A few years ago on the stage of the State Academic Mariinsky Theater (St. Petersburg) appeared the opera "Aida" in a modern production by director Daniele Finzi Paski. She made a splash in the theater world, and the audience left a lot of enthusiastic reviews. We’ll talk more about the Aida opera at the Mariinsky Theater in this article.
The story of the creation of the famous production
The opera Aida was written by the talented Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Its creation is dedicated to a significant event - the opening of the Suez Canal, which is an artificial canal connecting the Red and Mediterranean Seas.
The Egyptian government placed an order for an opera, which was accepted by Giuseppe Verdi. The premiere of "Aida" took place in the second half of the XIX century in the capital of Egypt - Cairo. We will tell about the plot of the legendary opera in the next chapter of our article.
A brief plot of the opera
The first action takes place in the palace of the pharaoh, 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 commander - 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 commander who should lead the Egyptian army to defend the country.
Then Radames is left alone, he is ambitious, dreams of victory and glory, as well as how after that he can marry Hades - a slave from Ethiopia. At this time, Amneris (daughter of Pharaoh) enters, who secretly passionately in love with Radames. She tries to find out the reason for his joy and realizes that the heart of the young commander is busy.
In the second action, we find ourselves in the chambers of Amneris, and find out that the Egyptian army won the battle. Amneris realizes that the beloved of Radames is Aida's slave and begins to threaten her. Radames on his return receives the crown of the winner, and the pharaoh promises to give his daughter for him. Also, Aida's father, Amonasro, who is the king of the Ethiopians, is captured.
The third action begins at the temple of the goddess Isis, which is located on the banks of the deep river Nile. Radames brings his bride - Amneris to pray to the gods. Aida also came there to secretly see her lover. Suddenly, the father of Aida 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. Amonasro overhears them and the young commander 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 whom Ramfis summoned.
The fourth action begins with the emotional torment of Amneris, who loves Radames and tries to persuade him to forget Aida, but he refuses and faces trial. Amneris is still trying to save his lover, but to no avail. Radames is sentenced to brutal death. It must be immured alive in a crypt. When everything is prepared for execution and the last stones are laid, Hades penetrates the crypt to die with her lover. The action ends with the singing of the priestesses.
Cast
- The role of Pharaoh’s daughter Amneris is played by Zlata Bulycheva (mezzo-soprano).
- Aida Slave - Victoria Yastrebova (soprano).
- The ambitious military leader Radames is 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 the "Aida" at the Mariinsky Theater is 4 hours 5 minutes.
"Aida" in the vision of Daniel Finzi Pasca
The modern production of the opera Aida at the Mariinsky Theater of the talented and famous director - Daniel Finzi Paski fully met the high expectations of all theater lovers. The concert hall is designed so that the audience surrounds the playing space from all sides. The choir is seated around the perimeter of the stage, which creates an incomparable sound. The scenery, curtains and backstage are completely absent, which allows the viewer to observe the whole process. The performance takes place under fluorescent light, which perfectly complemented the modern production.
"Aida" at the Mariinsky Theater: reviews
The opera "Aida" in the modern processing of a talented director - Daniel Finzi Paski appealed to many viewers. They left a lot of enthusiastic reviews, where they separately noted the excellent play of the actors, mesmerizing 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 play.
They are placed around the perimeter of the stage when Amneris (the daughter of the pharaoh) enters and knocks them down with a light push of the shoe. The soldiers begin to fall one after another 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.