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Sarah Anthes
Professor Hackett
English 1100; Sec. 018
November 2, 200
!"era #er$i E%ro"a& 'acbeth
As the lights (ent $o(n an$ the c%rtains rose, the bea%tif%l )talian singing voices
an$ "henomenal orchestra over"o(ere$ the a%$ience. )n the o"ening act, on !ctober 20,
200, the actors of *%lgaria+s !"era #er$i E%ro"a gave a sam"le of the $rama that (as
going to arise in the ne,t three acts of -i%se""e #er$i+s 'acbeth. Even tho%gh the o"era
(as in )talian, the m%sic, setting, an$ color s.mbolism of the 'acbeth+s "lot ma$e the
"erformance en/o.able an$ more com"rehen$ible for the a%$ience.
-i%se""e #er$i+s a$a"te$ version of Shakes"eare+s 'acbeth first "remiere$ in
0lorence, )tal. in 1812. After it $eb%te$, 'acbeth became one of #er$i+s greatest (orks.
3he o"era is 4ever.thing a mo$ern a%$ience co%l$ (ish for& revenge, betra.al, m%r$er,
an$ ma$ness5 6-raham7. 3he o"era+s $rama comes from Shakes"eare+s trage$. of
'acbeth. 'acbeth+s ma$ness begins (ith the killing of the king an$ it escala$es (ith
ever. other m%r$er he commits. Event%all. he becomes a machine an$ his o(n
heartlessness kills him in the en$.
)van 8.%rkchiev, the artistic $irector of 'acbeth, fo%n$e$ !"era #er$i E%ro"a in
199:. 3he com"an. is one of the to" 4o"eratic com"anies5 64Something ;icke$ 3his
;a. <omes5 17 in *%lgaria. 3he members of the com"an. rank (ith the best *%lgarian
m%sicians, singers, an$ $ancers 6-raham7. !"era #er$i E%ro"a has a %ni=%e st.le to
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their "erformances. 3he. combine the *%lgarian o"era st.le an$ the E%ro"ean o"era
st.le to create a 4m%ltic%lt%ral e,"erience5 6Scene7 for their a%$ience.
3he setting of 'acbeth (as ver. sim"le. )t consiste$ of a gre. moving circle, a
be$, a $agger, tree branches, an$ s(or$s. 3he reason there (ere minimal "ro"s an$ no
back$ro"s (as that the "erformance (as in the ;right A%$itori%m. 3he stage in the
;right A%$itori%m is not 4e=%i""e$ to hang back$ro"s5 6;oo$r%ff7 an$ 4it $oes not
have the s"ace to set %" an. of the large set "ieces5 6;oo$r%ff7. !"era #er$i E%ro"a ha$
to re$%ce their set consi$erabl. to "erform in the ;right A%$itori%m. Even (itho%t the
a$$itional "ro"s, the com"an. (as able to create an eerie atmos"here (ith their %se of
lighting an$ the color gre..
>e$ an$ gre. (ere the t(o s.mbolic colors %se$ thro%gho%t 'acbeth. -re.
clothes, re$ bloo$, silver?gre. s(or$s, an$ re$ gloves conve.e$ the sa$ness an$ $eath in
the o"era. )nnocent "eo"le (earing gre. are mo%rning over the loss of love$ ones. 3he
man (earing re$, 'acbeth, is g%ilt. for killing the king an$ man. other a$mire$ "eo"le.
@a$. 'acbeth also (ore re$ beca%se she hel"e$ her h%sban$ m%r$er the king. 3here is a
correlation bet(een the color re$ an$ the n%mber of $eaths in the o"era beca%se the color
re$ a""ears more as 'acbeth kills more "eo"le.
'%sic has the abilit. to enhance a "erformance or $estro. a "erformance. 3he
orchestra an$ o"era singers of !"era #er$i E%ro"a $i$ a fantastic /ob of enhancing
'acbeth. #er$i create$ the 4orchestration an$ vocal (ritings5 64Something ;icke$ 3his
;a. <omes5 17 to ens%re that the a%$ience felt the5s%s"ense an$ terror5 64Something
;icke$ 3his ;a. <omes5 17 thro%gho%t the o"era. @o%$ noises from the orchestra or a
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"iercing vocal note ma$e the a%$ience /%m" in fear of 'acbeth+s ne,t move. )t is
sai$, 4#er$i nee$e$ singing actors rather than acting singers,5 64Something ;icke$ 3his
;a. <omes5 7 meaning that the singers nee$e$ to be "assionate abo%t (hat the. (ere
singing. ;hen #er$i (rote the m%sic for this o"era, he $i$ not (ant 4bea%tif%l singing5
64Something ;icke$ 3his ;a. <omes5 7 thro%gho%t the entire o"era. He (ante$ the
a%$ience to be able to tell the emotion the singers (ere feeling thro%gh their voices. 3he
o"era singers in 'acbeth (ere able to sing (ith the "assion an$ emotion nee$e$ to kee"
the a%$ience+s attention. #er$i note$ that he (ante$ there to be something $evilish in
@a$. 'acbeth+s voice 64Something ;icke$ 3his ;a. <omes5 7 beca%se he (ante$ the
a%$ience to "ortra. her as a cool, heartless (oman. Nabor% Aomori, @a$. 'acbeth, (as
able to sing (ith s%ch cr%elt. an$ t%rn her a%$ience against her.
*o/i$ar *onev an$ Na.$en 3o$orov con$%cte$ !rchestra #er$i E%ro"a. 3he
orchestra is ver. "o"%lar an$ kno(n all over the (orl$. !rchestra #er$i E%ro"a has
goo$ relationshi"s (ith 4some of the "remiere o"era ho%ses in central E%ro"e5 6'ason7,
allo(ing (orl$?reno(ne$ singers an$ con$%ctors from E%ro"e to be a "art of the
*%lgarian !rchestra #er$i E%ro"a. )t is not a s%r"rise that this (orl$?kno(n orchestra
(as incre$ible (hen the. "erforme$. 3he orchestra (as al(a.s on beat an$ never
misse$ a note. 3he energ. behin$ the orchestra ke"t the a%$ience on the e$ge of their
seats.
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3he entire o"era (as in )talian beca%se #er$i (as an 4)talian com"oser an$ all of
his o"eras (ere (ritten in )talian5 6;oo$r%ff7. 3here (ere s%"erscri"ts in English that
allo(e$ the a%$ience to %n$erstan$ the (or$s of the o"era. 3he e.es of the a%$ience
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(ere in constant motion beca%se the. (ere tr.ing to foc%s on the "erformance an$ the
s%"erscri"ts. )t (as eas. to get lost beca%se of the lang%age barrier. )f a s"ectator $i$ not
kno( the "lot of 'acbeth before the. entere$ the ;right A%$itori%m, then most likel.
the. (ere not able to take in the famo%s o"era being "reforme$. )t can be ver. $iffic%lt
for .o%ng "eo"le to a""reciate #er$i+s fine "iece of (ork beca%se it is in )talian.
-is%""e #er$i+s 'acbeth is a "henomenal o"era. 3he )talian lang%age $i$ not
sto" "eo"le from en/o.ing !"era #er$i E%ro"a+s "erformance. 'an. "eo"le left the
a%$itori%m s"eaking highl. of the o"era. )t (as (ith the hel" of the m%sic, setting, an$
cost%mes that !"era #er$i E%ro"a+s 'acbeth (as s%ch a s%ccess at East <arolina
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Performing Arts Series 28 !ct. 200& 1I.

;oo$r%ff, <arol. Email intervie(. 1 Nov. 200.
Sarah,
;ell?(ritten essa. (ith goo$ research.
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-ra$e& A