Alexandre Abbas, Rachella Kingswijk, and Sondra Radvanovsky in Aïda (2021)

Sondra Radvanovsky

Rachella Kingswijk

Lei-Lei Bavoil

Captain Radames is secretly in love with Aida, the Pharaoh&apos;s daughter&apos;s Ethiopian slave - At the Opéra Bastille, Verdi&apos;s masterpiece is directed by Lotte de Beer and performed by an outstanding lyrical cast: Canadian soprano Sondr...

Lotte de Beer

Mervyn Millar

Aïda

An imaginative take

I watched the Paris Opera&apos;s new production of Aida when it first streamed. It was difficult to watch and hear because of concurrent activities but I could not miss it. I really wanted to catch the performances of Sondra Radvanovsky, Jona Kaufmann, and Ludovic Tezier. The three, as well as Dudnikova covering for the missed Garanca, perform their roles excellently. What becomes more contentious is the production itself. The opera seems set throughout in late 1800s Europe, with the ballet opting not for stylish dances but for reenactments of famous photos documenting conquest (Iwo Jima, Napoleon, Liberty Leading the People). One of the main talking points is the fact that not only Sondra but three puppeteers as well portray Aida (and two puppeteers plus Ludovic for Amonasro). While Sondra sings and sometimes maneuver the puppeteer, most people onstage interact with her puppet double. Many people have felt that the use of puppets may be distracting but me and others see it as bringing way to metaphor. In my take, this presents a kind of &quot;fantastique&quot; story where Radames is a European officer who falls in love with an ancient Egyptian relic. He falls in love with a woman, Sondra, who seems nearly imaginary due to the relic while beloved by Ksenia. Eventually, his obsession with the relic ruins his career and he dies in an asylum, with his relic in hand and his love departing him. The ending was particularly touching. Overall, the cast are what brings the most out of the work. The production may have some of the tendencies of today but is still imaginative in its implementation.

I watched the Paris Opera's new production of Aida when it first streamed. It was difficult to watch and hear because of concurrent activities but I could not miss it. I really wanted to catch the performances of Sondra Radvanovsky, Jona Kaufmann, and Ludovic Tezier. The three, as well as Dudnikova covering for the missed Garanca, perform their roles excellently. What becomes more contentious is the production itself. The opera seems set throughout in late 1800s Europe, with the ballet opting not for stylish dances but for reenactments of famous photos documenting conquest (Iwo Jima, Napoleon, Liberty Leading the People). One of the main talking points is the fact that not only Sondra but three puppeteers as well portray Aida (and two puppeteers plus Ludovic for Amonasro). While Sondra sings and sometimes maneuver the puppeteer, most people onstage interact with her puppet double. Many people have felt that the use of puppets may be distracting but me and others see it as bringing way to metaphor. In my take, this presents a kind of "fantastique" story where Radames is a European officer who falls in love with an ancient Egyptian relic. He falls in love with a woman, Sondra, who seems nearly imaginary due to the relic while beloved by Ksenia. Eventually, his obsession with the relic ruins his career and he dies in an asylum, with his relic in hand and his love departing him. The ending was particularly touching. Overall, the cast are what brings the most out of the work. The production may have some of the tendencies of today but is still imaginative in its implementation.

Captain Radames is secretly in love with Aida, the Pharaoh's daughter's Ethiopian slave - At the Opéra Bastille, Verdi's masterpiece is directed by Lotte de Beer and performed by an outstanding lyrical cast: Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, Uzbekistan-born mezzo-soprano Ksenia Dudnikova, German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and French baritone Ludovic Tézier. At the royal palace in Memphis, the high priest Ramfis tells Captain Radames that the goddess Isis knows the name of the man who will lead Egyptian troops in the war against Ethiopia. Radames hopes that - if he is chosen and if he wins - he will be given the hand of Aida, the Ethiopian slave of Amneris, the Pharaoh's daughter. But Amneris is also in love with him - A critical look First performed at the Cairo Opera House in December 1871 to celebrate the inauguration of the Suez Canal, Aida is one of the most monumental operas in the Verdian repertoire. In this new production Dutch director Lotte de Beer intends "to take a critical look at European representations of subjugated peoples". Performing alongside Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role, the outstanding cast includes Uzbekistan-born mezzo-soprano Ksenia Dudnikova, German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and French baritone Ludovic Tézier.

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