On Sept. 24, Adrian Noble's production of Verdi's "Macbeth" returned with a stunning new cast and a powerful orchestra conducted under Met principal conductor Fabio Luisi.

The production was highly anticipated, as it would see Russian soprano Anna Netrebko take on the role of Lady Macbeth for the first time and she would be joined by superstar bass Rene Pape, Serbian baritone Zeljko Lucic in the title role and Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja. And all the hype lived up to its promise as it was one of the most electrifying nights in recent opera history.

Leading the charge was Netrebko with her alluring charisma and vocal fireworks. The soprano has been making the change to dramatic repertoire in the past few years and for New York audiences this was a chance to see her in something very different. Netrebko's Lady Macbeth is pure fire and it is hard to take your eyes off her when she is on stage. When she first wakes up from bed to read Macbeth's letter, which announces that he has become Thane of Cawdor and that he is predicted to be king, her reading was vicious, almost as if she was biting each word. During her cabaletta "Or Tutti Sorgete," she crawled around the stage floor almost as if she was one of those demons she was praising.

In the Banquet scene, Netrebko was an imposing Lady Macbeth who was above everyone. She emphasized this when instead of dancing with the rest of her guests, she opted to stand on a seat to highlight her power and authority.

In her famous sleepwalking scene "Una Macchia e qui tuttora," Netrebko's eyes portrayed madness. There was no visibility of the elegant and dominant woman that appeared in the first three acts. This was woman filled with remorse and yet she was violent. Netrebko displayed her lunacy as she swung a lamp around the stage and later lay on the floor trying to wash the blood off her hands. One of the most curious and effective choices was to flash the lamp at the audience. It was not only off-putting, but it created a frightening element to the scene.

She also provided the iconic character with a youthful and imposing quality and her interactions with Zeljko Lucic's Macbeth were always intense, domineering and sexually driven. In their first act one recititativo "Oh Donna Mia," Netrebko grabbed Lucic's Macbeth and took him by his jacket and forced him onto the bed in the first hint of sexual tension.

In their act one duet "Fatal Mia Donna", while Lucic was lying on the floor tormented by the crime he has committed, Netrebko kicked him and later hovered over him as if he was simple puppet she could dispose of.

This was even more developed in the recit "perche mi sfuggi," where Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth for hiding from her. Here Netrebko, who was dressed in a black jacket and black pants, took his gun and sat next to him in an insinuating fashion. Her play with the gun was extremely suggestive and ferocious.

In the party scene Netrebko once again took Lucic and forced him to dance. She dragged him off the chair, waltzed with him and later threw him into the crowd. At end of the act, she pushed him out of the hall like a child.

Her lust for power and her sexual urge climaxed in the "Ora di Morte" duet. Netrebko rushed out into the stage and moved in a very erotic fashion. By the end of the duet she took her robe off and rushed to Lucic taking off his jacket. She then dragged him to the floor and as she lay she ended the duet with a high C. The effect was extremely erotic and effective.

Vocally, Netrebko had it all. Her "Vieni T'Afretta" was menacing and each phrasing was given enough bite to emphasize the harsh character of the aria without ever letting go of the beauty and sound of her voice. The way she tore into every consonant while displaying her teeth like fangs gave the singing an erotic and bestial quality unlike another. In the cabaletta portion "Or Tutti Sorgete," the opening phrases were sang with a mezza voce color that created a calculative tone before exploding into an intense and full voice on the words "Qual Petto percotta non vegga il pugnale" (Let the dagger not see the breast it strikes). This only emphasized the sheer ambition of her Lady Macbeth.

In her act two "La Luce Langue," Netrebko gave each phrase a haunting quality. Her low notes in particular were stunning, especially the final phrases of the first part of the aria. Her emphasis on the low B and the word "l'eternita" (eternity) was demonic.

In the famous drinking song "Si Colmi il Calice," Netrebko phrased the first iteration of the theme with a lighter, more lyric voice and the sound was a bit more youthful and accurate. However, when Lady Macbeth is forced to repeat it to hide her husband's delirious emotions, Netrebko attacked with an aggressive character, a bigger chest voice and the notes were harsher.

Her mad scene was a tour de force as each phrase was somewhat disconnected, and this emphasized the tormented woman. She constantly oscillated between singing with all of her sound and then unsettling the listener by quieting up quickly. The final D flat was sung with full voice and while it threatened be a bit uneven, this created an eerie tone that suited the mood to perfection.

If Netrebko's Lady Maceth was vigorous, Lucic's Macbeth was a terrific counterpart as a frail old man. Lucic's character never dominated a single scene and he quickly collapsed to the floor. As aforementioned in each interaction with Lady Macbeth, he would either be laying on the floor or sitting. She would always hover over him, manipulating each move, and sometimes, Lucic would allow her to move him from one direction to the next. Lucic almost looked like a puppet being commanded by his owner. It was a powerful and interesting relationship which allowed Lucic to show his lack of authority. However, it also emphasized his hopelessness.

Vocally, Lucic brought his customary vocal elegance and filled it with a number of intense outbreaks that really emphasized the tormented and weak character of his Macbeth.

One of the highlights was his act one monologue "Mi si affaccia il pugnale," in which he is tormented by the vision of a knife. Lucic shaped each line with detachment, emphasizing his indecision and torment. He stepped into the light and looked at his hands as if he was seeing a ghost.

In the scene, where the witches warn Macbeth that he will be overthrown by another, Lucic exploded with a compelling full voice that would be juxtaposed later by pianissimo singing. It created a paranoia to the character and emphasized his remorse.

By the end, one felt pity for Lucic's Macbeth. In his aria "Pieta, Rispetto," he sang each phrase with delicacy almost as if he were whimpering. Even his final battle cry "O Vittoria," Lucic's high G was not the sound of a heroic warrior. Instead it was the sound a desperate man.

A Banquo Rene Pape was spectacular. His voice showcased the customary gravitas and in his aria "Come dal ciel Precipita," Pape phrased each line with a worrisome and fearful character. It was a chilling and heartbreaking moment.

His act one duet with Lucic was also a highlight as their voices meshed well together almost as if it were just one person singing. Pape was also compelling as a reappearing Ghost dressed in a shirt covered with blood. He paced through the stage following Lucic in slow fashion.

As Macduff, Joseph Calleja brought his beautiful voice and sang an insightful "Al Paterna Mano." Each line was exquisitely phrased with tender and warm colors and the effect was touching and tender. The cabaletta portion "La Patria Tradita" was sung with heroic stance and this time his voice had vigor.

As Malcolm, Noah Baetge was formidable while Claudia Waite as the Lady in Waiting had an appealing and strong voice.

Macbeth may be a soloist piece, but without a solid chorus, the opera feels weightless. Donald Palumbo led an exceptional chorus and one of the true marvels of the night was "Patria Oppressa," a choral piece where the people are lamenting their oppressed homeland. The chorus sang with breathtaking pianissimos that sounded like laments.

Another highlight was the witches chorus, as they added wit and charisma in the opening of the opera. Their dancing and swinging of bags coupled with Verdi's vocal writing gave the witches a comic touch. But in the act three scene with Macbeth, the chorus' voices turned to an uncharacteristic haunting and eerie sound.

Fabio Luisi led a buoyant and intense performance that really got out all the energy and moods of Verdi's score. Each tempo was paced with dynamism and he always respected the singer, never covering them. Some of the highlights included the prelude, which was conducted with precision and he gave it an unusual melancholy feel. His conducting of "Patria Oppressa" was another highlight, as the violins played with a gentle tone, almost as if they were gliding over the strings.

Adrian Noble's direction continues to be nonintrusive. He sets the story in World War One. The sets are all black and they are surrounded by tree branches. Once in a while, columns are brought in for the castle scenes as well as big chandeliers. The curtain is a full moon, which sets up the dark tone of the overall night.

One of the highlights of this production continues to be the procession as glass figures of the kings come down from the ceiling and is concluded with Banquo walking on stage with a mirror. The floor turns to molten rock, almost as if the gates of hell were about to open up and swallow Macbeth whole.

Another highlight is the Banquet scene. Noble fills the stage with dances, a fake table made by a sheet (a rather obvious but effective symbol of Macbeth's rule) and superb lighting. At the beginning of the scene, everything is brightly lit until Macbeth sees Banquo. At that point, everything turns dark and a dark blue hue emphasizes the bloody Banquo.

The costumes in this scene are also spectacular as Lady Macbeth wears red to stand out, while the rest of the guests are wearing pale whites or darker outfits.

The battle scenes are well choreographed and it is still gripping and painful to see Banquo's throat get slit.

When Noble came on stage for his round of applause at the final curtain, he was met with some boos, a seemingly new trend at the Met. However, they were unmerited as Noble's direction is proper and he respects Verdi's intentions.

Perfection is non-existent. But every once in a while, something comes extremely close to it. That is exactly what happened on the opening performance of this "Macbeth." While the season has just begun, it is fair to say that this is surely going to be one of the best revivals of the season and one that should not be missed.

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