Riccardo Perugini - "Il caso Macbeth"

Commissioned by Fondazione Teatro Grande di Brescia in 2019 on occasion of the 9th Festa dell'Opera.

Riccardo Perugini - composer
Erato ensemble
Melanie Adams - mezzosoprano
Julie Begg - clarinet
Michael James Park - speaking pianist
Andrea Fumelli - master
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave translated and readapted by Leonardo De Santis

"Il Caso MacBeth" is a study on the states of blood. Each section takes its name from an adjective which could be used to describe blood: cold, fluid, blue, gushing, clotted, etc... The reason behind this choice was to represent the blood, in which Lady Macbeth believes herself to be covered, in the most comprehensive and detailed way possible. The blood thus becomes a character, embodied by the clarinet. The original libretto by Francesco Maria Piave was translated, but remains intact. The verses given by Verdi to the character of the Doctor were replaced, with the help of my librettist Leonardo De Santis, by verses in a modern poetic language. By doing so we ended up transforming the delirium of Verdi’s sleepwalking scene in a hypno-therapy session conducted by a psychologist.

Libretto:

Doctor:
During hypnotherapy the patient
gapes her eyes and stares into the void.
The patient rubs her hands and arms
obsessively during each session.
Lady Macbeth:
There's a spot on my white dress.
Go away, curse on you!
One... Two... the time has come.
Are you shaking? Won’t you come in?
A vile man, a coward warrior,
Shame on you! Come on, hurry up!
Who’d have thought that so much
blood could flow through that old man’s veins.
D:
Tell me again about your stains.
L:
The Thane of Fiffe, husband, father,
what about him?
What about him?
Am I ever going to clean these bloody hands of mine?
D:
You blame your greatest desire.
Your tears won't wash a sought mistake.
To remember let it bleed.
L:
Of human blood I am covered.
The entire Arabia will not clean these filthy hands,
even with the sweetest myrrh.
D:
Be patient, gaze these stains
and breathe their redness.
Despite your thirst you can't stand this burden
L:
Put on your nightgown.
Wash yourself!
Banco is dead and no-one
has ever returned from the grave.
D:
But in the dark dormant words
come to your mind.
L:
To bed, to bed.
What's done cannot be undone.
Someone is knocking! Come on,
Macbeth, do not let your pallor accuse you.

Recorded during the ERATO Ensemble's 2021-22 season "Songs & Stories" at Orpheum Annex Theatre in Vancouver.

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