Aida, (A)n (I)nteresting (D)isplay of (A)rt
My attitude towards operas in general is somewhat indifferent; I never really found them interesting and even after seeing Aida I still feel the same way. There is just something that irks me about going to the opera, sitting there for about 4 hours and listening to a play in another language, let alone the fact that the whole plot is relayed through singing.
Walking into The Met I was taken by how big the theater was, it was monstrous. The stage basically reached the ceiling, which Nate touched during one of the intermissions. The structures that were on stage for the play were massive and beautifully structured as well. I really have never seen stagecraft quite like that.
I must admit that the talent the opera singers displayed was unbelievable, apart from their acting which isn’t the very best. Some of the notes they hit were very impressive, and took me by surprise. Their ability to hold those notes was just as remarkable. It was really interesting listening to them and seeing how most of the music accompanied the opera singer, besides the recitatives.
Overall, I thought the opera was pretty good. The second act almost put me to sleep because it was so drawn out but I survived it (unlike some other classmates). The story line was a classic tragedy, which I’m not a huge fan of because the endings are predictable. It was neat to hear the Aida theme song and Ameris’ jealousy theme song since I already knew what it sounded like prior to the opera. My favorite part of the opera was Act II with the dancing scene. For some reason, this part of the Act really grabbed my attention and I stayed awake for this whole part. All in all, the opera was what I expected it to be and I don’t see myself revisiting one anytime soon.
P.S – I found out what Aida stands for just in case you guys didn’t know.
Posted: December 6th, 2012 under Opera, Reviews.
