The Muti Dictatorship of Verdi in Turin

Riccardo Muti’s Macbeth from the Teatro Regio di Torino, now broadcast on Rai 5, serves as a masterclass in the unadorned, text-driven Verdian style he has championed for decades. By stripping away the vocal excesses and indulgent fermatas of the post-war era, Muti restores the grim, kinetic energy of Verdi’s Shakespearean vision. The production, directed by Chiara Muti, emphasizes the psychological claustrophobia of the Score on IMSLP. Muti’s insistence on the 'parola scenica' reminds us that in early Verdi, the conductor’s primary duty is to the pulse of the drama rather than the comfort of the singer.