Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Luke Styles
Macbeth (2015)
- Wise Music G. Schirmer Australia Pty Ltd (World)
Commissioned by Glyndebourne Opera
- 1[pic].1.1[Ebcl,bcl]/Bbtpt.tbn/2perc/hp.pf/vn.vc.db
- 5 tenors, baritone, 4 bass-baritones, young tenor/baritone, treble
- 1 hr 15 min
- Ted Huffman (text adaptation)
- English
Programme Note
Macbeth immediately conjures atmospheric, violent and supernatural images and sounds in the mind. This text, which is ingrained in our cultural fabric, felt like the ideal choice for the basis of an opera at this moment in my compositional life. I wanted to tell a story, this was key. I wanted that story to be larger than life, perhaps even un-imaginable for 'normal' human beings to take part in, hence the need for opera singers and an orchestra. I feel a deep affinity with Shakespeare's writing, which I have used previously in my work Vanity for Glyndebourne in 2013. Shakespeare's words immediately suggested a music to me, and this text in particular provided a narrative that allowed my music to go darker and more sensual than ever before. Together with librettist and director Ted Huffman, we crafted, out of Shakespeare's play, our own version of the tale that could take place as an uninterrupted performance of 75 minutes, with a small orchestra and an all male cast.
Cast
Macbeth - Baritone
Lady Macbeth - Tenor
Banquo - Tenor
Malcolm - Bass-Baritone
Macduff - Tenor
Lady MacDuff/Porter - Bass-Baritone
Sergeant/Murderer1 - Tenor
Duncan/Murderer2 - Bass-Baritone
Ross - Bass-Baritone
Lennox/Murderer3 - Tenor
Fleance - Young Tenor/Baritone
Macduff’s Son - Treble
Media
Reviews
"the orchestral writing is crisp and incisive, conjuring up with imagination the successive atmospheres required for the tragedy’s trajectory."
10th September 2015
"elegantly creepy, defiantly cool"
"so often, Shakespeare’s words can rush away rapidly from us on stage, but here, both projected and sung with deliberate clarity, every word shines and works its magic."
"Styles’ music swirls, hums, and draws us inexorably into the dark heart of power."
"so often, Shakespeare’s words can rush away rapidly from us on stage, but here, both projected and sung with deliberate clarity, every word shines and works its magic."
"Styles’ music swirls, hums, and draws us inexorably into the dark heart of power."
10th September 2015
"The music is scored for chamber orchestra, with evocative use of percussion and piano, and although it is pared down to the most emotionally sparse lines it still has moments of surprising lyric grace"
10th September 2015
