Herbert on opera

As the Metropolitan Opera continues its season of HD broadcasts in theaters, Barb Herbert provides a summary of each work. Up next, Verdi's "Macbeth" at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Town Plaza Cinema.

On Saturday the Town Plaza Cinema will present a live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera of Verdi's "Macbeth." The performance begins at 12:30 p.m. and will be shown on a high-definition screen, with an encore showing at 2 p.m. Sunday.

If you have never been to an opera before, this would be a great one with which to start. It is full of murder, conspiracy, ghosts, witches and bloodthirsty royals. "Macbeth" was Verdi's favorite opera, and he dedicated it to his father-in-law, saying: "Here, then, is 'Macbeth' which I love above all my other works and for that reason deem it worthy of being presented to you."

Verdi and his librettist reduced Shakespeare's play, which contains 2,000 lines, down to 600. The music perfectly fits the story. In act one, Lady Macbeth's aria reflects her ambition and bloodthirsty demands. Later in the opera, her sleepwalking scene is chilling.

The opera opens with a chorus of witches and they reappear in act three. They display all sorts of horrible visions to Macbeth.

Finally, in the opening of act four, we meet a group of Scottish exiles who sing some of the most moving choral music Verdi ever composed.

This is an opera full of great music and exciting scenes; it is a new production for the Metropolitan Opera and a performance not to be missed by any opera lover or anyone who loves Shakespeare.

Barb Herbert of Cape Girardeau is an opera lover and host of Southeast Public Radio's "Sunday Night at the Opera."