Macbeth
This new opera sets the text of Shakespeare’s great tragedy Macbeth. It is a story of ruthless aggression and ambition and the eventual fall. This work was composed by J. A. Creaghan and is performed by the New Era Group under the direction of conductor Don Ross.
I was not able to write a review of this show in a timely fashion. There were many details I took issue with, but too much time has gone by, and I didn’t write them down. Probably the biggest mistake the author made was to try and make a modern opera using directly quoted Elizabethan English. This was a musicalized Macbeth: if ever a work deserved to be adapted into an opera, it’s this one, and all credit to the composer for daring to follow in Verdi’s footsteps. But if it’s ever going to be more than a personal challenge, though, and you want it to become an artistic success, let alone a commercial one, you need to update it for modern audiences. Shakespeare is hard enough all by itself for modern readers to understand. It gets a little better when his works are viewed on stage, but the language is so archaic that comprehension relies heavily on the stagecraft of the actors, the choices made by the director, and the quality of the performance, which can vary wildly from day to day.
To then present such a work in a concert setting, without costumes, drops, scene changes, staging, etc. is dead boring. I couldn’t understand what was going on. I tried sitting there and just enjoying the musical composition, and the excellent musicianship of New Era Group, but it just wasn’t enough to arrest my attention, and overcome our modern short attention span. I left early.
The composer should analyze Shakespeare’s play, have a living writer create a new script that tells the story of Macbeth in 21st Century English, and proceed from there, if he’s really intent on creating a new Macbeth opera.
The Tragedy of Macbeth Comes Alive in Opera
The opera production of Macbeth offers a compelling and fresh interpretation of the timeless tragedy. With a strong musical score directed by Don Ross and Andrew Creaghan, capturing the intensity of Macbeth’s ambition and the devastating consequences that follow.
The performers of the New Era Group effectively combine incredible singing and a talented orchestra creating a spectacular performance. The musical themes complement the narrative’s tension and heightens key movements of betrayal, power and finally downfall.
The production overall delivers a memorial experience and is a great choice for those exploring the idea of how classic stories can be transformed through musical innovation. If you appreciate a well-executed adaptation that respects the original but also brings new energy, this opera is worth seeing.