(Photo pinched via Mrs MC :-) as i will readily admit! If the author recognises it please let me know and i will happily acknowledge the copyright! I tried in vain to find one in the papers but everybody focused on the blood and gore and i wanted to start this with what I liked MOST and this is it :-)I found it interesting how well the contrast was perceptible between the first and second part. In the first two acts you get overwhelmed by the “paganism” of the society, the sheer brutality and violence of war and the power ingrained within its hierarchy. Even in the scene between Amneris and Aida this is evident and rightly so, because it is a display of power.
I liked it at a second viewing even more and I guess I will settle in with it the more I see of it. It gains when seen from above and at a distance. From close up the turning back wall is ugly, there is no confusion about it. Real, piece of scrap-ugly. From above things change in an interesting way. The floor becomes an interesting and much better visible combination of sandstone like edges and steel blue stone in the centre area. I also realised from above why/how the temples gets created by lifting the back edge of the sandstone floor and the tomb in the end by lifting the front edge. Yes, visually it’s not that striking and works from close up front stage only appreciatively. From above the support structure of the floor pieces is less visible and the whole geometry works better. Somebody should really box up the skeleton beneath the floor pieces and it would become more like a building block and less like pieces of wood ripped out of the construction. I understand from interviews and comments that budget as tighter than initially planned and some cuts had to be made, but it should have been obvious that in parts the sets are just too rudimentary and don’t really meld all that well with the costumes sometimes. However, while I have issues with the grey wall and the lifting floor, which while cleverly engineered, could have been better executed visually there are bits that I do like, for example the shades in Amneris’ chamber and the interesting table with a large basin with inlays in the same, the backdrop to the Nile scene suggesting some kind of dark water, the stone floor, which I wouldn’t have minded seeing continued in the walls, the light pitches in the prayer scene, etc.
The lighting is fabulous, gloomy dark in the fist part and intimate in the second. And the costumes are beautiful. Although it is true that you can’t really distinguish visually between Aida’s people and Radames’, the former are there for such a short period of time that the lack of contrast doesn’t bother me all that much. One thing I always appreciated about McVicar and his costume designer colleagues is that they obviously care about the singers, in that they want them looking the best they can and feeling as comfortable as possible. Cast members have said publicly how comfortable they feel in the costumes and there is no doubt that the look beautiful. Ok, so Amneris might not be a good example for comfortable ;-))) But buy does she look fantastic and regal! The make up and hairpiece are amazing and I’d love to be her for one day and wear all of that! And one night I’m going to break in and steal that Aida costume! I’m in love with it! Yes, I know they are OTT, but this is theatre! And since at least in Radames society it is implied women have real power, it fits that they should be overly adorned, while the men are dressed in natural and neutral colours of grey and shades of brown. I like Radames’ costumes very much and I think they work very well for Mr Alvarez who looks like the warrior he is supposed to be. And in the love duets with Aida, their contrasting looks work well visually, suggesting a nice touch of romantic fantasy.
I also found the red cloth Radames carries to be a clever idea. It is a token of wars fought, drenched in dried blood and passed on to the next army leader as a sign of good luck in battle. In the triumphal scene Radames returns with it displaying it, drenched anew in enemy blood. Brutal yes, but interesting :-)
On the brutal cue, the ballet&sacrifice scenes, that some found so shocking, I’d say they are only mildly so and again on repeat viewing what lasts is the brutality rather than the more than usual amount of flesh on display. And so it should as the clear intention is to display a society preparing for war in a almost frenzied way. I too had the impression the dance scenes were somehow “unfinished”, raw. It seems unlikely that they should have been rushed and really work in progress. My impression is that the impact is intentional, bringing it into reality and away from a staged effect. For example in the triumphal scene the movement is very well coordinated with the music but the dancers look more like men coming back from battle and displaying their skills than dancers performing a choreography. Yes, there is a lot of flesh on display but the feeling of so much muscle covered in blood is indeed rather scary.
Where I think this whole concept of keeping it rather real and not “prettying it up” has not worked so well is in the scene in Amneris chambers. It’s pretty in your face sensual all right … but it made me giggle because it looked rather more like clumsy amateurs giving Kamasutra a try and not really succeeding much. I think a tiny bit more of artsy ballet skillz would have gone a long way in making this more convincing and um…. flexible ;-)
But all in all, this is a long way of being boo-worthy! It might not be the grandest and greatest Aida and it is worth tweaking a bit more on the future maybe, but it is a valid concept. And if you look away from some of the imperfect details the big picture that emerges works around some clear ideas. I never felt the brutality and cruelty that riddles the score so poignantly before, it becomes much more evident under McVicars dark light.
On to the actual show and more importantly, the music.. (I’ve send the second and third performance)
On both nights the whole show took a while to get going and it continued building up to the 3rd act. Probably also because the pouring rain outside triggered more coughing than usual. I could have strangled them that is how persistent some were in the piani passages…
Once it had ignited it was really good. I want to say straight away how sorry I am to not have had the chorus bow on either of the nights, They deserve applause and praise! Wonderful diction and the piano beginning to the prayer scene is amazing!!! I do have a bit of the quibble in the judgement scene though… It is one of my favourites and I like the priests to sound a bit more powerful, the sound here was slightly obscured by the grey ugly wall. It also is the single scene in the whole show where I also would have liked the music to be a bit more incisive. I missed a bit more of the ring of doom in the music and a heavier, slightly longer silence in between questions to weigh the atmosphere down even more. It is the only moment when I wished for a slightly slower pace, but again this is just personal taste. All in all I enjoyed, nay, savoured Luisotti’s conducting!!! I really love Verdi, but because it is so tuneful, few get the music right and take it seriously. It spite of somebody telling me Verdi must have enjoyed his cheese writing this I definitely think it should not sound cheesy :-)
(Besides, just because you remember Verdi after hearing it once does not take away any of it’s genius, quite the contrary; too many look down all too often on this particular talent he had of creating “operatic hits”. If it’s so light and easy, why didn’t others do it as well as he did time and time again? Maybe because nobody else could do it quite as spectacularly and naturally :-) Which is not to say the stuff you can’t sing in the show is not as nice, of course it is, there are many shades of beauty, many ways to take out breath away with music. But make you feel like this music belongs to you from the first time you hear it is also a thing of extraordinary beauty! Verdi’s gift to us :-)
So Aida should be grand and crushing and exciting and uplifting and touching and tender and intimate, and so good that you stop to listen, not sing along in your mind :-) For me Luisotti got it absolutely right! It was wonderful glorious Verdi. And he drove those ensemble moments with decision and passion reminding me once more that nobody really could create ensembles like Verdi.
Marianne Corentti is a fierce Amneris and she has vast experience with the role which of course is evident on stage and the public connects to her immediately. It’s also quite amazing that she pulls of the amazingly complicate costume as if she wore this every day :-) She looks and sounds impressive and the power in her voice is a good match for Amneris’ constant power display. On the 2nd night the energy was really flying between her and Alvarez’ Radames in the confrontation scene in the last act. And her torment in the judgment scene, when she realises where her own inability to deal with feelings in any other way than flinging her power about has lead to, is very real and touching.
And I really really liked Marcelo Alvarez’Radames. Ive heard him before, but never live :-) I did think the role could be taking him to the limits and sometimes it probably does, but he stays always on the safe side and the singing is never other than elegant. His voice is beautiful and he gives it his all on stage. I was really impressed how believable a character he made Radames and although maybe some of the dramatic passages in the role take more effort, the lyrical passages are made for him! I don’t care what people may have said, he suits the role very well and it suits him! There were also for him some wonderful details like when he kneels in front of Aida when she rejects him or his hurt when he realises she has tricked him. He sings with utmost passion and commitment and his voice carries the nobility and dignified rage as well as the romantic tones well, he convinces both as the soldier and the lover. The Nile scene was riveting and the scene between Radames and Amneris which follows was the best of the whole show in the first night I went! It left everyone literally breathless and even the coughers were stunned! At the end of it I felt like jumping up and shouting Bravi Bravi! That is how much I loved it! I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
His diction was always impeccable and it was thanks to him that the lyricism and the beauty of the final scene came across in the first performance.
By the next one he owned the role even more, as did everyone, which kind of proves that if you can it is always better to go to the show further in the run as things will have smoothed out:-) The Nile duet between Aida and Radames was really beautiful and on the Il ciel dei nostri amori come scordar potrem… I felt really breathless! Micaela Carosi as Aida also brought a warmer tone to her singing that in the first night and the O patria mia, non ti vedrò mai più! was really heartfelt and full of emotion. Compared to the first night the Nile scene was definitely the winner on the night, both duets Aida Amonasro and Aida Radames being really well done. Equally beautiful and more touching the final duel in the tomb; I this production I definitely prefer the intimate scenes in the second part, I think musically as well as visually.
Robert Lloyd still has the warmth and depth of voice for a King :-) It still and always is a pleasure to hear and see him again. Having heard his Philip in the Don Carlo from Paris I was slightly underwowed by Giacomo Prestia. He gives a solid performance, but I guess I expected him to have somewhat more authority and punch in his voice.
I enjoyed it the second time more than the first and am happily looking forward to seeing and above all hearing it again one more time before the run end. If you can get a ticket go and listen and watch and make up you own mind about it :-)
Aida
May 01, 04 2010 ROH
Giuseppe Verdi
Director David McVicar
Set designs Jean-Marc Puissant
Costume designs Moritz Junge
Lighting design Jennifer Tipton
Choreography Fin Walker
Martial Arts David Greeves
Performers
Conductor Nicola Luisotti
Aida Micaela Carosi
Radames Marcelo Álvarez
Amneris Marianne Cornetti
Amonasro Marco Vratogna
Ramfis Giacomo Prestia
King of Egypt Robert Lloyd
Priestess Elisabeth Meister§
Messenger Ji-Min Park
PPS To my “cheesy friend” ;-) Thanks for giving me the opportunity to get this particular beef off my chest, I have been wanting to declare my undying love for Verdi for quite some time now ;-))))) If Verdi liked his gorgonzola and mozzarella, yumm! So do I :-))))) Laaaa donna e moooobile, qual piiiumaaaa al ventooooo.... Actually, no! Cause that is still partially on my top 3 black list... Beeeella figliaa dell'aaaaaamore, schiiiiiavo son dei vezzi tuuuuooooooi......
