Customer Reviews

Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan Opera

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This 1989 Metropolitan production conducted by James Levine is visually stunning with its massive sets by Gianni Quaranta, in a palette of cream, gold and brown.
Domingo's Rhadames is robust and masculine, and his performance is well acted and heartfelt, and Aprile Millo, beautiful in ebon makeup and with her marvelous profile, looks every inch the Ethiopian princess taken slave; her sound is rich, full of emotion, and with wonderful pianissimos. For me, her "O patria mia" is the highlight of this opera, and she shines in every scene she is in.

I have a special fondness for Act One, Scene two, the "Temple of Vulcan", with "Nume, custode e vindice" one of the loveliest of the opera's melodies. Here it gets a stately treatment, and though it does not come close to the musical power of the Domingo/Ghiaurov/Muti CD, it is still good listening. Act Two, Scene Two, the Victory March, has some well behaved horses, a simple but pleasant ballet choreographed by Rodney Griffin with attractive dancers, and the entrance of the great Sherrill Milnes. Though well past his prime vocally, he looks fabulous, and is believable as the conquered King Amonasro. The cast is rounded out by Dolora Zajick as Amneris, Dimitri Kavrakos as the Egyptian King, and Paata Burchuladze as Ramfis.

Though the stage direction is on occasion a little static, and the singing not always quite up to par, this is one of Verdi's grandest operas, and makes for very enjoyable viewing, and every minute spent with Aprile, is time well spent.
The subtitles are legible and helpful, and it comes with a small booklet with the synopsis in English and French; total running time is 158 minutes.

Of all the 'Aida' productions I've witnessed, this version is my favorite. If you are searching for your first 'Aida' it should be this Metropolitan Opera production with its balance of great and good singers, and its grandiose Egyptian backdrops of sandstone, bronze, linen and gold. It has one of the better triumphal marches, too. No elephants (except for a few tusks), but scads of soldiers, dancers, Ethiopian prisoners, leopard skins, and gaily caparisoned horses.

Aprile Millo's Aida sings well, especially her celestial pianissimos, but she is a cold princess-slave. She seems to be perpetually annoyed--perhaps because Amneris got the best costumes---but her tomb scene with Placido Domingo is to die for. It is only when she has to crank up the volume that she sounds a bit pinched.

Dolora Zajick's Amneris is why you need to hear this production. She is a luscious, spoiled, intensely feminine, young Pharaoh's daughter. She is also a true Verdian mezzo with a voice as rich and seductive as her appearance. This is one of those 'Aidas' where the Pharaoh's daughter almost steals the show.

Paata Burchuladze sings a Slavic, wa-wa trombone of a Ramfis, lisping, loud, and satisfactorily menacing at the fore of his priestly chorus. I really enjoyed the stentorian booming of the priests, thundering away at the lower levels of 'Ritorna Vincitor,' demanding the deaths of the Ethiopian prisoners, and snarling out their 'tradditores' beneath Amneris's frenzied pleading in the judgement scene.

Placidio Domingo is a soldierly Radamès and his 'Celeste Aida' is sung with a silken vigor that doesn't require the interpolated, often-bleated high B flat at its climax. His nobility does make it difficult to believe his sudden decision to desert his soldiers and run away with Aida in the Nile scene, but make no mistake, this is a great tenor in his prime. If you don't shed a tear during 'O Terra Addio' maybe you should be listening to something other than opera.

Greek bass, Dimitri Kavrakos is a suitably dignified pharaoh with slightly less wa-wa than his priestly colleague, but with enough volume to be heard in the crowd scenes.

Sherrill Milnes is a ferocious, glowering Amonasro, although his baritone has definitely begun to show signs of dryness. His scene with Aida is dramatic rather than beautifully sung.

There is one fairly serious problem with this production--I've played it on two different machines, so it isn't my equipment: I can barely hear the male chorus at the beginning of the Temple of Vulcan scene. The priestess and the women's chorus come through fine, but no matter how much I crank the volume, the men's unaccompanied chorus is nothing but a distant muttering.

Even so, I think you'll love this 'Aida', right down to the last 'pace' of Amneris, quietly grieving above the tomb.

I have written a number of reviews for Amazon - as in line with Shirley Bassey and Scooby Doo - This as Good as it gets!!

I have seen a number of Aida's but would have sold my soul to have see this one live at the Met. However, I watched Dolora Zajick's Amneris at Covent Garden and she was as wonderful as her portryal here - at the House I shouted myself hoarse at her portrayal - mind you I did too when I watched this DVD.

Domingo is perfect as Radames and Aprile Millo has done nothing better. What an emotional scene it is when Amonasro (Sherrill Milnes) holds his chained hands up in in passion at the climax of Act II.

The sound and picture are perfect - the production is exemplary - this is the best Aida you are likely to see or hear. I emplore you to buy it. You really will not regret it.

As I said at the start - This is as Good as it Gets! Perfect in fact.

"Aida" is a magnificent opera that requires complete suspension of belief to be truly enjoyed. That said, this 1989 production has all of the elements that historically make the Metropolitan Opera one of the world's best. The sets and costumes are opulent, the staging is impressive and the dancers and chorus are essential in bringing what is essentially a series of musical tableaux to life. And the singing is pure Met. The Met is all about "La Voce" and Domingo, Millo, and Zajick are all voice. Aprile Millo is incredibly believable as Aida, bringing firey passion, sublime musicality and vocal inspiration to this difficult spinto role. Dolora Zajick is a formidable Amneris, who uses her strong mezzo voice and musical sensitivity to bring the essence of Pharoah's impassioned daughter into the hearts of the audience. Placido Domingo is simply himself. He sings with articulation, power and intensity, and that's just fine. There are a few "oops" that keep this DVD from being perfect such as awkward angles, subtitles covering up a performer now and then, and the overall static nature of the production. But it is still wonderful viewing, and a wonderful artifact of the Levine era Met. Decades from now it will serve as a tangible reminder of some of the great voices of the late 20thC. This DVD is a treasure.

I cannot imagine a better "Aida" than this Met production/performance from 1991. The sets and costumes spectacularly reflect the grandeur of Ancient Eqypt, and James Levine is in top form, leading the ever-fabulous Met orchestra and a cast that, if not pitch-perfect, is never less than first-rate.

Admittedly, neither Domingo nor Milnes is at their best here. By this time Milnes had lost a lot of the richness in tone and shading that made him one of the best bass/baritones of his generation; he pretty much wields his voice like a blunt instrument, getting the job done, but not much more. And while this isn't an out-and-out off-night for Domingo, it isn't one of his best, either. The performance seems to be taking more effort than usual, particularly the high notes. (His modulation of the final whatever-it-is at the end of "Celeste Aida" is pretty much a metaphor for his entire performance.)

The women are, in a word, spectacular. I've seen Aprille Millo at the Met a number of times and cannot remember being so blown away. Perhaps by the time I saw her live she was in her decline. In any event, we're lucky that this DVD has captured what I think is one of the finest operatic performances I've ever seen. Truly. Millo's vocal control is astounding (the pianossimos are breathtaking) and her acting no less so (without ever toppling over the fine line into melodrama). She's nothing short of a star here, well-deserving of the hugh ovation she receives from the Met audience. And I love Zajick's interpretation of Amneris. On first glance she's the regal, jealous bitch we've seen in every other "Aida." But this superb artist takes us deeper into the character. In modern terms, she's the awkward, dumpy math geek who can't understand why the star-athlete prefers the homecoming queen. Heartbreaking.

I'm reviewing primarily for the DVD production quality (not performance). Great performance but picture/audio quality comparable to VHS. Doesn't utilise any of the enhancements offered on DVD. The picture quality has not been remastered nor the sound -it is Dolby Stereo! A real disappointment, what a wasted opportunity. DG could have really showcased opera on DVD. If you must, buy the video instead (you'll get 90% of the audio/video quality). I for one will not be wasting any more money on DG's DVDs. I hope they get their act together soon -I'm sure I'm not the only classical music fan who has spent thousands on home theater just to play movies.

I was puzzled by some negative reviews here and decided to take a chance on this DVD and was glad I did. While not offering the very latest in DVD sound or image resolution, this performance is sufficiently powerful and the stereo sound sufficiently satisfying to convey the essence of a classic MET production. I was amused by the somewhat wooden behavior of the chorus but then waddiya want? MTV? Relax and enjoy a musically smashing performance. The camera work does get close enough to see facial expressions adequately, the MET orchestra is of course perfection as is the conducting. If a performance here or there is a little "off" it's OK with me, I jest settle back and let Aida blow me away! And it did!

This Aida is with Placido Domingo, Aprile Millo, Dolora Zajjick recorded in 1989 at the Met with James Levine. The performance is fantastic and the recording quality and video is superb. The label is Deutsche Grammophon and this is the way DVD's are supposed to look and sound. The quality is light years ahead of Pioneer and Sony classical.

Get it while you can....

Now this is grand opera in every sence of the word. Placido Domingo was so good that I almost fell down on the floor. This again proves to me that he is the best tenor of the last 30 years. His tone, understanding of the text, phrasing, feeling for the part are something I haven't heard before (with the possible exception of Jon Vickers). Hearing him sing in the Nile Scene with Aprile Millo about leaving his home land where he grew up and grown to love was so heartfelt and beautiful.

And equally good was Millo. Her Aida was so sensitive. She really made the character sweet and commanding. Her soft high notes are also so beautiful. She has the best of what makes a great Aida. Dolora Zajick was also extremely good. She had the right chest notes and high notes to make Amneris menacing, touching and someone to feel for. At the end we not only feel for the convicted couple, but also for Amneris.

It was only Sherrill Milnes that was not quite as good as the others. His acting is equally exemplary as the others, but the notes often are delivered with a little unsteadyness (he is past his prime). I don't mind a little unsteadyness, though, so he was good enough for me. He was magnificent on the Trovatore set with Metha, Price and Domingo, but this is 15 years later.

Levine's conducting is well balanced and very sensitive. The production was exctremely good. It's good to see an opera with sets that are so good as this and authentic too. The sound was good and so was the picture. The uncompressed linear PCM sound really made it sound like we were there. I am glad that the producers of opera on DVD present the uncompressed sound, since the compressed Dolby Digital 2 track sound sounds so terrible.

This is a great performance for all Aida fans and Domingo fans.

This is the best production with best cast I've seen either on video or in person. Granted, Price was the best Aida but the cast was not always up to her standard and not alot of good video of her available. Millo really shocked me! I certainly didn't expect her to sing or act this well. Thought she was truly exceptional! Domingo, Zajick, and Milnes were also spectacular. Delora owns her role and Domingo makes Pavarotti pale in comparison. The sets and costumes are the best I've seen both in person and on video. One strange thing, the colors on the costumes are so much brighter in person than on the LD or tape. I saw it at The Met with a really inferior cast except for Delora who was the only one who could sing and did she ever! The production still knocked me out! This is the best video of this opera and I highly recommend it! It's truly grand opera!