Eyes and Ears, Please.
As the final spectators took their seats, the lights dimmed and the chandeliers rose. Lights out, curtains open, performers present – let the show begin. Aida was a lengthy opera that captured an entangled web of love in a time of war. This opera was an extravaganza that combined immaculate acoustics with a mesmerizing set. The singing resonated through out the room and the costumes certainly provided some extra flavor to the performance. Although it was a pleasure to watch, the show was dragged out and could have been just fine if shortened.
Love is difficult to maintain, especially in a time of war. Radames, the leader of the Egyptian army, is in love with a slave (Aida.) Little does he know that she is the princess of his rival country – Ethiopia. Amneris, the princess of Egypt, senses that Radames is in love with another woman and is determined to seek her out. After the Egyptian victory over Ethiopia, Radames comes back with the prisoners, one of which happens to be the Ethiopian King (Amonasro). For Aida’s sake, Radames requests that the Pharaoh let the prisoners free. Despite the mercy, the Ethiopian king seeks revenge against Egypt and commands Aida to betray Radames and make him reveal the plans of his army. Radames tells her what she desired but Amneris and the Priest caught him in the act. Radames was sentenced to treason and had to live out the rest of his life in a tomb. Surprisingly, Aida joins him, holding the love that they shared until death.
Unfortunately, like most operas, the plot always sounds more exciting than the actual performance. But Aida managed to live up to its story. The performance was filled with bursts of music and energy that rattled the minds of those who were dozing off. Using binoculars, one could see the intense facial expressions of the singers during moments of drama. Angela Brown, who played Aida, was definitely a pleasure to watch (at least for me) because her glistening white smile combined with her facial expressions added some much needed flavor to the stage. But these moments were scarce and were separated by relatively boring scenes that seemed dragged out. At one point I noticed my eyes slowly closing on me – until the trumpets made me jump out of my seat!
There was no doubt that the Met would have such sophisticated acoustics. One could almost see the sound resonating through out the opera house. The orchestra blended well with the singers, supplementing their voices with the appropriate piece of music. But the most profound feeling was the energy given off by their voices. Sitting in the audience, I felt a powerful tingle in my ears whenever the music would stop and they sang at the top of their lungs. This performance did not only please the auditory senses, but also gave something to for the visual senses to brag about.
The stage left the audience in awe. Not for a second did the recreation of the Egyptian world feel artificial. The inside of the fortress had colossal columns piercing through the stage itself. On the outside, there was light that was as bright as the sun itself. The set was constantly changing to accompany the scenes and was a pleasure to watch on its own. But nothing is perfect. In one of the last scenes, which took place at night, a star fell off the night sky and fluttered towards the ground.
But what would the stage be without costumes for its performers? This opera made sure than such questions would not even be considered. The costumes were high quality. Using binoculars, one could see the detailed armor and robes. The light reflected off of the gold covered arm guards on to the audience. It was a thrill to see such variety of costume – even for the horses running across the stage!
The performance finished on a gentle note but received much roar from the crowd. I wasn’t sure if the audience was clapping because of the grand performance or because the opera was finally over. The applause for Angela Brown was so powerful that it caused her to burst in tears. The crowd was pleased with Aida, and so was I. The Met held a performance that left the audience with a memory that they won’t soon forget.