciting and interesting. I forgot to even listen to the singers."
This was a new production at the Met, the Met debut of director Louisa Proske. She's co-founder and was co-artistic director of Heartbeat Opera, my second favorite opera company in town. I had the same feeling from her as I did when Susan Stroman made her Met debut with a production of *The Merry Widow* - - both times I felt like the director was thrilled to have the chance to work not only with such a significant company but on such a huge stage with all of the latest technology.
Proske's production bridged the divide of being experimental yet traditional. The sets were somewhat abstract, they seemed to me like a 19th century etching or greeting card brought to life. This was balanced by the costumes, which were realistic and opulent in the manner of an expensive Hollywood or Cinecittà epic. Proske also gave an unusually large role to the witches, she had them onstage quite a lot. Like when Macbeth went into the king's bedroom to kill him early in the show, it was the witches who opened the door for him.
I saw *Macbeth* in Salzburg the year before. My friend Scott said, at intermission, "It really should be called *Lady Macbeth.*" Sure enough, she's the most interesting character and has the most fascinating music to sing. The Macbeth in the Met performance was Quinn Kelsey, a singer I've had my eye on since seeing him in *Don Carlo* at Kennedy Center in 2018. This was the first time in my five *Macbeth*s that the Macbeth wasn't totally overshadowed by the Lady! He held his own through his air of gravitas and his bone-deep vocal charisma. He sings in a way that makes you sit up and take notice. I hate to be so cut-and-dry but we needed a new first-class Verdi baritone after the death of Dmitri Hvorostovsky in 2017 and Kelsey arrived at just the right moment. He's the real deal and I hope he has many more good years.
Here he is singing his death scene:
Lady Macbeth was played by another newly minted star, soprano Lise Davidsen. I was curious to see how she would do in the role - - a great Ariadne and Isolde isn't always right for Lady Macbeth. I want a Lady who spits actual tacks. Davidsen gave a thrilling performance, on her own terms. She was cool rather than hot and what a thrill to hear the role sung from a lyrical standpoint rather than harsh and snarly.
Here she is singing her first cabaletta, with the witches getting her dressed:
The third lead singer was new to me, Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff. It's basically a one-aria role but what a glorious aria, with the chorus singing backup.
He grabbed onto his moment and ladeled on all the gooey Italian tenor tricks. I'd be annoyed by this in a larger part but it was just right in this one. He approached the line of bad taste but never crossed it. Thank you, Freddie, for your your restraint.
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