Aida, Royal Opera House
I love an Italian opera, but this was the first one I didn’t like. Nothing to do with the artists, singing, music or that tune (so good, it got a reprise), but the staging.
I didn’t know the plot of Aida, and with a good view for a standing £11 ticket — I was ready to be drawn in. I was expecting spectacle, OTT Italian plotting, passion and high drama. Whilst the drama and seething emotions were there, the staging stopped emotional connection and even for opera, some of it was a bit risible.
Reading further, the opera was commissioned by a 19th century Egyptian ruler, the Khedive Isma’il Pasha to big up all things Egypt and also reach out to the West, as the Khedivial Opera House opened. Not to mention putting a modern Egypt on the world map — though Western powers kept blocking him in this aim.
What should be a celebration, an in your face bombast, Egypt-fest, felt dreary — purely due to the staging. It is to the commendation of all the cast that they overcame the beige-ness/quiet luxury to push through and get us focused on plot, characters, songs and the music. The setting was a sort of timeless Fascist/Communist neo-Classicist setting — incredibly brutal and very Western rather than North African. As a result it was hard to get any sense of place and in their neutrals, most of the characters looked the same. Apart from a pop of red suit and a fantastic caped dress, I struggled to tell the Pharaoh's daughter and Aida apart most of the time.
As a matter of fact, I’ve got no issues with moderninsing productions, yet question why the production felt they needed to use this European setting? Why not North Africa or Middle Eastern and make some deeper points along the way? The production could have landed in modern Egypt, 1950s/1960s Egypt (as styling seemed to be straying to the 1950s anyhow), or even moved further afield for a setting in Syria, Lebanon or Iran?
Through obviously trying to avoid ‘Mummy and King Tut’ cliches, orientalism, cultural appropriation and cultural/social/political offence, the extreme brutalist setting ended up creating real emotional disconnect and displacement. The only scenes which truly work in terms of setting are the fire pit in what could be a Temple (or perhaps more of a miliary/Lincoln style memorial) as well as the monumental flag draped coffins scene — though this is ruined by having the coffins carried off sans flags and replaced with some sniggersome military ballet with flag waving interludes and ridiculous stamping. I did groan inwardly when the flags appeared as I knew they were going to start waving them about — and they did! We didn’t really get the sense of national triumph or victory celebration here — more stamping, and that the coffins containing heroes were more in the way. It should have been a solemn and stately moment, the flag waving should have been tighter and on point — instead it was a bit odd. They were definitely going for a Red/Tiananmen Square military parade spectacular, instead it was naff. (Almost as naff as Aida’s father singing that Radames has no choice and it’s all down to fate — when he’s clearly making a reasoned choice!)
For the most part, the production seemed to be going for a militaristic, totalitarian vibe, but this didn’t quite work out in practice. The poor flag waving in the wind graphic behind a dramatically staged military gathering and some odd black and white war footage didn’t help either, as suddenly we were in a time setting — sort of 1950s?
Though I didn’t get to see Angel Blue as expected, sadly, and there was a sweet statement from the stage by the Director, apologising for one of the singers having a sore throat which was still impacting their singing power, it was the singers themselves that made this production. Often alienated within the vast sets, banging on closed doors, lurking in the wings and slithering down walls in despair, they made the production literally sing and overcame the limitations of the set. Incredibly gorgeous singing and really got a sense of the tragedy as captured Ethiopian Princess Aida (Christina Nilsson) is manipulated by Egyptian Princess Amneris (Olesya Petrova), for they both love Egyptian military superstar General Radames Francesco Meli. A huge ethical dilemma emerges as the Ethiopians fight Eygpt, are defeated and Aida’s father Amansaro (Dimitri Platanias) is among the captured prisoners. Radames is allowed a choice due to his victory and seeks to get them all freed, but is overruled, denied and forced to marry the Pharaoh's daughter instead. Not quite what he wanted. Meanwhile Radames seeks Aida out, inspite of their circumstances, wonderfully declaring his love for her still and they decide to run away together. Their sung debate about their different options is really something, as they try to avoid the trap they’re both caught in. But then he realises who her father is, who the prisoners are and collapses in guilt and shame, feeling that he’s betrayed his country and his position. Aida’s father reappears and exits using her as a human shield. I’m not sure how this allows him to escape as presumably the other Egyptians wouldn’t care and just take them all down in one go — but he does!
There was another odd moment where I think they were voting on whether to execute Radames or not, (it was hard to tell with all the ‘soldiers’ lined up in a squash front of stage). No matter what the King of Egypt or perhaps Ramfis was determined to force the vote, leading to some incredibly merciless lines as he keeps ignoring his daughter’s/Princess’s desperate pleas for last minute compassion and mitigation of his sentence. The victorious hero is condemned as a traitor to his position and country and imprisoned awaiting execution.
Strangely and beautifully, Aida and Radames do get to be together, finally. He was being held prisoner in some kind of basement — I think it was missile storage, though it sort of looked like a wine cellar too! Whilst I don’t know why he didn’t attempt to use all the missiles lying around to blow his way out or atleast make a last stand against the regime (A-Team style); Aida somehow manages to join him and they fade in the background, resigned to their deaths, together. It’s the first time I’ve seen mortality and acceptance of death, of the end of life so beautifully and movingly discussed on stage (and in song). I don’t know how Aida gets back having seemingly escaped with her father to freedom — and having been mentioned, neither she nor her father seem remotely fussed about where her brothers are.
Stand out moments were Radames declaring his undying love for Aida and that somehow they will be together, even as he’s been betrothed to Ms Royal Egypt ; the King of Egypt or perhaps Ramfis rigging the vote and bellowing ‘NO! Traitor!’ many times (as well as stepping up and persuading the ‘young’ General Radames that mercy to his enemy was a really bad thing) as well as the Pharaoh's daughter fighting table place arrangements to get everything just right for the returning heroes. Soloman Howard as Ramfis (whoever he was) and the dignified King as portrayed by Blaise Malaba were tremendous; Francesco Meli could absolutely belt those notes out too!
Looking too at the plot synopsis, a lot of this got lost in the modern Western setting — What is the Story of Aida? Plot, Synopsis & More | ENO
Splendid though were the huge casts on stage, unusually mostly men singing together and one person who did a really effective turn as a soldier giving out weapons to his fellow soldiers. Some of the staging was a bit time wasting too — such as the King or perhaps Ramfis greeting his troops line by line, the passing along of guns, the Pharoah’s daughter limply bringing on the battle flag, Radames going up to greet the King and his daughter just to come down again (and then they came down from their dizzying heights to give him a medal). Worst of all was the tedious dinner table setting scene — which didn’t end in a big celebratory dinner as expected. The dramatic moment of the heroic slain with their flag draped coffins was completely lost by the slow winding up of flags and then carrying off of coffins. It had been all Skyfall and high drama, then sort of became a bit ‘why have the coffins on stage in the first place?’
Additionally by having both sides in sludgy, muddy colours and basically wearing the same clothes, it was hard to tell that the prisoners were captured combatants or their military opponents. Although the Egyptians were in full military regalia and national symbols at points, where were the Ethiopians army and symbols here? Much could have been made of culture clash, even commenting on ongoing conflicts now — and that for me was the main problem, whereas it’s meant to be more Romeo and Juliet, love across the social-cultural barricades — everyone looked the same! (Still not quite sure who Ramfis was!)
Again it was to the cast’s credit that they fought through all these things to connect with the audience through their superb singing, emotional connections and characterisations. Not terrible overall, but the cast had to fight the setting’s oddities, which is a shame — and it is to their triumph that they managed this. (Bring back the elephants on stage is my last thought! as the music is often left hanging empty or pointlessly filled without it’s accompanying scenes of pageantry).
Travesty or tragedy? What Egypt thinks of Verdi’s Aida | Opera | The Guardian
I’d like to see the Opera North version as they’ve thought more widely about the cultures represented in the production — Aida in a nutshell (operanorth.co.uk)
