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Post by oedipus on Oct 7, 2022 11:28:41 GMT
Weirdly, I'd never seen an AIDA before (though I knew the general plot), so while many are struck by the de-orientalizing of the piece (there's not a single jot of Egyptomania anywhere), to me, this was all new and fresh. That said, I worry that the designers went too far: the whole thing takes place in some sort of authoritarian military bunker, with looming, brutalist, concrete walls, and olive and gray military uniforms. It's the second time this week--the first being John Gabriel Borkman--that I've spent hours staring at a gray set and such pleasures are, at best, fleeting. My kingdom for some fuscia.
To me, the highlight was the second act, with a neat choreographed modern dance for the soldiers (which reminded me a bit of sequences from Julie Taymor's spin on the Vietnam War in _Across the Universe_). This was accompanied by footage of contemporary military exercises and strikes; and the whole shebang really popped for me.
The leads were all in excellent voice, though the unduly harsh lighting sometimes obscured faces.
So: it's a grim, foreboding AIDA, but a jolly AIDA would be a perverse thing indeed. Definitely worth a gander.
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Post by jm25 on Oct 9, 2022 22:03:36 GMT
I saw this a week or two ago. I know absolutely nothing about opera in general or Aida in particular - was just giving it a go since I had a ROH voucher to use up! Even as someone who wasn't familiar with it, as I was watching I couldn't help but think that the modern setting wasn't quite working. And the more I read about it afterwards, the more I think I'd have preferred a more traditional setting. It's the second of two operas I've seen at the ROH now and in both they've gone for a more modern approach. I'm not sure if this is part of an attempt to get more bums on seats but if so I'm not convinced it's the right strategy to take.
That said, even though I felt a bit daunted going in (as I said, opera newbie!), I did enjoy this!
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Post by ctas on Oct 10, 2022 5:34:07 GMT
The new setting makes sense in that it’s no longer an orientalist mess. It does, however, render the leading man completely unlikeable because he’s sided with a military dictatorship.
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 11, 2022 11:15:31 GMT
This is at least the fourth or fifth AIDA production I've seen and I'm always puzzled as to it being one of the most performed of all Operas. I've watched the productions of Act 1 from Verona and they are indeed stunning but there's a lot of music to follow and the action becomes more 'personal'. After all it was composed for the new Cairo Opera house - seating capacity (IIRC) 660. The last ENO one left me with the best feeling but again at the ROH it seemed like a long evening. I'd don't recall any London production of this in the past 40(!) years getting a second outing? It seems like no one wants to produce a traditional 'crowd pleaser@?
I was torn in my reaction to this.
Parts of the updating were typically just silly - spoiler alert - who would jail a treasonous prisoner in their weapon store?
The great set pieces of music were undermined by the 'dances' - BUT that was surely Carsen's point - to remove the glorification of the military? This was apt at this time - apparently the production was conceived pre Covid? And that reminded me of the recent ENO treatment of the Can Can. Two of Opera's great set pieces were undermined by the production makes me wonder if they aren't better just left in a drawer?
That said the undermining of militarism was welcome and poignant. I recall someone asking why anti war films always feature lots of guns and bombing? But here I really felt that point was powerfully made...Just not sure if that's what Verdi intended at all? O Patria Mia was sung mainly from the back of the stage and it raised question of nationalism. I'm pretty sure where the Bear of Bussetto stood on that and its a position raising awkward questions in Italy and indeed Russia today.
The papers seem to have lost interest in Opera, reviews are cursory at best, and I'd welcome more thought pieces on what to make of this production in particular if it went against the story the libretto and music is really trying to tell?
Mostly enjoyed the excellent choral singing but remain unconvinced by the Opera.
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4,594 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 11, 2022 12:22:33 GMT
Reading about this production I'm glad Im now glad i couldn't make it.
I enjoyed the elijah moshinsky production many moons ago. It was traditional but without the elephants and a clean minimal looking set. As usual he was faithful to the text.
That production was replaced by a Robert Wilson import. Which had some stunning images and the latter half was astounding. He really got the private part of thr piece that I haven't seen since.
david mcvicar's ROH production was described in the Indy as having A lazy Susan full of lesbians
A Scottish opera production for the grand march had picnickers unpacking tupperware and stacking it in pyramid formations.
ENO's two recent productions left me cold.
It's a difficult opera to get right.
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391 posts
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Oct 12, 2022 18:40:11 GMT
A difficult opera to get right productionwise as well as finding a cast vocally up to the roles.
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3,927 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Oct 12, 2022 19:15:02 GMT
I've only seen it in concert. Given none of the recet UK productions seem to be considered particularly satisfactory, maybe that was the best way to see it.
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