Weds. Jan. 29, 6pm, Sat. Feb. 1 – 2 CT visit metopera.org
Reviewed January 14, 2025
Sung in Italian with English subtitles
3hrs. 15 mins. With one intermission that includes screen interviews with the stars
Angel Blue is the nation’s supreme opera star. Her dynamic interpretation of Giuseppe Verdi’s iconic heroine Aida is a landmark performance. The great Leontyne Price left her indelible mark on the role after becoming the first African American soprano to receive international acclaim in a leading role. Aida was one of her signature roles. Angle Blue sets a new standard for excellence.
Metropolitan Opera’s New Production from Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer gives an enlivened look to the time-honored production. Met Opera Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin puts the Met Opera orchestra through its paces with a vibrant approach to Verdi’s elaborate score. Imaginative set designs from Christine Jones and costumes from Susan Hilferty and Lighting Design from Kevin Adams serve to bring the dramatic themes of the story to full fruition.
This is the first new production of Verdi’s Aida in almost 40 years. Earlier incarnations featured live horses and parades of Nubian slaves presenting the bounty looted from recent conquests. All of that has been replaced by video projections from 59 and the presence of dancers dressed as archeologists, suspended from the rafters, uncovering treasures and symbols that lead us into the story of Aida and her star-crossed love triangle.
Credit a magnificent cast with launching this production into the stratosphere. If you see no other opera in life, this Aida is the one to see and it is readily available Live in HD at your local movie theatre. Check metopera.org for more.
