"Aida" at the Mariinsky Theatre: description and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Several years ago, the opera "Aida" appeared on the stage of the State Academic Mariinsky Theater (St. Petersburg), in a modern adaptation by director Daniele Finzi Pasca. She made a splash in the theatrical world, and the audience left a lot of rave reviews. Read more about the opera "Aida" at the Mariinsky Theater in this article.

The history of the creation of the famous production

The opera "Aida" was written by the talented Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Its creation is timed to coincide with a significant event - the opening of the Suez Canal, which is an artificial canal connecting the Red and Mediterranean Seas.

The Egyptian government made an order to write an opera, which was accepted by Giuseppe Verdi. The premiere of "Aida" took place in the second half of the 19th century in the capital of Egypt - Cairo. We will tell about the plot of the legendary opera in the next chapter of our article.

Shortopera plot

The first action takes place in the pharaoh's palace, which is located in the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. Egypt and Ethiopia are at war. Spectators watch the scene between the high priest - Ramfis and the young military leader - Radames. They discuss rumors of a possible Ethiopian attack on Egypt. The priest said that they turned to the goddess Isis for advice and she named the name of the commander who should lead the Egyptian army to defend the country.

Then Radames is left alone, he is ambitious, dreams of victory and glory, and how after that he can marry Aida, a slave from Ethiopia. At this time, Amneris (Pharaoh's daughter) enters, who is secretly passionately in love with Radames. She tries to find out the reason for his joy and realizes that the heart of the young warlord is taken.

In the second act, we find ourselves in the chambers of Amneris, and learn that the Egyptian army won the battle. Amneris guesses that the beloved Radames is the slave of Hades and begins to threaten her. Radames, upon his return, receives the crown of the winner, and the pharaoh promises to marry his daughter to him. Also, Aida's father - Amonasro, who is the king of the Ethiopians is captured.

The third act begins at the temple of the goddess Isis, which is located on the banks of the full-flowing Nile River. Radames brings his bride - Amneris to pray to the gods. Aida also came there to secretly see her lover. Suddenly, Aida's father appears in the temple. He persuades her to find out the road along which Radames will lead the army of the Egyptians.

Aida begs her lover to flee to Ethiopia where they can be together and asks which way Radames will lead the army. They are overheard by Amonasro and the young warlord realizes that he has betrayed his country. At this time, Amneris enters, accompanied by the high priest, and Radames gives himself into the hands of the guards, who were summoned by Ramfis.

The fourth act begins with the mental anguish of Amneris, who loves Radames and tries to persuade him to forget Aida, but he refuses and is brought to trial. Amneris still tries to save her lover, but to no avail. Radames is sentenced to a cruel death. He must be buried alive in a crypt. When everything is prepared for the execution and the last stones are laid, Aida enters the crypt to die with her lover. The action ends with the singing of the priestesses.

Cast

• Pharaoh's daughter Amneris is played by Zlata Bulycheva (mezzo-soprano).
• Slave Aida - Victoria Yastrebova (soprano).
• The ambitious commander Radames - Michael Vekua (tenor).
• High Priest Ramfis - Yuri Vorobyov (bass).
• Ethiopian king Amonasro - Vladimir Vaneev (bass).
• In the role of the king of Egypt - Ilya Bannik (bass).

The duration of "Aida" at the Mariinsky Theater is 4 hours 5 minutes.

Aida as seen by Daniel Finzi Pasca

Modern production of the opera "Aida" at the Mariinsky Theater of the talented and famousdirected by Daniel Finzi Paschi fully met the high expectations of all theater lovers. The concert hall is arranged in such a way that the audience surrounds the playing space from all sides. The choir is seated around the entire perimeter of the stage, which creates an incomparable sound. The scenery, curtains and backstage are completely absent, which allows the viewer to observe the entire process. The performance takes place under fluorescent lighting, which perfectly complements the modern production.

"Aida" at the Mariinsky Theatre: reviews

Opera "Aida" in a modern adaptation of the talented director - Daniel Finzi Pasca appealed to many viewers. They left a lot of rave reviews, where they separately noted the excellent acting, bewitching sound and light effects. Gorgeous costumes created by Giovanna Buzzi perfectly complemented the overall atmosphere. The audience also liked the scene with the tin soldiers at the very beginning of the performance.

They are placed around the perimeter of the stage when Amneris (Pharaoh's daughter) enters and knocks them down with a light push of her shoe. The soldiers begin to fall one by one and a "domino effect" is created. Opera "Aida" at the Mariinsky Theater (the duration of the performance is 4 hours 5 minutes) comes with three intermissions.