London.(Royal Opera's Macbeth)

Phyllida Lloyd's production of Verdi's Macbeth, her first assignment for the Royal Opera, was originally due to have made its London bow in 1997, but scheduling problems and later the two-year closure period kept it from the Covent Garden stage until this summer (seen at the second performance, June 17). It was an appropriately gloomy, atmospheric realization, its spiritual darkness conveyed in the gaunt visuals of Anthony Ward's designs, subtly lit by Paule Constable. There were some glittering processions--of ill-fated King Duncan entering on a golden charger, of Banquo's future progeny of Scottish kings passing by in the incantation scene--while the childless central couple's dream of family life was represented by a bedful of bouncing offspring.

Vocally this was an efficient but unmemorable evening, with Anthony Michaels-Moore a dapper, perfectly manicured Macbeth, his tone always rounded, full and blooming, and never a hair out of place. This was Macbeth as Mr. Misunderstood--Nice--Guy, delivered without the murderous Thane's essential insecurity and reckless audacity. Bass Alastair Miles's Banquo also offered prosperous, unadulterated vocal beauty, but once again the text was purveyed anonymously. At least Banquo's assassination was done convincingly. While praying before King Duncan's corpse, he was attacked by two henchmen dressed as priests--the real priests having been done away with during the conspirators' chorus. The witches, who maintained a constant watch on the action and regularly intervened to steer it to fulfill their prophecies, actively aided Banquo's son's escape.

Maria Guleghina could hardly be faulted for being a little wild vocally--Lady Macbeth is no blameless pillar of the local community--but whether her bumpier moments were the result of characterization or of accident is harder to say. Her rich, flinty-edged top certainly carried conviction. German tenor Will Hartmann sang a wan, reedy Macduff, one with all too little Latin blood in his vocal veins. Conductor Simone Young, artistic and music director of Opera Australia, exerted proper control over her forces but never energized the music to the point of making it exciting or (at times) even interesting.

Placido Domingo returned to the Royal Opera House on June 15 to take part in the first revival of Francesca Zambello's unsatisfactory production of The Queen of Spades, which remains hampered above all by the sizable heap of snow that occupies far too much of the stage space. While even Domingo's ardent vocalism as Gherman failed to melt that snow, he blazed forth with unstinting abandon and ...