Emma Dante's Macbeth triumphs, Callixto Bieito's Tannhäuser disappoints in Venice and Palermo

Two major opera productions recently premiered in Italy: Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth directed by Emma Dante at Teatro Massimo di Palermo, and Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser directed by Callixto Bieito at Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Dante's Macbeth received ten minutes of ovations, set in a timeless, stylized context with red and black as dominant colors, a forest of prickly pears for the final battle, and numerous witches impregnated by fauns. Lady Macbeth renounces motherhood for power. The production uses Dante's company and students from the Scuola dei mestieri dello spettacolo of Teatro Biondo di Palermo. In contrast, Bieito's Tannhäuser caused some audience members to leave after the second act. The production uses a hybrid version: Act I from the 1861 Paris version, Acts II and III from the 1843 Dresden version. The staging is described as forgettable, with a dark forest, nymphs and satyrs, a gang rape attempt on Elisabeth, ambiguous relationship between Elisabeth and Wolfram, and a cold funeral. The production is deemed disconnected from the opera's themes of sin and redemption.