Italy Verdi’s Aida on the a centesimal Area di Verona Opera Pageant 2023: Soloists, Ballet, Refrain and Orchestra of Area di Verona / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast dwell on Rai1 from the Area di Verona, 16.6.2023. (JPr)

Manufacturing:
Route, Set design, Costumes, Lighting design, Choreography – Stefano Poda
Refrain grasp – Roberto Gabbiani

Forged:
King of Egypt – Simon Lim
Aida – Anna Netrebko
Radamès – Yusif Eyvazov
Amneris – Olesya Petrova
Amonasro – Roman Burdenko
Ramfis – Michele Pertusi
Priestess – Francesca Maionchi
A messenger – Riccardo Rados

June 16 was the primary evening of the a centesimal Area di Verona season and it’s not a lot of a shock that it started with a brand new manufacturing of Aida. I’ve been to observe opera in Verona solely as soon as earlier than and in 1980 sat on the stone steps excessive up within the amphitheatre when, in fact, I noticed Aida, performed by the late Italian opera maestro, Nello Santi. Now in 2023 the sector seemed as full (it could maintain 20,000) because it did then with the good and the nice of Italian society in attendance together with the President Sergio Mattarella and the 88-year-old Sophia Loren arriving on the crimson carpet. There apparently was simply time for the nationwide anthem and a flypast earlier than it began raining and proceedings have been suspended for a number of minutes. Ultimately the climate relented for conductor Marco Armiliato to lift his baton for the opening prelude and regardless that flashes of lightning have been often seen across the area throughout the efficiency there was no additional interruption.

Having put aside its 2002 Franco Zeffirelli Aida the brand new one was entrusted to Stefano Poda and he’s liable for every thing – together with the units, costumes, lighting and choreography – as a result of he strives for ‘aesthetic and conceptual unity’. Poda has defined how ‘The viewers will probably be greeted with a grand set up: modernity just isn’t merely about chasing after the up to date however taking a leap into the longer term. The traditional Egyptian heritage turns into Verdi’s personal, remodeled into an all-Italian treasure represented inside a secular cathedral – a sacred and age-old house able to harness the best power Italy has to supply’. After I go to the ballet, I usually watch dancers – probably in the identical costumes and on the identical units – recreating precisely these steps of their legendary predecessors in a direct line from when the ballets have been first choreographed, usually a number of many years in the past. We watch this admiringly and uncomplainingly, although for a lot of opera corporations it appears a completely completely different matter since they’re abiding by Wagner’s maxim ‘Kinder, macht Neues!’ (‘Kids, do one thing new!’) when he needed his works to be regularly reinvigorated for the viewers of the day. Poda’s Aida is one thing new and a outstanding – and memorable – spectacle the place his biggest achievements are the costumes, continuously sparking and reflective, whether or not crystal encrusted or mirrored, and his dealing with of the gang scenes that includes the Egyptians, particularly the clergymen, priestesses, ministers and troopers, in addition to the Ethiopian prisoners.

Teams of the ‘unusual’ Egyptians are in black as a continuously writhing or pleading mass of humanity. Usually these we see onstage put on crimson gloves and have crimson footwear while the clergymen put on the masks of Egyptian gods. Egyptian-style requirements fringe the large performing house or are carried and are sometimes topped by a hand or fist. Poda’s ‘set up’ is itself a large – and vastly imposing – hand fabricated from wire to the rear of the stage which he says, ‘represents human energy and the aptitude it has from killing to creating or hanging down or elevating up.’ And are available down, go up and transfer it does additionally it permits characters to enter by it. On the finish of the opera, it would hover over the small see-through pyramid that Aida and Radamès retreat into. There’s greater than a touch of sci-fi to what we see, and it references the Stargate and Star Wars movies, particularly the latter when lengthy LED white neon tubes are wafted like mild sabres in Act III suggesting reed beds on the banks of the Nile. There are additionally a number of them outlining the steps of the sector behind the stage with extras transferring throughout carrying them infrequently. Laser lights beam out into the evening sky and are very efficient once they define a bigger pyramid with a silver globe on the apex.

Frequent leitmotifs are the Eye of Horus and hieroglyphics seen on the costumes and Aida at one level appears to put on an undershirt with a jumble of phrases from the opera itself on it. In any other case, Anna Netrebko’s Aida seems superb in quite a lot of multicoloured tasselled clothes (that are fairly tough to in any other case describe), principally white within the first act, inexperienced and blue initially of the second, and later extra like Joseph’s ‘technicolour dreamcoat’. On the finish she will probably be shrouded in white as Radamès will probably be and he additionally wears quite a lot of cloaks. Amneris is both in black or crimson robes with spectacular headpieces although Amonasro, Aida’s father, is in leathers and appears like a biker who has wandered in from one other manufacturing fully. The color of all we see worn is usually black or white, nevertheless it goes with out saying that a lot of the costumes sparkle or in any other case mirror mild and the stage footage are continuously gorgeous.

Poda’s course was at its finest when the stage comparatively cleared and the singers have been left alone within the highlight. A few of the relaxation you will notice might have you ever scratching your head: nevertheless – for as soon as – that didn’t matter a lot to me as a result of it’s such a outstanding spectacle. The ballets are very odd with the primary one within the Amneris scene having figures whirling like dervishes or collapsing to the stage on the finish and being carried off. Then the second throughout the triumphal scene, has women and men gesticulating, saluting, clapping and the stylised motion – which is so regimented – seemed just like the opening ceremony of an Olympic Video games. Poda had bandaged our bodies introduced in on trollies for Amneris to trick Aida into believing Radamès was one in all them. Initially of the final act Radamès is unusually centre stage in an online of crimson ropes and ribbons which Amneris should negotiate with the intention to plead with him – as a result of she loves Radamès – to avoid wasting himself by denying the accusations in opposition to him of plotting in opposition to Egypt, however he doesn’t wish to dwell on with out Aida.

Anna Netrebko confirmed with this efficiency her place because the main Verdi soprano by some margin of this technology. Her Aida was consummately sung and acted and can have not often been equalled – not to mention bettered – in recent times. She is on very high kind and continuously moved very balletically all through the opera from her first look as Radamès’s imaginative and prescient of his beloved throughout ‘Celeste Aida’ when she paws at him. Netrebko’s legato was excellent, her lyricism completely managed, and she or he sang a number of infamously tough passages with unusual ease; whether or not standing dealing with entrance or together with her again to the viewers or – as for her ultimate beautiful ‘pietà’ in her Act II duet with Amneris – mendacity down on her again. In ‘Ritorna vincitor’ each be aware was crafted to perfection and ‘O patria mia’ was deeply reflective and heartfelt. There are not any make-up issues this yr as Netrebko’s Aida solely has blue eyeshadow and her face half-masked in shiny crimson.

Singing alongside her husband, Yusif Eyvazov, their voices blended completely collectively of their duets. Eyvazov’s Radamès may very well be described as brawny, however he too is able to some refined singing when required. While ‘Celeste Aida’ lacked a sure grace, by the point Radamès is buried along with Aida on the finish of the opera, Eyvazov confirmed spectacular reserves of stamina for a heartachingly unhappy ‘La deadly pietra sovra me si chiuse’ and the intimacy of the ultimate ‘O terra addio’ duet. His appearing is extra rudimentary than Netrebko’s, however Poda makes the wide-eyed Radamès bodily burdened by his conflicting feelings and every thing that occurs to him throughout the course of the opera.

Olesya Petrova is a reputation new to me, although she was a former finalist within the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competitors. It took slightly time for Petrova’s highly effective mezzo-soprano voice, that has a variety and a wealthy, darkish sound, to achieve true focus. Amneris is the Pharaoh’s daughter, and it’s her rank that offers her innate command and Petrova made her imperious, stern, and unforgiving, but with an underlying vulnerability. Roman Burdenko was a bodily imposing Amonasro and along with his stolid bearing and expressive baritone he made Aida’s father an actual character quite than the cypher he can too usually be. Elsewhere maybe the singing wasn’t of the identical requirements as that of this quartet of principals, but performances have been strong sufficient: Michele Pertusi was a stern and authoritative Ramfis and Simon Lim introduced a magisterial presence to a firmly sung King of Egypt.

Marco Armiliato is a recognized amount in music like this and it sounded as if his completed musicians gave a sturdy account of Verdi’s rating. He introduced out some beautiful colors, even when was not probably the most nuanced Aida you’re prone to hear. I believe with all these forces massed in entrance of him it was arduous work for Armiliato to take care of orchestra-stage coordination, nevertheless it appeared he did this valiantly, giving nice assist to his soloists and distinctive refrain.

Jim Pritchard