Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave, based on the eponymous tragedy by William Shakespeare
Musical director: Honoured Artist of Ukraine Viktor Ploskina
Director: recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal Mikhail Pandzhavidze
Designer: recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Kostiuchenko
Costumes: People’s Artist of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Vyacheslav Okunev, Maria Moroz
Chorus master: People's Artist of Belarus, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Nina Lomanovich
Choreography: People’s Artist of Belarus Kanstantsin Kuzniatsou, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Belarus Yuliya Dziatko
Conductors: Yuri Karavaev, Vladimir Ovodok
Running time: 3 hours 15 minutes with two intervals
Sung in Italian with Russian surtitles
Premiere: 19 March 2016

Макбет – Владимир Громов

Леди Макбет – Татьяна Третьяк

Банко – Андрей Валентий

Макдуф – Дмитрий Шабетя (1-ое исп.)

Фрейлина – Анастасия Малевич (1-ое исп.)

Малкольм – Александр Михнюк

Доктор – Сергей Лазаревич

Слуга, убийца – Владислав Зозулько

Synopsis
Act I

In the dead of night three witches prophesy the future. Drumming announces the approach of Macbeth and Banquo, captains of King Duncan’s army, who return after the victorious campaign against the Norwegians. One after another, the witches welcome Macbeth and address him:

‘All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!’

Macbeth is bewildered: he will inherit the title of the thane of Glamis, but the thane of Cawdor is alive, as well as King Duncan, Macbeth’s cousin. The witches tell Banquo:

‘Hail! Hail! Hail! Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.’

Duncan’s messengers arrive with the news that the estate and the title of Thane of Cawdor are bestowed upon Macbeth in consideration of the victory in the battle. Banquo notices Macbeth’s thoughts about the future reign.  

In Inverness Castle, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling her of the witches’ predictions. Nothing can stop the lady on her way to the throne, Macbeth’s conceit and ambition will be supported by her iron will and endless thirst for power.

The messenger announces that Duncan and Macbeth will soon arrive at the castle. After their arrival, summoning the forces of evil, the lady persuades Macbeth that it’s necessary to murder the king. The vision of a dagger strengthens Macbeth’s decision to commit a crime, and he kills Duncan in his sleep. The lady helps frame the guards. With bloody hands she returns to her husband who has lost peace of mind. Everyone is horrified and outraged at the news of the assassination of Duncan.


Act II

Duncan’s son, Malcolm, is suspected of having killed his father and flees to England. Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland. The new king is worried about the prophecy that Banquo will found a great royal line. The captain and his son, Fleance, are alive so far, but their fates are determined by Macbeth and his wife. Anticipating the victory over the destiny, the lady is in triumph.

On the way to the royal banquet, Banquo is overwhelmed by evil forebodings:

In a matter of seconds the captain is killed by assassins, but Fleance manages to escape.

The banquet has gathered all the Scottish thanes except Banquo. Macbeth enquires hypocritically why his dear friend is absent. The assassin quietly tells the king that his order has been fulfilled. The feast begins when suddenly Macbeth is overcome with a vision of the dead Banquo. The lady tries to calm her husband and the guests but the king sees the ghost again and loses his composure completely. Horror-stricken, the guests leave. The thane of Fife, Macduff, decides to flee and join the Scots banished from the country.


Act III

In Inverness Castle the witches prepare a brew, conjuring up the evil spirits. Macbeth comes to their sabbath in search of more predictions. The witches evoke apparitions that bring three prophecies: Macbeth should beware of Macduff; no man of woman born can harm Macbeth; Macbeth will be invincible until Birnam Wood moves against him. As an answer to the question whether Banquo’s children will ever be on the throne he sees a procession of eight kings who look like the dead captain.  Horrified, Macbeth collapses. When he comes around, he swears to ruin Macduff’s castle and to kill his family.

Scottish refugees bewail the plight of their oppressed motherland.

Macduff, whose family has been massacred by Macbeth’s henchmen, is among them. Malcolm enters leading a host of English soldiers; he incites Macduff to seek consolation in revenge and gathers Scots to attack Macbeth, using branches from the trees of the nearby Wood of Birnam as camouflage.

Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, haunted by the horrors of the crimes she and her husband have committed and vainly trying to wash the blood off her hands.

Preparing for the battle, Macbeth is sure of his invulnerability. He is indifferent to the news of the lady’s death. The battle begins. Birnam Wood is striding towards the castle, which makes the king remember the prophecy.  Macbeth is confronted by Macduff. The former hopes for victory as he cannot be murdered by a person born of a woman. Macduff reveals that he was untimely ripped from his mother's womb and slays the adversary with his sword. Macbeth curses the witches and the sinister crown as he dies.

Malcolm is declared King.
*thane – medieval rank of the nobility in Scotland: a knight, a feudal, the chief of a clan, a Scottish lord
 

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