Verdi - Aida
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Movie Reviews of Verdi - Aida
Movie Review: Wanted to see what the "controversy" was about.
Summary: 5 Stars
As a fan of tenor, Roberto Alagna, and having some knowledge of "hypogylcemia"( with which he was apparently struggling), I was interested in this production. Roberto is extraordinry in the lyric repertoire. This was a venture into new territory. The lyric repertoire serves his voice more ideally than "Celeste Aida" but the remainder of the opera was a beautiful and nuanced performance, with a very moving tomb scene. I remain a fan of his and appreciate the whole cast and performance. We have a world of "armchair" critics and singing
connoseurs with an inability to factor in our vulnerable human condition and the vicisitudes of life. This is most especially true where the singer's instrument is his body, which applies here. We demand a lot of these artists wih their jet-setting schedules, and yet are quick to spit out disparaging remarks and "boos".
Movie Review: A feast for the eyes and ears
Summary: 5 Stars
La Scala, Milan pulled out all the stops in their staging of Verdi's opera, which had not been performed since 1987. Zeffirelli's staging is highly effective and one could not have expected anything less than excellent from this seasoned director. The principals are a mixed bag, depending on how you like your singers - Alagna's lyric voice has grown and he has no problems sustaining the role's demands once he gets past 'Celeste Aida' and Violeta Urmana has a big voice and can shade it down to a fine whisper when required, although I personally feel she is not completely within the role's demands vocally. The supporting cast is excellent and Riccardo Chailly conducts a fine account of Verdi's score.Movie Review: Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!
Summary: 5 Stars
Alagna is superb . The rest of the cast stands tall with him in this magnificent production. The final scene leaves the audience fully satisfied and pleased that they have experienced something very special!Movie Review: New LaScala "Aida" excels, despite wifty editing and Chailly's underwhelming conducting!
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a brave attempt by Franco Zeffirelli and LaScala to mount a new traditional production of Verdi's AIDA to rival the classic Emmy-and-Peabody-award-winning setting still on view by the Metropolitan Opera. Violeta Urmana is a vocally gorgeous, well-acted Aida, and she uses her voice to stunning effect. Roberto Alagna was seriously maligned by the LaScala "claque" - he sings a fine Radames - a little rough in the Celeste Aida, due to the timing or how new it is in his repertoire, but the rest of the opera is a revelation! His Radames is handsome, earnest, forthright, and believable (and in great physical shape - he even goes shirtless in the Act 1 Scene 2 prayer scene!). Contrary to the Spanish reviewer, I thought he and Urmana had good chemistry together, but they were in a new production which was very busy, with lots of little steps and other stuff to physically negotiate. The tomb scene in particular displayed tenderness and palpable regret. The mezzo was quite excellent, reminiscent of Giulietta Simionato in her heyday, or Dolora Zajick, still on view in the aforementioned Met production.
Three problems: the editing, which veers from close-ups, to medium shots, with many dreamy, annoying visuals of floating, wafting fabric, to what effect I know not. It got very tiresome after the first three or four dissolves. Ultimately, it was unnecessary and just dumb. The edits needed to be clear and concise, or at least somewhat coherent. The conducting by Riccardo Chailly was perfunctory; he seemed to be attempting a Muti-like visual suggestion, with the hair and the gestures, etc., but the sounds were of someone conducting from a score he had just read. It sounded clumsy and lacked grace and subtlety. The costume, fright wig, and makeup for Amonasro looked like a refugee from a 70's era Carol Burnett tv sketch.
Despite these criticisms, I would recommend this performance, because the singers - and Verdi's timeless work - survived with their integrity intact, and put forth an emotional, vivid story of love and regret, which made the items that didn't work small in comparison. I just think these videos need to be reviewed before they come out for sale, because sometimes (not with this one) the releases are not worth the discs they are printed on, especially at the increasingly exorbitant prices for which they sell.
Movie Review: Very distracting Video Direction!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Beautiful Aida production by Zefferelli at La Scala Milan. This production is a little over done but beautifully set. The singers are amazing except that I found Alagna's infamous aria "Dolce Aida" to be sung in an almost forced and yelling voice. So far, I have just watched the Acts 1&2 first DVD, and so far I can tell you that you will be dissapointed by the anoying fading of pictures throught the video. This is done in a manner that you want to scream and say stop doing that!!!Just focus on the characters and lets enjoy the performance in a way that a seating patron there was enjoying it. By, the way the ballet at the end of Act 2 was very sexy and beautifully danced. 4 stars for the singing 5 stars for the ballet and 5 star for the sets and costumes. 0 star for the video direction.