Director --
Lotte de Beer Conductor --
Michele Mariotti
Amneris - Ksenia Dudnikova Aida - Sondra Radvanovsky Radames - Jonas Kaufmann Amonasro, Aida's father - Ludovic Tézier
We've all been warned. This production of Aida from Paris is a puppet show, at least in part. Sondra is dressed in black like the puppeteers. The above picture shows her and her Aida puppet. She sings, it acts. The Ethopians have puppet representations and the Egyptians don't. That means Amonasro also has a puppet. I wrote about a different opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, where two people played each character. One sang, the other acted and spoke lines. When I see this, I think they don't think singers can act. Of course now that blackface is forbidden, this might be a way to represent a different race.
Sondra was wonderful. I believe that she is the best spinto soprano in Italian repertoire singing today. I gave her a brava in "O patria mia." Jonas's hair wasn't as straight as we'd feared. It took him a while to warm up.
The chorus members wear masks while singing. That's a first for me. I greatly enjoyed the singing but was unenthusiastic about the concept. Here's a sample.
I'm going to cut everyone some slack in the replay of Aida, 1985, from Leontyne Price's last performance anywhere in a staged opera. The previous season she presented at the Met the last performance of her other signature role from La Forza del Destino. It starts slow and warms to an intensity seldom seen today.
"Celeste Aida" is tough. I always remember that when Pavarotti did his first Aida in San Francisco that the papers panned him. It's tough. But McCracken carries his weight after that. Cossotto comes out of the box roaring and carries this to the end. Perhaps she knows that she will be remembered for this performance.
But this performance is about Leontyne Price. I cannot top what I said years ago about the Blue Album which I used to play in my dorm room at college:
"To begin here tends to set ones standards absurdly, artificially high.
Forever after I thought anyone should be able to do that gorgeous open,
almost raw sound, that unbelievably fat middle tone, those awesome high
notes. Anyone should be able to hit a high C and spin it back to a
pianissimo. Right? How hard can it be?
"And that perfect, fluid phrasing, that perfection of ornamentation, that
flawless instinct for scooping and sliding in Verdi, that must be a
dime a dozen. Must be.
"And that reckless intensity, that daring passion, there must be hundreds of those.
"But no one who could approach this ever came again. For Bellini it's
Callas, but for Verdi there is no one who ever could touch the one and
only, never to be seen again Leontyne Price. Herbert von Karajan said
that her singing gave him goose bumps. Yes."
And our Aida rerun from the Met captured my attention as seldom happens these days. Our hearts are with them to the end.
Aida: Anna Netrebko
Radamès: Aleksandrs Antonenko
Amneris: Anita Rachvelishvili
Amonasro: Quinn Kelsey
Ramfis: Dmitry Beloselskiy
King: Ryan Speedo Green
Messenger: Arseny Yakovlev [Debut]
Priestess: Gabriella Reyes, not seen [Debut]
Today was the simulcast of Verdi's Aida from the Metropolitan Opera starring Anna Netrebko and Anita Rachvelishvili. This performance series was the first time these two great ladies had sung together. They were perfection together and brought us a new Aida in spite of the same old production we have been seeing since 1988. The scene with the two women together was the best I've ever seen. Anna Netrebko brings an intensity to the role of Aida that exceeds all. Anita was much more a woman in love than the usual revengeful bitch. These two ladies will sing together again in Adriana Lecouvreur later this season.
The film director has a lot of influence over the impression made by an HD broadcast. In this case the emphasis was on the two women in love with Radamès. Camera shots were often chosen for intimacy rather than pomp and melodrama.
Quinn Kelsey was beautiful as the Ethiopian King. The only disappointment was in the Radamès of Aleksandrs Antonenko. I heard so much grousing about him that I expected him to be rather more horrible than actually turned out to be the case. However, it is still true that Anna deserved better. I remember when Pavarotti made his debut in the role in San Francisco years ago, that there was a lot of grousing then, too. I often wonder about the modern state of opera singer training. He could benefit from better physical conditioning.
Nicola Luisotti was his usual wonderful self. I found that the shift of emphasis off of war and on to romance found in this performance made for a very pleasurable Aida experience.
Aida: Anna Netrebko
Radamès: Francesco Meli
Amneris: Ekaterina Semenchuk
Amonasro: Luca Salsi
Ramfis: Dmitry Belosselskiy
The King: Roberto Tagliavini
A Messenger: Bror Magnus Tødenes
The High Priestess: Benedetta Torre
Verdi's Aida is this year's hit at the Salzburg Festival I am behind schedule but have managed to find a view of this great occasion: Aida, Netrebko and Muti collide.
The production by Iranian Sharin Neshat seems to ask the question "What if Ancient Egypt were a modern middle-eastern country?" I am loving the simple look after too many years of over-detailed productions. Aida's look for the first half, seen above, doesn't remind me of anything.
I am finding simplicity in the story, too. Radames is in love with Aida. Then he goes to the King to offer to lead an army against the Ethopians who are invading. Aida says wait, that's my father. This group dress in uniforms with head gear that looks like a fez, more popular in the past. The king in a gold fez approves, and then Radames goes to the priests for their blessings. King Farouk of Egypt wore something similar:
The priests all look the way priests look in Iran. They're called Imams, I know. Amneris tells Radames to return victorious. Aida sings yes, "return victorious over my father."
Then we go to the chamber of Amneris. Time has passed, and Radames has gone off to war. At this point guys come out in what look like bull skulls and do the dance normally done by Amneris' attendants. What is that about? They are on stage for only a couple of minutes. Amneris and her women return and they split. Curious.
There follows a scene between Amneris and Aida when Amneris tricks Aida into revealing she loves Radames. Amneris reminds Aida that she is only a slave. Aida prays for the gods to take pity.
So far I like very much the simple clarity of the scenes. The main characters are clearly delineated and never disappear into the crowd. I like the way Netrebko is dressed. Radames has returned and is enjoying a triumphal entrance such as he might have expected in Rome. I am enjoying the division of everyone into the priestly and military/ civilian classes. One does enjoy clarity.
Now if one only knew what the guys in bull skulls were for. They're back. The stage rotates and we see the African prisoners made up with white lines down their faces. Radames returns and is given the wreath of triumph, still very much like a Roman triumph, but then why not? Aida doesn't crack a smile until she sees her father and runs to him. He is the Ethiopian king but pretends that the king has died.
In the second half Aida has changed her appearance to look more like the other Ethiopians, even including the white line. On the banks of the Nile she sings of the loss of her country. Wonderful aria, wonderful rendition. Father comes in, then Radames. Aida and Radames plan how they will escape the powerful Amneris. Radames tells a military secret, Aida's father hears and declares that he is king Amonasro. Radames realizes he is now a traitor, they start to escape until Amneris enters with her priests. The plot is all here in these few minutes. This is a single set production that functions well for the various scenes. In this opera everyone messes up.
I like very much that the costumes clearly identify the status of each character. Priests look like priests. Soldiers look like soldiers. I have a vague idea of ancient Egyptian clothing, but would not know which people are which. Ethiopians all have white lines on their foreheads.
Radames says he will not be with Amneris if he can't have Aida. They are doomed. I am enjoying this opera a lot more than I usually do. Ekaterina Semenchuk is excellent. I sometimes think Amneris is the main character. She messes up everyone's lives, including her own. Meli does the best I've heard him.
But the fuss is for Netrebko. The best music is at the end. O terra addio. Love to all.
After the complete opera recording of Aida with Pappano, Kaufmann and Harteros which took place last week (studio recordings are not dead after all), there was a concert performance at the Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. The recording is due in October. If I read correctly, Cecilia attended.
Barbara BakerI
have so far made it through the Celeste Aida and find it the first time
it has actually sounded like a love song and not like some loud tenor
showing off. Celeste legato.
People have pointed out they don't like the fact that Jonas ends the aria softly instead of the usual bellowing. Another points out:
Claire PankeCome scritto: "morendo". [which means dying out. So there.]
This broadcast of Aida was the second opera in the 6 years of simulcasts from the Metropolitan Opera that is a repeat of the same production with a new cast. The other one was Lucia.
Renée Fleming was back as host. She interviewed the horses who were very well behaved. She gave them each a treat. Their trainer explained how to select and train horses for the opera. Apparently they recognize their musical cue and get in character.
Roberto Alagna was Radames. I prefer him to Botha, probably because he looks heroic in his costumes. This was the role he was booed off the stage for at La Scala 6 years ago. This time around he took the high note sotto voce. Perhaps it is time to forget the incident at La Scala. Pardonez-moi. I admit, though, there was some grousing in my audience. For some reason I always enjoy Roberto.
Amneris was sung by Olga Borodina. I enjoyed her very much in this role. She sings to the legato rather than to the rhythm. She isn't nearly so sinister as Zajick.
Liudmyla Monastyrska was our Aida. She sings big, but not so heavy as Violetta Urmana. She is a new star on the scene, and has only recently been heard outside her native Ukraine. This means that her voice and technique grew to maturity before she began an international career. I am ignoring the secondary cast.
The best thing about this outing was the direction for television. This set is imposing and magnificent, but that effect only rarely comes off in filming. This version was excellent.
We went out to see Aida at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. I remember from the past that there were pipes in the ruins that looked like part of the stage, so I was pleased to see that the stage machinery stands before the ruins but does not touch them.
The ruins of the baths make a fine backdrop for the set which looked a lot like ruins from Egypt: movable columns and figures and monuments.
The trumpets from the march stood in banks on the sides.
One cannot help comparing it to the Arena di Verona, since it is also an outdoor venue. In Verona the set pieces can be removed entirely through a gap at the back of the stage. In Rome they seemed to be only moved around.
The cast of Aida is large and often appears with the chorus on stage. In these scenes nothing was done to distinguish the soloists from the chorus. First rule of opera costume design: soloists must never blend in with the chorus. People would start to sing and you simply could not find them on the stage.
This picture is our view.
Daniel Oren was the excellent conductor. Aida was ably sung by Micaela Carosi. Giovanna Casolla who sang Amneris has a huge penetrating voice. She interested me most. Radames was sung by Walter Fraccaro. All three were best in the final death scene.
Unfortunately for today's Aida simulcast from the Metropolitan Opera, I have tucked away a VHS tape of the original broadcast of this production when it was new in 1988. In those days James Levine conducted everything that made it onto TV and Placido Domingo played all the tenor roles.
And in those days Dolora Zajick sang Amneris. Zajick's voice now shows more intensity throughout its range. It was a joy to hear her today.
Johann Botha played it for beautiful legato while Placido was going for youthful enthusiasm. Contrary to popular trends, all the singers were thinner twenty years ago.
They weren't afraid of black face in those days--Aprile Millo is quite dark. Violetta Urmana was as white as I am. I liked her very much as a soprano, more than I had as a mezzo. Her voice is completely rebalanced for this new Fach.
I kept wishing they were broadcasting From the House of the Dead instead. Maybe I've done enough Aidas. #ad
The Arena di Verona is a colosseum from Roman times, supposedly the second largest in existence, and it continues to be in excellent condition. Opera performances in the Arena di Verona began in 1913 with this production of Aida. Since they are nearing the centennial, we were surprised they didn't save the revival until then.
For years people sat on the stone stairs, but now there are metal bleachers with somewhat uncomfortable but manageable seats that fit about 3 rows of tiers to the original Roman 2 rows. These seats are more expensive and reserved and reach about halfway up the side. Above on the original Roman seats it is first come first served. The expensive seats are on the floor of the arena. We were about 1/3 back on the right -- just about the perfect spot.
About a third of the arena is occupied by the enormous stage. A successful production in the arena requires that the massive arena itself provides the spectacle. It is the enormity of it all that impresses, and this enormity makes Aida truly come alive.
The trumpet bands for the procession can be positioned high in the bleachers. Coordination with the far away conductor was excellent. We hoped for elephants but were happy to get six horses. The sense of increased realism is wonderful.
And then there is our celestial Aida, sung by Isabelle Kabatu. She looked and sang to perfection, making the whole thing seem easy, as though she arose in the morning and thought, "I think I'll sing Aida today." Arena di Verona relies on its natural acoustics which vary but never fail. We noticed that when a singer faced the other way her voice became louder.
I liked the tenor Piero Giuliacci, a large man with a full voice and a nice ping in his high notes. He seemed to be able to carry the necessary strength in his voice without oversinging. Our fabulous Amneris was Marianne Cornetti, and our even more fabulous Amonasro was Ambrogio Maestri. The consistent quality of the whole production was very impressive.
The set units come from an entry in the middle and must fit in it. Then they are moved around the stage into different formations. In the final tableau Amneris stands above the entombed lovers while the chorus sings from high in the tiers. Supers with torches line the rim of the arena. Aida will never be the same.
I am watching three different films of Aida at the same time, two of them from my tape collection and one a new purchase. No film of Price is currently available.
Aida starts out with "Celeste Aida," one of the toughest arias in the repertoire. What could Verdi have been thinking? I remember there was a horrendous stink about this aria in the San Francisco newspapers after Pavarotti did his first Radames there in 1982, but this film of him two years later is quite fine.
