Željko Lučić

더 폴카(The Polka)라는 간판이 붙어 있는 살롱(saloon)에서 작은 금광을 하나 소유한 애시비(Ashby)가 무법자 래머레즈(Ramerrez)를 저쪽 골짜기에서 보았다고 얘기한다. 광부들과 술주정꾼들은 그 말에 별로 신경을 쓰지 않는다. 주점의 한쪽 벽에는 래머레즈의 현상 포스터가 붙어 있다. 이때 처음 보는 수상한 사람이 주점으로 들어오게 되는데...

Verdi’s life-long love affair with Shakespeare’s works began with Macbeth, a play he considered to be ‘one of the greatest creations of man’. With his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, Verdi set out to create ‘something out of the ordinary’. Their success is borne out in every bar of a score that sees Verdi at his most theatrical: it bristles with demonic energy.

화가인 카바라도시는 쫓기고 있는 옛 친구 안젤로티를 숨겨주다 곤경에 빠진다. 그의 애인인 토스카는 카바라도시를 살리기 위해 자신에게 몸을 바치라는 경감 스카르피아의 협박을 받다 그를 찔러 죽이고 만다. 결국 그녀가 스카르피아를 죽인 사실이 발각되고 토스카는 애인을 따라 성벽아래로 몸을 던진다.

스타 소프라노 안나 네트렙코가 타오르는 듯 강렬한 맥베스 부인을 보여준다. 중간에 잠시 실성한 모습까지 보이는 살인자 맥베스 역의 바리톤 젤리코 루치치는 메트에서 처음으로 이 배역을 연기한다. 셰익스피어의 비극을 토대로 베르디가 작곡한 이 걸작 오페라는 에이드리언 노블의 관객을 오싹하게 만드는 연출로 더욱 흥미로워졌다. 맥더프 장군 역에 테너 조셉 칼레야, 뱅코우 장군 역에 베이스 르네 파페. 지휘는 파비오 루이지가 맡았다.

Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher’s bold new production probes the psychological underpinnings of Verdi’s dynamic setting of Shakespeare’s great tragedy. At the helm of this performance is riveting conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who brings out all the cascading emotions in Verdi’s turbulent score. Aleksandrs Antonenko is the Moor Otello, the triumphant general of the Venetian army who is ultimately brought down by the sly insinuations of his friend Iago (Željko Lučić). Sonya Yoncheva continues to win fans as Desdemona, Otello’s faithful and long-suffering wife. With Günther Groissböck as Lodovico and Dimitri Pittas as Cassio.

“Kaufmann is performing the title role for the first time, and it’s hard to imagine him bettered. His striking looks make him very much the Romantic and romanticised outsider of Giordano’s vision. His voice, with its dark, liquid tone, soars through the music with refined ease and intensity: all those grand declarations of passion, whether political or erotic, hit home with terrific immediacy.” – The Guardian Presented in its Covent Garden premiere in January 2015, this staging – directed by David McVicar and conducted by the Royal Opera’s Music Director, Sir Antonio Pappano – shows a bloody tricolour daubed with the words “Even Plato banned poets from his Republic” – written by Robespierre on the death warrant of the historical Chénier, a poet and journalist sent to the guillotine in 1794 for criticising France’s post-revolutionary government.

Wiener Staatsoper Live at Home - 14 May 2015

The Met Opera’s broadcast of Verdi’s Macbeth will be presented live in select cinemas nationwide on Saturday, October 11 at 12:55 p.m. ET / 9:55 a.m. PT.

Star soprano Anna Netrebko created a sensation with her riveting performance as the malevolent Lady Macbeth, the central character in Verdi’s retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy. She is joined by Željko Lučić, who brings dramatic intensity and vocal authority to the title role of the honest general driven to murder and deceit by his ambitious wife. The great René Pape is Banquo and Joseph Calleja gives a moving performance as Macduff. Adrian Noble’s powerful production provides an ideal setting for this dark drama, which is masterfully presided over by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi.

Michael Mayer’s acclaimed production, first seen in the 2012–13 season, sets the action of Verdi’s masterpiece in 1960 Las Vegas—a neon-lit world ruled by money and ruthless, powerful men. Piotr Beczała is the Duke, a popular entertainer and casino owner who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Željko Lučić sings Rigoletto, his sidekick and comedian, and Diana Damrau is Rigoletto’s innocent daughter, Gilda. When she is seduced by the Duke, Rigoletto sets out on a tragic course of murderous revenge. Štefan Kocán is the assassin Sparafucile and Michele Mariotti conducts.

One of opera's most vivid and compelling characters, a vengeful court jester, desperately tries to protect his daughter from disaster in this heart-wrenching tragedy. The first of two world-class casts led by Music Director Nicola Luisotti stars Željko Lučić, "whose vocal artistry is exceptional" (The New York Times); Aleksandra Kurzak, "a superstar in the making" (The Guardian, London); and, as the lecherous Duke, Francesco Demuro, "whose open, bright, superbly focused tone was reminiscent of Pavarotti" (Opera News).

Both Florez and Diana Damrau brought their bel canto expertise and superb vocalism to the service of Verdi's music. The Rigoletto, Zeljko Lucic, ran the gamut from tenderness with his Gilda to thundering fury with everyone else. I also liked the production. At first, when Rigoletto was putting on his grease paint during the overture, I was afraid that it might be a typical "Euro-trash" production, with a bit of warmed over I Pagliacci. But the sets and dramatic action really served the music and libretto. I would have to say that I came to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the story and characters as a result of seeing this performance.

Verdi’s admiration for Shakespeare led to such masterpieces as Othello and Falstaff, and if the earlier Macbeth isn’t on their exalted level it’s still a powerfully dramatic opera that hews closely to the original’s story line. The MET’s production retains the dark aura of the opera while updating it to a vaguely post-modern context. So the witches are bag ladies in various stages of decrepitude, with children in tow. The Banquet Scene features lowered chandeliers, a plethora of chairs, and a slew of extras dressed in tuxedos and party gowns. Macbeth sports a leather coat, the soldiers are in drab brown uniforms and seem to have fingers on their triggers even when they’re supposed to be in non-threatening situations. Director Adrian Noble also has Lady Macbeth do an inordinate amount of writhing around and singing from a lying-down position, adding to the feeling that a less interventionist directorial hand might have generated more impact.

A gigantic blood-red monster, made of steel and flames, floating on the still waters of Lake Constance – this is Robert Carsen's unconventional vision of the setting of Verdi's masterpiece Il Trovatore for the 60th anniversary of the Bregenz Festival. The High Definition live recording of this most spectacular outdoor production combines astonishing images, relevant reflections on today's world and superb musical expression from the soloists and the world-renowned Wiener Symphoniker Orchestra, inspired by musical director Thomas Rösner.

Recorded in July 2003 at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, a Traviata like no other, directed by Peter Mussbach and starring Mireille Delunsch as Violetta.