THE WEEK OF MACBETH IN OPERA AND BALLET

15 February 2019

It was the performance of Macbeth that the Theatre visitors chose as the best one in the season 2017/2018, regarding the opera and ballet repertoire. These are actually two productions, both of which were awarded with the Boris Papandopulo prize for the best opera and the best ballet performance of the season. The week from 19th to 24th February has been devoted these two Macbeths that are audiences’ favourites.

Verdi’s opera Macbeth, in the dramaturgy-direction by Marin Blažević, for the first time under the baton of the charismatic Maestro Yordan Kamdzhalov, is on stage on Tuesday 19th February at 19 hours and on Saturday 23rd February at 18 hours. The ballet Macbeth by the choreographer Maša Kolar is on stage on 21st and 22nd February at 19:30 hours. Visitors who decide to see both performances are granted a special discount.

According to the choice of the visitors, it was Kristina Kolar for her role of lady Macbeth and Giorgio Surian for the role of Macbeth who were proclaimed the best performers of the opera season repertoire. They will also be singing in these two performances in February, joined for the first time by Luka Ortar as Banco, as well as Giorgio Christian Surian as Macduff in the first of the two performances and Aljaž Farasin in the second one.
The best performer in the ballet season repertoire according to the visitors’ choice is Ali Tabbouch for the role of Macbeth. You can take delight in his performance also this time. He will be dancing again next to Ksenija Krutova as Lady Macbeth. Hugo Rodrigues will be performing in the role of Macduff.

In her duets with Giorgio Surian, Kristina Kolar kept a perfect balance of the musical and stage aspect of the role. Especially effective was the scene of the brindisi, toast, with excellent phrasing and close co-operation with the chorus in the aria full of leaps. We also have to mention the aria in Act IV (where Lady Macbeth is already mentally deranged) sung with a fascinating calm and a still more fascinating tone placement in the divine interpretation of our prima donna.
Luka Nalis, Fiuman.hr

Impressive from the very beginning, the character of Macbeth performed by Giorgio Surian grew in his darkness and madness all the way to the end of the opera with exceptional conviction provided by the interpreter, owing primarily to the remarkable acting that seemed to have given wings to his voice; he played the role powerfully and relentlessly, conjuring up faithfully both madness and weakness that mix with the diabolic character, from the first act and the murder of Duncan or the ball scene in the second act, to the duet with Lady Macbeth and arias in the last act, an almost moving Pietà, rispetto, amore and the powerful farewell from the first version of the opera, Mal per me che m’affidai, which ends the opera. Giorgio Surian has achieved that level of interpreting an opera role in which we no longer hear tones, but hear meanings, thoughts and the state of the mind of his character.
Zrinka Matić, Klasik.hr

With its excellent technical and stage skills of performers, effective, while unpretentious choreography, costumes and stage design, the entire staging has been assessed optimally and in moderation, which enables it to speak of complex and difficult topics in a vivacious and simple way.
Nika Krajnović, Prostor plus

It was a powerful, shocking quintessence of evil and blood, the dancing Macbeth told in a surgically precise way, poetically emotional one and impressive in the way of a painting.
Gloria Fabijanić Jelović, Vijenac