Aida
All the praise and accolades for Aida are merited. The performance was fitting for such a grandiose setting at the Metropolitan Opera House. Not only was the performance of Aida impressive, the casting and sets of Aida were magnificent.
The sets of Aida really gave audiences the feel of Egypt, as they perceived it, during that time period. Hieroglyphics were everywhere on the walls as the audience was transported from New York to Egypt. In Act II, the magic of the scene is especially evident. Live horses are used and even though it is was 8:30 p.m., the lighting made the opera house look as if it were day. Nothing in the play went unnoticed. Solders all bore “gold” spears, arrows, swords, and/or shields. Treasures for winning the war (gold, weapons, iron, etc) were bought by soldiers to be presented to the pharaoh. Slaves all wore shoddy clothing to demonstrate their inferiority and the high counsel and pharaoh showed their superiority through their gold clad clothes.
The sets alone, however, weren’t the sole story of Aida. The performance was spectacular. The abrettio was set in Italian and it gave the whole performance a boost. Even though most of the audience didn’t understand the language, they get the magic of the opera through the singing. The presentation by Angela Brown was spectacular. As expected in the lead role, Angela’s voice resonated even when multiple people were singing. Aida will leave the audience clapping for more and its reputation her well deserved.