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| Verdi: Macbeth - Alexey Gusev, Mari Wyn Williams - Chelsea Opera Group (Photo: Matthew Johnson) |
Verdi: Macbeth (1865); Alexey Gusev, Mari Wyn Williams, Simon Wilding, José de Eça, Jay Broadhurst, Grant Llewellyn, Chelsea Opera Group; Cadogan Hall
Reviewed 30 November 2025
Verdi's revised Macbeth given in all completeness by a finely theatrical group of soloists, ably supported by chorus and orchestra, celebrating COG's 75th anniversary.
Having first performed Verdi's Macbeth in 1984 (in the revised version), and then given Verdi's original 1847 version in 2008, Chelsea Opera Group celebrated their 75th anniversary on Sunday 30 November 2025 with a performance of the Verdi's revised 1865 version of Macbeth, for once complete with the ballet music. Grant Llewellyn conducted with Alexey Gusev as Macbeth, Mari Wyn Williams as Lady Macbeth, Simon Wilding as Banquo, José de Eça as MacDuff and Jay Broadhurst as Malcolm. Or at least, that was the planned casting but on the night José de Eça was somewhat unwell and though he sang the part of MacDuff, the big Act Four aria was sung by Jay Broadhurst (who was otherwise singing Malcolm).
Despite the work's popularity, Macbeth retains hints of being one of Verdi's 'problem' operas. For a start, the jaunty music for the Witches does not sit with our current view of Shakespeare's play. Yet when I spoke to director Elijah Moshinsky in advance of his production of the 1847 version of the opera at the Buxton Festival in 2017, he had strong words to say about understanding the cultural background to the original [see my interview]. Add to this, Verdi's reworking of the piece for Paris in 1865 has provided it with some superb later Verdi, yet left the opera as something of a hybrid.
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| Verdi: Macbeth - Chelsea Opera Group (Photo: Matthew Johnson) |
I certainly retain a strong fondness for the 1847, but choosing the 1865 revision certainly provided a showcase for Chelsea Opera Group's orchestra and chorus, along with a fine group of soloists. Russian-British baritone Alexey Gusev sang the title role in Verdi's Rigoletto with IF Opera this summer, having sung Enrico in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with them last year. Welsh soprano Mari Wyn Williams sang Lady Macbeth this summer with West Green House Opera, having sung the role also with Mid Wales Opera. And we last caught Simon Wilding as Hunding in the London Opera Company's performance of Wagner's Die Walküre at St John's Smith Square (as it was called then).
Mari Wyn Williams's stage experience as Lady Macbeth really showed throughout the performance. Williams gave a fully three-dimensional picture of the Lady. There was an element of Bette Davis to her demeanour in the first two acts, combining glamour with relish for evil and a charisma that drew Alexey Gusev's Macbeth along with her. Williams has the power and the stamina for the role, and her account of Lady Macbeth's Act Two aria, 'La luce langue', Verdi's powerful 1867 replacement, showed this in spades. But, unlike many in this role, Williams also managed to bring power and accuracy to the passage-work in the role's other 1847-origin sections. The result was chilling and thrilling. Williams created a Lady Macbeth that we loved to hate.
What made the first two acts in particular rather special was the way that Williams drew Gusev's Macbeth into her orbit so that the two formed a vivid couple of co-conspirators. Gusev has a flexible and wide-ranging baritone voice. It is, perhaps, somewhat too lovely an instrument for him to be an ideal Macbeth, lacking that extra edge needed. But Gusev's stage projection was compelling and despite being in a dinner suit standing on a strip of stage, he carried you away. In fact, both performers did so that the first two acts were gripping indeed. There was perhaps something slightly old-fashioned about Gusev's performance in the dramatic passages at the end of Act Two when Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost (with Simon Wilding actually on stage), but it still made for a vivid evening particularly when compared to William's steel-sharp coloratura in her drinking aria.
The second two acts, in this version, are more varied. Williams gave a vividly theatrical account of the sleepwalking scene, seemingly off the book, as was much of her performance. And she had the range and control to give us a fine on-stage high note at the end. Gusev was less fortunate in that this version of the opera lacks his powerful, 1847 death aria. But Gusev brought fine intensity to what he did have.
As Banquo (whether dead or alive), Simon Wilding loomed wonderfully, creating a strong impression that went beyond music. His voice, it has to be admitted, took a while to settle down and achieve focus, but this hardly mattered because this was such a strongly theatrical account of the role. One Wilding played with complete relish.
José de Eça made a dutiful Macduff, but then shorn of the aria the part is rather a nonentity and I look forward to hearing de Eça back on form soon (he will be in Opera Holland Park's new production of Puccini's La fanciulla del West). Jay Broadhurst is studying at the Royal Northern College of Music and is supported by the Drapers' de Turckheim Scholarship. As far as singing Macduff's Act Four aria, Broadhurst simply erupted onto the stage, giving the recitative with thrilling gusto and then singing the aria with long phrases and compelling intensity. The music seemed to fit his dark-toned voice and it was unsurprising that the aria was in his repertoire. He brought the same sort of swagger to Macduff, particularly in the final scenes.
Another Drapers' de Turckheim scholar is Robin Gruffudd Hughes, who recently completed his Master's Degree at Trinity Laban. Hughes made his cameo of the assassin suitably creepy and was a fine doctor, and I look forward to hearing him more. Another well-cast small role was Charlotte Richardson, a recent graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, as the lady in waiting. Richardson proved to have a strong stage presence, even though her air-time was limited.
Various solos were admirably taken by members of the chorus. Kevin Hollands was a servant and a clarion-voiced herald. Duncan Wilson, Derilyn Frusher and Stella Guardi were the convincing apparitions, all singing from the balcony.
The soprano and altos of the chorus sang the Witches with great relish and not a little elan. They seemed to be enjoying themselves a little too much; however, and there was plenty of engaging bounce in their delivery, which made these witches sound like fun. The men were similarly strong in their solo moments, and all came together in the powerful 'Patria oppressa' chorus for the exiles at the opening of Act Four.
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| Verdi: Macbeth - Grant Llewellyn - Chelsea Opera Group (Photo: Matthew Johnson) |
The orchestra took time to find its form, and there were a few uncertainties in the prelude. But this version of the opera has plenty of orchestral interest, and the players clearly relished some of Verdi's acoustic effects for the eerie scenes, yet they also brought some suave moments to the extended ballet sequence that Verdi wrote for Paris.
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