Verdi: Aida / Rizzi, Paterson, Tamar, Serjan, Pelizzari [DVD]

Verdi: Aida / Rizzi, Paterson

Label: C Major Video
Catalog No: CME 702308
Format: DVD-Video
Release Date: 2010-06-29
Number of Discs: 1
UPC Code: 814337010232

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Notes & Reviews:

Set against the magnificent backdrop of Lake Constance, every production at the Bregenz Festival faces strong natural competitors. But with this first-ever production of Verdi's "Aida" (in an abridged version) on the lakeside stage, it is easy to overlook the beauty of the surrounding nature. Stage director Graham Vick and set designer Paul Brown conjure up an "open-air spectacle of superlatives" (Die Zeit) that throws a bridge between ancient Egypt and today's U.S. The stage effects are stunning: ruins of the Statue of Liberty pieced together with the help of giant cranes, boats carrying priestesses and prisoners – parts of the opera even take place in the lake itself! And in the Grand March – one of the most famous marches in opera – a golden elephant comes sailing into view on a barge.

Notes & Reviews:

Run Time: 135 min.
Region: All
Picture Format: NTSC, 16:9, Color
Sound Format(s): LPCM 2.0, DTS 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish



Reviews

Really Interesting Production
This production of Verdi’s Aida features some very unconventional sets, made even more unique for having been staged over water. The set itself features pieces/ruins of the Statue of Liberty, floating stage elements, and boats that priestesses, prisoners, and other characters arrive and leave on. Initially this is a bit distracting in that you have characters wearing rain-slickers and boots, but the Wiener Symphoniker under Carlo Rizzi do a fine job with Verdi’s score and the principles are in good voice – and once I relaxed into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the production. The imagery was also interesting in that extras could and did disappear into the water providing a subconscious life/death feeling to various actions on “stage”.

As for the principles themselves, Rubens Pelizzari does a good job as Radames, but the two stand-outs for me were Tigran Martirossian and Tatiana Serjan – her vocal work as Aida was wonderful, and it would be a treat to hear her without the necessary aid of head-worn microphones necessary for this production.

If you have seen Aida before and really want to see the pageantry of the Triumphal March with live animal work and traditional sets, this is not the production for you. But if you are open to seeing an interesting and differently staged interpretation with good, solid performances, this is definitely worth a look.

Submitted on 08/14/11 by KlingonOpera 
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Works Details

>Verdi, Giuseppe : Aida, opera
  • Performers: Elisabetta Martorana (Soprano); Iain Paterson (Baritone); Rubens Pelizzari (Tenor); Ronald Samm (Tenor); Tatiana Serjan (Soprano); Kevin Short (Bass); Iano Tamar (Mezzo Soprano); Tigran Martirossian (Bass)
  • Conductor: Carlo Rizzi
  • Ensemble: Camerata Silesia Singers
  • Period Time: Romantic
  • Written: 1884