Customer Reviews

Verdi - Aida

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After watching this excellent, exciting performance, I went to the booklet that accompanies the DVD to see who the performers were. Much to my surprise, I discovered that they were all in their mid-twenties when the opera was staged in 2001. In fact, it was the director and stage designer, Franco Zeffirelli who
"... organized the production as a workshop for talented young performers who are to be opera's future". The soloists received "... intensive tuition [sic] in singing..." from legendary tenor Carlo Bergonzi, arguably the best interpreter of Verdi's tenor roles in second half of the 20th century.

The opera was staged as part of the commemorative of the 100th anniversary of Verdi's death in his home town of Busseto, in the tiny Teatro Giuseppe Verdi. When the opera opened with shots of a small stage and a small orchestra, I thought that I had made a mistake in buying this disc.

I had not! The performance is totally captivating from beginning to end. Large scale Aida comes across very well in a small setting, where the focus is on character and not spectacle. Everything about this performance works splendidly to present Aida in a way that I had not experienced before.

And these "talented young performers"? How did they manage the very demanding vocal roles? Like seasoned professionals! Adina Aaron carries the title role with near perfection, and my most memorable Aida was Leontyne Price! Aaron not only sings beautifully, from her first note to her last, with no sign of strain or fatigue, but she can really act. Kate Aldrich nearly steals the show as Amneris, the daughter of the King: she is beautiful and sings with incredible sensitivity, suppleness and perfect technique -- and she, too, can act. Tenor Scott Piper sings the role of Radames with great elan; his spinto voice is a bit lighter than some of the dramatic tenors who sing this role, but it is a fresh, lyrical voice that never tires or strains. Bergonzi's mentoring was demonstrated very well indeed, in Mr. Piper's case. Baritone Giuseppe Garra sings the role of Amonasro with total conviction and with fantastic voice. Conductor Massimiliano Stefanelli conducts with authority and sensitivity; he observes all of Verdi's dynamic markings, thus making the intimacy of this performance very immediate.

The disc quality is first rate, with great digital picture, and sound that can be played in the DTS mode, for a fantastic sonic experience. TDK Mediactive has issued several operas lately, and all that I have seen are simply wonderful, without exception. They use European productions, where expectations of operatic excellence are high.

When I purchased this disc, I was looking for a well sung, authoritive, recent performance, without the vocally very tired presence of Domingo or Pavarotti. I was looking for a combination of authentic Verdi combined with outstanding picture and sound qualities. I found them.

If you are looking for a fresh yet well performed version of one of opera's fundamental works, you cannot do much better than this.

I agree with the earlier reviewer's five star assessment of this production. What a joy to hear and see an "Aida" in which the singers (coached by Carlo Bergonzi!) are young and excellent, both vocally and dramatically, and who are allowed to sing in an opera house small enough to honor the human voice - and in Verdi's hometown, at that. This "Aida" focuses upon the relationships among the various characters of the story and not upon spectacle. The sets and costumes are stunningly beautiful in any case, but they serve to support the action and the development of the characters. I have never before been so profoundly moved by a performance of this opera in my 50 years of listening and watching.

It sould be noted that this production omits the ballet in the midst of the triumphal march - and in this case it matters not a bit. The earlier dance of the priestesses and the vesting of Radames is conceived as religous ritual that evokes a sense of awe, fearful awe.

Everything about this DVD makes it a worthwhile purchase, very much including the documentary of "The Making of Aida," in which we see Franco Zeffirelli working with the young singers scene by scene, encouraging them to live into their characters and honoring the phyisical support required by their voices. The conductor (Massimiliano Stefanelli) and the lead singers (Adina Aaron, Kate Alrich, Scott Piper) may not be known to the viewer before seeing this DVD, but once one has seen it one is on the watch for other recordings by any of them.

I did an immeidate comparison of this production on DVD with that of the MET on DVD. The young Scott Piper out-sings and out-acts Placido Domingo. Piper even follows the composer's instructions for a soft tenderness at the close of "celeste Aida," whereas Domingo indulges in the "traditioanl" extended vocal trumpet call. Domingo is a great singer and a fine actor, but young Scott Piper IS Ramades. I can say pretty much the same down the line about each of the singers in the two productions: Bergonzi's singers are at home in their characters, vocally and physically, whereas the MET stars are (beautifully) singing "opera" to grand "effect." The MET DVD does include all of the ballet music, and the production and performance are overall very fine - don't get me wrong. But I think I will return to the young singers in this venerable and small Italian opera house whenever I want to experience what my gut tells me is closer to Verdi's intentions.

Aida is an opera which has always been presented on the grand scale, and here we have a completely different approach to this massive work. It's been made very intimate and very immediate. This has a positive effect on the drama itself, and it certainly gives a better opportunity to concentrate on the actual drama of Aida, Rhadames and Amneris. The camera close-ups of the singers are especially helpful in this respect, and since all the lead singers are young and beautiful, this is really nice to watch. The sets are beautiful, though they too are scaled for the smaller stage utilized here. Overall, this is a wonderful way to experience "Aida", one that many will watch again and again.

The only caveat is that the opera is presented with some rather noticeable cuts --------- which are immediately obvious to anyone who knows the opera well. Were the opera presented in it's complete form, it would be worthy of a 5 star rating. The singing is excellent, considering the ages of the respective singers. No -- they do not approach the sheer power, volume and impact that seasoned operatic legends have lavished on this music, but they are quite good, and in a small theatre such as this one, their performances work well, as none of their voices are very large.

The production is very beautiful, and the orchestra plays the music beautifully. It's an outstanding way to introduce someone to "Aida" , but also an excellent way for an opera "veteran" to see this opera performed in a very unique and interesting manner.

If you're looking for elephants, camels and everything else that can be thrown into the grand parade scene of AIDA, this is not the DVD for you. However,if the singing is what you're interested in, this is definitely worth seeing. Scott Piper is a handsome actor/singer and portrays Radames shifting allegiances well. Gorgeous voice. Adina Aaron as Aida is magnificent--a singer of great dignity and prescence (beautiful too) who makes you believe every word she sings. The third side of this traingle, Kate Aldrich as the Pharoah's daughter, is a bit petulant and tends to play with her wig a lot. The effect is of a spoiled teenager not getting her way--but that may have been how she was directed.

Every part of the Zeffirelli-designed production is stunning. The sets Zeffirelli squeezes into the tiny Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, the costumes, head-dresses and wigs, the make-up (dig those lapis-lazuli faces on Pharoah's retainers!) are all worth watching closely, even studying. The big parade scene is cleverly "cheated" by having the crowds face away from the audience as if watching a parade go by which we can't see. This prevents the opera from sagging into mere spectacle.

At the time of filming, the singers were young newcomers chosen by Zeffirelli himself. It's great to see the assurance of a proven director/designer blend with the eagerness and confidence of these soon-to-be stars.

A bonus: subtitles are in multiple languages, including Italian, for those who want the actual lyrics and not a translation.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi's death, Franco Zeffirelli organized this performance of "Aida" as a workshop for young performers. The opera is staged in Verdi's hometown of Busetto at the small 350 seat Teatro Giuseppe Verdi. This set of two DVD's is worth owning just to see the 45 minute documentary feature in which we are flies on the wall at the master classes conducted by Zeffirelli for the young soloists who were selected after an international audition.

The great Verdi tenor from the 1950's, Carlo Bergonzi, serves as their vocal coach. Zeffirelli is their stage director and works with them on character interpretation and development. We're not used to seeing singers in their early 20's perform the roles of Radames, Amneris, and Aida. Zeffirelli challenges them (and us) to think about the characters in a new way - as young people, who, for the first time are exploring love, witnessing the cruelty of the world, facing the decision of whether to choose another over oneself. (Aida and Amneris both must face this choice and, as we know, follow different paths.)

Zeffirelli talks about each character in detail as the performers, in street clothes and in a small rehearsal room, practice their arias just inches in front of him. For example, Zeffirelli tells Kate Aldrich that she is not to play Amneris as the femme fatale we're used to seeing, but instead should think of her as a young, inexperienced girl of privilege who is used to getting her way and has no idea that her impulsive actions could have such tragic real-life consequences. The result of Zeffirelli's work with these young performers is that we see this familiar opera through new eyes.

The performance of the opera itself is captivating. In one of the master classes, when Zeffirelli begins to talk about the Triumphal March, he says (with a twinkle in his eye), "They're going to expect elephants, but they won't get them." No we won't. An adult elephant would fill the entire stage, leaving no room for the performers! The full impact of the small size of the stage isn't apparent until the camera pulls back during the curtain call and we see that the stage isn't even a rectangle. It's a square. It's smaller than the stage that sat at one end of my junior high school gym!

Can Grand Opera work on such a small stage? Yes. It works because, as I've indicated, Zeffirelli focuses on the characters, not the spectacle. For example, the Triumphal March takes place off stage. The performers turn their backs to us and, along with them, we must imagine the procession going past as we listen to Verdi's magnificent score. Only Aida faces us, sharing the pain she's experiencing at knowing that her own people are being marched by as prisoners.

If this performance were on CD, you'd probably chose another version - one with Placido Domingo, Leontyne Price, Dolora Zajick...the list of great performers who played the three leads is a long one. Adina Aaron, who plays Aida in this production, says in the documentary, "Who knows? Maybe it will open the door to our careers or maybe it will just mean that we can say to people that we've worked with one of the great directors of all time." Well, I googled the names of the three leads (who happen to all be American). It appears that they've yet to make it to The Met. They're playing at the Dayton Opera, the Utah Opera, the Michigan Opera. So, yes, the voices on this DVD aren't always as great as those we're used to hearing. But what makes this DVD so special is that these young performers are able to realize Zeffirelli's vision and give us the gift of Grand Opera in an intimate setting.

At the end of the documentary, Zeffirelli says, "The chance to work with young artists was what seduced me into doing this. It was like a flight of doves. They came from all over the world like doves called by desire." You too will be seduced by these young, earnest, talented performers.

Last night I kicked back to watch, for the first time, the much-talked about Aida from the Verdi Centenary Celebration in his hometown of Busseto.

Franco Zeffirelli designed and directed and while he's so often accused (and often rightly so) of excess, the tiny 350 seat Busseto opera house, does simply not allow for big anything. The end result is that Zeffirelli seemed to take all of his creative power and infuse it into a spectacular small scale production where all of his big ideas shine through in his intense work with what has to be the youngest professional cast of any Aida

at any time in history.

In some reviews Scott Piper is criticized as having too small a voice, but wow what he does with it. It's a beautiful (gorgeous) sound not unreminiscent to me of the young Pavarotti, sharing that same "sun of Italy" brightness that made the superstar's

voice so individualistic and well loved. His Celeste Aida is, quite simply, sung with such beauty of tone and attention to detail that I played it twice more before moving on. Handsome and boasting a sort of "Blacktino" heart throb appearance, his Radames is a very involved, physically appealing boy warrior

caught up in his own hype. It's a thoroughly moving idea and it works like a charm here.

My new favorite YAM (Young American Mezzo) Kate Aldrich (a native Mainer!) is an Amneris of great physical and vocal beauty, and who throws a bit of 1920's silent film vamp into her gait that is amusing, appealing and not inappropriate here. Aldrich was only 26 with this Amneris but her sound belies her

age with a rich, velvety chest voice that dips deep

into the lower range with astonishing ease. In addition to her warm lower range, Aldrich also boasts top notes that are clear, ringing and rival the soprano's. An expressive actress, its nothing short of astonishing watching her pouty, spoilt-child Princess develop into a compassionate observer, awakened to

the brutality of her civilization. For once Amneris's shouts at the priests (paraphrased: You call yourselves ministers of heaven, but you feed on blood and slaughter) ring with a horrifying recognition that signifies the end of innocence. The final image as with the temple priestesses she invokes the gods for peace, we've witnessed an entire journey of development and

transformation. A truly remarkable performance.

Adina Aaron has a lovely radiance, but, I found just a hint of blandness to her performance in the first and part of the second acts. (I realize just how difficult it is to look "forlorn" for so long - something that rarely comes without years of stage experience which this singer simply hasn't had the benefit of.) She grows increasingly better with every appearance however,

and in the Nile Scene she comes into her own blazing with an intensity and sensuality rare in any Aida. This Aida pours on a seduction I have never quite witnessed before in this opera (or, really, ever even thought about) and it works. Radames is helpless as Aida sings, reaching into his already open tunic. Their kiss following "A noi duce fia l'amor" in the duet is not your typical opera stage kiss, but real. All of this, of course, would mean nothing if they couldn't carry it off musically and

the happy news here is the entire duet is ravishingly sung. The Italians loved it and applaud a good long while as the lovers grows more passionate and Aida's arm encircles and tightens around Radames' neck. Look out, hot stuff comin' through!

The costumes and heavy ancient Egyptian eye make up make everyone look beautiful and as though they'd all just popped off of an ancient painting on a papyrus. Zeffirelli presents a lot of new fangled ideas with old fashioned gestures to create an Aida that is artistically stunning and dramatically resonates with a lot of what's going on in the world today. His cast - from top to bottom - is gorgeous to look at and a better acted Aida would be hard to find.

The young Italian Maestro Massimiliano Stefanelli conducts with a brisk élan that sweeps everything along wonderfully, crisp and fresh, yet knows when to linger over a phrase or extend the line for a singer having a "moment." He has a field day with the Triumphal Scene and the sound coming from both the tiny stage and the pit of the theatre is amazing!

The whole thing (the sets really are an amazing achievement of old fashioned painted flat drops combined with 3-D set pieces that deceive the eye brilliantly) and works so well for the television screen that it almost feels made for it. I knew the theatre was small, but it's not until the entire company is lined up for a bow that one realizes how tiny the place is!

It struck me at one point that the three principals of this most Italian of operas, were all young American singers, singing in an Italian house - and the Italians absoltuely loved them! Pretty sweet. And pretty hopeful!

This Aida goes straight to the top of the list!

'Very Good interpretation'

This is the comment I have been receiving from those who saw this Opera, live.

The DVD is not different.

As far as I am concerned it has been able to provide proper appreciation of the creative work of such dramatic presentations set to music.

Aida, Opera of grandiose libretto and refined orchestra (The Grand March and Ballet), was supposed to see its premier in Cairo in 1869.

Ismail Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, was the father eternal of the Grand Opera-House of Cairo.

The Pasha aimed at excelling Western cultures as art paramour and he asked Verdi to write an opera to be a masterpiece for posterity and take perpetual patriotic touches on the opening of the Cairo Opera House in 1869. (Not the opening of the Suez Canal as many believe so)

Eventually it had premiered in December 1871 due to the Franco-Prussian war, which created difficulties to transport the costumes and related paraphernalia from Paris to Egypt. The Acts scenes are at Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt, and require large number of players, Priests, Egyptian populace, Ethiopians prisoners of war, slaves, guards and soldiers and a spacious stage.

I wonder how the people in charge of any theatre should be able to provide the necessary accommodations.

This is one the BEST performances of Aida that I have ever heard. The singers are the best, the set is absolutely the MOST BEAUTIFUL I have ever seen. It is a top quality performance given in a 350-seat opera house and it works! Missing is the ballet and the actual witnessing of the triumphal prossession which happens behind the singers. However, the performance is so marvelous that this small omission doesn't matter. This is a recording that every opera lover should have in their collection; I have never enjoyed Aida more.

Like the other reviewers of this DVD, I am most favorably impressed with this performance of Aida. It is a tribute to Verdi's genius that an opera that repays grand spectacle (And unfortunately, the opera itself can sometimes get lost in the spectacle), also works on a more intimate scale. And in the Teatro Verdi, one really has no other choice other than to be intimate.

The cast, all young and attractive, sing their roles with impressive polish and and professionalism. Of them all, I found Adina Aaron's Aida the best performance in this field of strong contenders. She handles this taxing role incredibly well, and with beautiful tone and control. Her acting is also impressive, although I would have liked a slightly more Royal demeanor when she tells Amonasro she is still his daughter, and will be worthy of her country in act III. Radames has no chance against her when she gets seductive with him in their Nile scene duet. I want to hear more from her in the future, not only as Aida, but in other Verdi roles. I hope she gets the major career she deserves. If she manages her career as intelligently as her performance suggests, she could be the next Leontyne Price in a world that sorely needs more Verdi sopranos. She's definitely off to a good start!

I liked the tone and quality of Scott Piper's voice as Radames, but I hope he doesn't sing Radames in any opera house LARGER than the Teatro Verdi for another decade or so. As pleasant as his voice is to hear, I found his singing underpowered in this part. He is not as developed a singer yet as Adina Aaron is,and I hope he doesn't push himself too hard too quickly. On the positive side, he definitely looks the part of Radames, and his Italian diction is elegant. As another reviewer remarked, he uses the voice he does have extremely well. He's a decent actor, as well. There is more than the usual tension in the love triangle, as the production suggests Radames' ambition and his fugitive attraction for Amneris are at odds with his love for Aida, and he must struggle to balance them.

Kate Aldrich is a very attractive Amneris, who is definitely a romantic contender in this love triangle. If it hadn't been for Aaron's seductiveness in the Nile Scene, she might have won Radames yet! She too can act, and her costumes are much more flattering to her face and figure than Aida's are to hers. Aldrich, like Aaron, definitely has the voice and vocal power to fit her part, and I hope she'll have a long, distinguished career. The duet between the women in Act II benefitted from the intimate setting, as the details really showed up.

Baritone Giuseppe Garra was a decent Amonasro. His voice was good, but I found his acting fidgety, especially in Act II. Amonasro should always be a King, even in defeat and in a humiliating situation. Garra moved around too much, whereas he might have been more effective if he'd stood his ground and faced the King of Egypt and Radames squarely. But his voice is good, and like the others, I hope to hear more from him.

Enrico Giuseppe Iori was a dignified, handsome Ramfis, and Paolo Pecchioli was a good if stiff King of Egypt. The staging of the Triumphal Scene was an excellent adaptation of opera to suit the theater's resources, and the ballet sequence was not missed by this viewer. I found the Ballet in the Temple of Vulcan scene was PLENTY. There was plenty of Ancient Egyptian visual splendor to go around in this production, and obviously, Zefirelli worked with his young cast in great detail. All the characterizations worked well, both individually and as a group.

The visual picture was clear, and my only quibble was that I found myself having to adjust the volume up or down frequently. Some musical passages were too soft and I had to turn up the volume to hear them at all, and then quickly turn the sound down again for the larger ensembles.

Video extras include some footage of the vocal rehearsals which were fascinating to watch. I hope Zefirelli will be around for a long time to come.

This is a lovely production, intimate rather than stupendous. The sets, costumes, direction.... okay, the orchestra isn't the Met's, the singers are not seasoned, but altogether, this bunch makes an Aida better than the Met video with Domingo and Millo. I missed the elephants in that one, but I didn't even miss the horses in this one. Moreoever, the horses and chariots in the Met performance were the same, merely going round and round.LOL

What was touching was that no one was singled out for curtain calls, the cast, et al. appearing as a group. There was one stand-out singer, Kate Aldrich, who sang Amneris. Scott Piper's Radames and Adina Aaron's Aida just couldn't really compare with the the gloriouis voice of Aldrich. Scott and Aaron will grow, but I doubt they'll ever make it into celebrated singers.

Interestingly enough, those three are Americans -- what? -- Bergonzi couldn't find any Italians? Never mind, this is a wonderful experience and I gave it five stars because it was the little engine that did.

Nancy Eckert