Verdi Macbeth & Donizetti Maria Stuarda at Sferisterio Opera Festival 2007 Macbeth – Giuseppe Altomare Elisabetta Laura Polverelli
The singing does not compare with the best of the competition on CD but, for all who like to see their opera too, these DVDs will give considerable satisfaction and enjoyment. The principals in both take a little time to warm up, but deliver and rise to impressive climactic scenes. Two pictures below are included to give an impression of the spectacular outdoor festival venue in Sferisterio. There was no attempt at historical realism in the sets, but the costumes were evocative, and the direction by Pizzi and the lighting (Sergio Rossi) helped to make both operas look good on the small screen. The witches as choreographed by Gheorghe Iancu are splendid; they give great scope for imaginative approaches - c.f. those in Bloch's Macbeth seen in London last week. Recommended. Peter Grahame Woolf
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