As one of William Shakespeare's best-known works, Macbeth has enjoyed the dubious distinction of countless -- often radical -- re-envisionings. Its hands-on approach to resolving political disputes notwithstanding, Macbeth's tale of treachery, murder and retribution translates readily to almost any sociopolitical grouping, from corporations and governments to organized crime and alien worlds. Accordingly, while Peter Green's striking electronic/electroacoustic Macbeth score, commissioned by the United Spirits Theatre Company for a production in London's West End, might seem risky and ground-breaking to listeners whose idea of cutting-edge theatre is Starlight Express, it really isn't; compared to the all-lesbian Macbeth or the nineteenth century Italian street gang Macbeth, Green's score seems quite traditional. However, for Rephlex, a label best known for intelligent dance music, releasing the ambient/electroacoustic score to a London theatrical production is an impressive leap of faith.
Actually, only four of the disc's seven tracks were drawn from Green's Macbeth score; the other three are less traditional, more experimental pieces intended, in the nicest possible way, to pad the disc beyond the twenty-minute mark. I don't know why this was necessary, as Green surely must have written more than twenty minutes of music for Macbeth, but twenty minutes is what we get. Luckily, it's an interesting twenty minutes. "Shipmeadow", the longest portion of the score, is a lilting, pastoral piece reminiscent of In The Nursery's lighter themes. Inspired by a small Suffolk village, "Shipmeadow" was apparently intended as the production's "love theme", though this eight-minute piece seems more effective at conjuring images of rolling hills, lush meadows and blowing trees. It creates an interesting island of calm in the eye of Macbeth's storm...though after eight minutes of minimal variation, it grows almost as repetitive as the unbroken greenness of rural scenery. "Medieval Dance", which follows, is quite straightforward, designed to accompany a banquet scene, complete with choreography. Green's recreation of period instrumentation sounds authentic to my untrained ears.
With "The Sinister Plot", things get more interesting. A menacing wash of deep, rumbling textures, "The Sinister Plot" helps to foster unease, hinting at the evil, deceitful acts that will follow. This leads directly into "Witches", a roiling sea of echoing tones, thunderous bass and distant, ghostly howls, designed (obviously) to accompany Macbeth's meeting with the witches. This is a seriously creepy piece of music, and I can only imagine how effective it would be in a dark, mist-filled theatre. If you can listen to "Witches" without your hackles rising, you're made of strong stuff indeed!
"GT=Tape", the first non-Macbeth piece, works well as a segue from "Witches". Originally conceived as a work for electric guitar and electroacoustic elements derived from acoustic guitar, it has, according to the liner notes, been substantially reworked and remixed for this release. Though I consider myself to be relatively underexposed and uneducated in electroacoustic techniques, I found "GT=Tape" to be pretty familiar and palatable stuff; it sounds a little like the most extreme, tumultuous bits of "Witches", passed through a metallic filter then partially erased, causing the remaining fragments to ebb, flow and scrape across the sonic landscape, fibrillating through recursive reverb gates. "Grrearra Falcon", the disc's longest piece, offers similar bursts of harmonic interaction, though they are slightly less pronounced and more extensively textured. The final track, "Cup-Hacked", is described by Green as "a detailed look at the near-invisible". Built from highly amplified strokes and caresses of porcelain cups, it has been heavily modified with effects, magnifying the otherwise silent (to wit, invisible) aural interplay.
Needless to say, Macbeth: An Original Score is something of a mixed bag, with limited appeal. Rephlex have realized this, issuing the disc in a modest 500-unit run. The fact that they've released it at all speaks highly of their commitment to Green, and of their opinion of their audience's willingness to take risks. Who will buy Macbeth? Perhaps theatre-lovers, and perhaps IDM fans who are beginning to take an interest in more challenging sounds. After all, what better than one of Shakespeare's most malleable works to facilitate the meeting of two traditionally envelope-pushing art forms?
