Bloch: Macbeth / Layer

Bloch's only opera had its premiere in Paris in 1910, when the composer was 30. It's a pity that he never wrote another one, because the score shows a great natural talent for the theater. Though the influence of Wagner, Musorgsky & Debussy is obvious, the music has a distinctive, dark sound, both harmonically and orchestrally, which suits the violent, bloody story (closely based on Shakespeare) very well. It's a score of real substance, and the scenes between Macbeth & Lady Macbeth are set with particular psychological subtlety. Overall, I find this one of the most rewarding and fascinating rediscoveries of French-language opera in recent years, and recommend it to anyone with a taste for music drama of this era.