German director Peter Stein's new ghost and knight-filled Verdi's Macbeth triumphed as the 2011/12 season opener at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera last night. It's the same production that Stein premiered in August at the Salzburger Festspiele to mixed reviews (photo above). Nevermind - Rome loved it.
"Un grande Macbeth ovazione" was part of the Rome-based daily La Repubblica's headline. Ten minutes of applause, mostly for Riccardo Muti and Russian soprano Tatiana Serjan as Lady Macbeth. Serjan also elicited mid-scene applause during her final aria. Rome's audiences made another statement with mid-scene applause after the chorus' "Patria oppressa" at the beginning of the fourth act. Muti and Serjan had also collaborated with Stein during the August Salzburg edition.
All the VIPs were in the house last night, including the Rome mayor (Gianni Alemanno), the president of the republic (Giorgio Napolitano), and the new culture minister (Lorenzo Ornaghi).
An intrepid youtuber uploaded a clip of Serjan singing Lady Macbeth's final aria.