Jacopo Gassmann directs Verdi's Macbeth at Bologna's Comunale Nouveau

Jacopo Gassmann made his opera directing debut with Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth at the Comunale Nouveau in Bologna, running until April 18, 2024. The production emphasizes psychological tension and concealed violence, with murders occurring offstage. Maestro Daniel Oren conducted the Orchestra del Comunale with clarity and emotional involvement. Ekaterina Semenchuk portrayed Lady Macbeth with arrogant brio and a flexible voice, while Roman Burdenko as Macbeth conveyed fragility through touching pianissimos. Riccardo Fassi played Banco with some lack of energy, and Antonio Poli as Macduff showed good high notes but weakness in the middle register. The cast also included Anna Cimmarrusti, Marco Miglietta, Kwangsik Park, and Gabriele Ribis. The chorus, directed by Gea Garatti Ansini, was compact but did not impress with 'Patria oppressa.' Minimal sets by Gregorio Zurla and costumes by Gianluca Sbicca supported the production. Gassmann incorporated references to Marina Abramović, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Caravaggio. Video by Marco Grassivaro, lighting by Gianni Staropoli, and movement by Marco Angelilli evoked inner processes. Gassmann, who previously worked in prose theater, now aims to direct more Verdi, Wagner, and Arnold Schoenberg's Moses und Aron, and aspires to become artistic director of a stable theater, focusing on young talent.