New Names for the Met's 'Macbeth'

The Metropolitan Opera's production of "Macbeth," which made its premiere last October, didn't exactly emerge as the gripping new take on Verdi's first Shakespearean opera one had hoped for from the producer Adrian Noble, former head of the Royal Shakespeare Company. On Friday evening, though, "Macbeth" returned for the first of three performances with an impressive new vocal lineup in which all four principal roles were taken by singers for the first time at the Met.

Carlos Alvarez has one of most attractive baritone voices around for Verdi — a resonant, flexible instrument that benefits handsomely from the singer's cultivated artistry and clear diction. He securely projected the many emotional facets of the title role, from the anxious expectancy that grips Macbeth after the first of the witches' prophecies is borne out to his final bitterness on the battlefield. One could imagine, though, greater histrionic variety to Mr. Alvarez's portrayal, especially in theater the size of the Met. Hasmik Papian made a mixed impression when she sang Norma at the Met earlier this season, offering a competent but cautious account of the demanding bel canto role. Lady Macbeth, too, has its bel canto challenges, but the balance is tipped more toward gutsy drama, which proved to be to Ms. Papian's advantage. In any case, she threw herself into the role with a conviction that her Norma lacked. Early on there were moments of questionable intonation, but this problem was soon brought under control. She gave vivid accounts of all four of Lady Macbeth's splendid arias, including a sleepwalking scene that had controlled intensity and a respectable D flat. Her lower range is not particularly strong, but she wisely refrained from forcing her chest voice. Ms. Papian's soprano may not be among the most lustrous, it nevertheless proved well suited to the task here. Having the great German bass René Pape cast in the important but relatively brief role of Banquo was a special treat. The famous aria was predictably sumptuous in tone, but there were other telling aspects of his portrayal, such as the keenness of his reaction to Macbeth's good fortune in the first scene and the vivid contrast his orotund bass made to Mr. Alvarez's smooth baritone. He delivered Banquo's announcement of the murder of King Duncan with roof-raising intensity. Joseph Calleja's Macduff was also strong. His tenor can be a little fluttery, but it is a rich, darkish, velvety instrument that brought out the emotion of Macduff's powerful aria, sung after the slaughter of his family by Macbeth's forces. As before, James Levine was a welcome presence on the podium.