Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Aida - Opera in four acts (1871)
Il Re, King of Egypt - Roberto Tagliavini (bass); Amneris, his daughter -
Luciana D'Intino (mezzo); Radamès, captain of the guards - Marco Berti
(tenor); Amonasro, King of Ethiopia - Ambrogio Maestri (baritone); Aida, his
daughter - Hui He (soprano); Ramfis, High Priest - Giacomo Prestia (bass)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Zubin Mehta
rec. live, 74th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival (Florence),
2011
Stage Direction: by Ferzan Ozpetek
Set Design: Dante Ferretti
Television Director: Benoît Vlietinck
Sound: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1. Picture: 16:9 Region: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitle Languages: Italian (original language), English, German, French,
Spanish, Korean
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101 598 DVD [151:00]
My very first recording of Aida back in the 1960s - on LPs - was with
a star-studded cast, including Birgit Nilsson, Grace Bumbry and Franco Corelli
with the young Zubin Mehta conducting. If I remember correctly this was his
debut recording and it was tremendously thrilling. The glories may have paled
a bit during the intervening 45 years and I have added quite a few other recordings
with comparable casts, but in my heart that old recording still has a special
place. Thus it was very interesting to hear - and watch - the same opera with
the same conductor so many years later. Zubin Mehta has not always been hailed
for his opera recordings during the last couple of decades. ‘Routine’,
‘uninspired’, ‘no special insights’ have been recurring
verdicts, and I didn’t expect too much from this performance. It is
true that he lacks the individuality of, say, Karajan, Solti or Muti; on the
other hand there are no idiosyncrasies either. We hear an honest, middle-of-the
road reading with excellent playing and singing from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
forces.
The production is also, by and large, rather middle-of-the-road. The sets
are less spectacular than in many productions I have seen and none the worse
for that. I must admit, though, that I don’t understand the symbolism
with the little blood-stained girl running about during the ballet in the
triumph scene. Overall this is a production that is straightforward and concentrates
on the main conflicts. The acting is good and the singing, with a few exceptions,
fully worthy of the occasion. Ramphis (Giacomo Prestia) is rather shaky in
the first act but grows in stature in act II and is quite magnificent in the
third act. Il Re (Roberto Tagliavini) is excellent, something one cannot always
say of this character. Ambrogio Maestri, who since his debut at La Scala in
Falstaff in 2001 has become one of the most important of present-day
baritones, is very much a Verdi specialist. He is an imposing Amonasro, visually
and vocally, and in the Nile scene practically owns the stage. Marco Berti’s
Radamès has heft and brilliance and makes some attempts at softer nuances
but first and foremost he is powerful but unsubtle. In the tomb scene he manages
to scale down and sing at least at mf. Luciana d’Intino as Amneris
is also big-voiced and impressive and the big emotions are well handled. The
greatest surprise is no doubt the Aida of Hui He. This Chinese soprano has
since her acclaimed Madama Butterfly in Bordeaux 2003 conquered the
world’s stages in the lirico-spinto repertoire. Aida and Tosca are her
most celebrated roles. Hers is not the larger-than-life ear-splitting type
of voice but a subtly sensitive and lyric. She couples this with the expansion
of dynamics that allows her to ride the orchestra also at tutti. Her pianissimos
in the Nile aria and later in the tomb scene are truly ravishing.
There have been quite a few Aida productions lately that have made
me wonder whether a decree has been issued from the opera director’s
union that all opera favourites should be mercilessly slaughtered beyond recognition.
This one, thank God, has restored one’s faith in the art of stage direction.
Göran Forsling
An honest, middle-of-the road reading with excellent playing and singing.
see also review of Blu-ray version by Robert Farr
Masterwork Index: Aida