The soprano woman was smoking hot. I watched the performance live and she even flashed the audience as she squatted at one point. I said to myself Holly smokes, does she realize that we see what we see???

@Bernie, the art form will evolve when new composers will compose their own, contemporary operas which will be worthy of our ears and eyes.

Bravo Mr. Hampson. His acceptance speech was most gracious. This performance was great fun. Felt sorry for the vocal problems Lady Macbeth seemed to have with the sleepwalking scene but this is so difficult. And the tenor aria, La Paterno Mano. What can I say. I almost cried. Do not usually cry even if I am of Italian descent. Was reading the score and even without the score, came to the conclusion that Mr. Hampson's Italian is flawless. Understood every word. Wonderful opera. Again, Mr. Eisenberg, thanks for the poem.

Replete with squillo, Groissböck's voice,
When Banquo sang, I did rejoice,
His untimely end
Made my spirits descend,
Still, Macbeth's a wonderful choice!

Akira Kurosawa's THRONE OF BLOOD, now regarded as a classic adaptation of Macbeth, demonstrates how the universal themes can be translated into a very different culture. But those seeking to alter classic staging of the opera must bear in mind that Kurosawa was a genius.

Is it updating having Lady Macbeth walking on chairs and almost falling off. Also, this army did not look Scottish and there is bagpipe music when the witches conjure up the future kings of Scotland. In the score it is written cornamusa, bagpipes. Feel sorry sometimes for the singer who must do Lady Macbeth. Really difficult vocally. I think Verdi wrote that he did not want a beautiful voice for the part. Not sure. Great opera but glad I am not watching it, just listening. Have a great cd with Nucci and the stupendous Shirley Verrett. Perfect together. Enjoy

@Alexandra - Updating classics is a theatrical convention that's been done for decades in all of the arts. Think of how many Hamlets or Nutcrackers have been transported to different times and places. Opera is no different, nor should it be. The question is: how do it in a way that makes dramatic sense. If directors always pander to the most conservative contingent in the audience, the art form will never evolve.

Why do today's opera directors/designers think that contemporary dress and staging will "update" a traditional opera??? Composers are turning in their graves: I'm sure if they could they'd protest. Meanwhile, I'm doing it in their stead, by merely "listening" rather than "watching" their works in opera houses. Lacking in original ideas, directors think they have found a winning formula...

Hi Beduzza Cavanaugh,
This opera is one of the operas that I would take with me were I ever exiled. Verdi and Shakespeare, perfect together. Check it out. Can't wait to hear Hampson in the role. Heard him in the love honor respect aria. And in its stead, curses, not loud but deep.
The Met production of this is a real stinkeroo. Trash. Would consign the designer of this to one of the levels of hell.
Best wishes

Hi Beduzza, Enjoy the weather. Enjoy the opera. I'll be transferring items from svhs to dvd.