This week on World of Opera, host Lisa Simeone presents Verdi's Macbeth from the Vienna State Opera. The composer called Shakespeare's original play "one of mankind's greatest creations" and set about writing a score equal to it.
Romanian baritone George Petean sings the title role of the ambitious Scottish general driven to murder to fulfill the prophesy that he will become king. His equally striving wife is Russian soprano Tatiana Serjan. The great bass, Ferruccio Furlanetto, plays Banco, who is killed upon discovering Macbeth's homicidal intentions. Alain Altinoglu conducts.
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Cast:
Macbeth: George Petean (baritone)
Lady Macbeth: Tatiana Serjan (soprano)
Banco: Ferruccio Furlanetto (bass)
Macduff: Jorge de Léon (tenor)
Malcolm: Jinxu Xiahou (tenor)
Lady-in-Waiting: Donna Ellen (mezzo-soprano)
Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Alain Altinoglu, conductor