Independent Opera Company Presents MACBETH, Now thru 6/30

Independent Opera Company will present the final production of their first season. Macbeth is a remarkable representation of Shakespeare's epic drama. It tells of Macbeth and his wife as they go on a killing spree in a desperate attempt to maintain the throne of Scotland. They are propelled by the prophecies of witches and as these omens eventualize, the couple lose their grip on the power they seek.

Verdi brings us in to a piece that is beautiful in its eeriness. Macbeth is a very sophisticated work with a lot of surprising and unexpected harmonies and rhythms. It seems very unconventional and predicts a lot of musical solutions presented at Verdi's more familiar later works, such as Traviata, plus it leads to his most mature works like Otello and Falstaff (also based on Shakespeare plays). What makes Macbeth so appealing as an opera is that although it is a very dark story, it has catharsis which provides great emotional relief and healing.

The plot and the music give the widest range of human emotions from pride to betrayal to despair to justice. It tells us a story of temptation and ambitions gone awry and reminds us that "goals never justify means". In the end, justice prevails, but the price paid by suffering and precious human lives cannot be redeemed. This opera has a truly timeless story and is full of excitement and beauty! And it's the music that makes it even more powerful. Verdi uses the chorus to play a crucial role in this opera. Despite all the intensity of this piece, we are all truly enjoying ourselves in these rehearsals! Our incredible stage director, Scott Blois, always has such brilliant creative ideas and makes even most challenging scenes look and sound effortless.