Pene Pati’s Messenger and Toni Marie Palmertree’s Priestess made fine contributions. Bass Anthony Reed sang with robust clarity as the King of Egypt. Semenchuk’s Act III scene was a tour de force, her pointed phrasing and penetrating tone making you believe that she was motivated by love, not just jealousy.īaritone George Gagnidze was a virile, forceful presence as Aida’s father, Amonasro, and bass Raymond Aceto gave a solid performance as the priest, Ramfis. Still, the evening’s top honors went to mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, whose performance as Amneris was simply riveting. The tenor sounded firm and muscular in the Act I aria, “Celeste Aida,” and his performance grew increasingly ardent and expressive as the evening progressed. Crocetto gave a moving account of the aria “Oh, patria mia,” and she deployed her resonant, beautifully colored instrument in the opera’s duets and ensembles.īrian Jagde, also making an impressive role debut, was her Radames. Soprano Leah Crocetto, singing her first Aida, signaled her readiness in the Act I aria “Ritorna vincitor,” delivered with rich tone and supple phrasing. The strong cast weathered the transitions.
Act IV moves swiftly, although there’s a weird intrusion in the awkward Tomb scene.
Amneris, positioned downstage, watches in anguish as Radames is condemned atop a tall platform. Aida sings “O patria mia” against a dark blue nighttime sky. The second half, which strips away some of the excess, feels more cohesive. Subsequent scenes yield an uncoordinated mix of visuals, from the peppy dance sequences of the Invocation scene (choreography by Jessica Lang) to Amneris’ 70’s-style harem (Anita Yavich’s costumes feature caftans in yards of flowing chiffon.) The Triumphal Scene leaves no stone unturned – enormous thrones, tormented prisoners, male dancers manhandling a slave girl, Radames rolled in on a scaffold.
Designs by the visual artist RETNA suggest the marriage of ancient hieroglyphics and street art without specificity.Īct I opens in a cold, concrete war room, with Egyptian military men conferring over a row of tables (sets are by Michael Yeargan, with lighting by Mark McCullough.) For the most part, Zambello’s setting hews to the contemporary vision, although it’s often unclear exactly when or where the action is taking place.
More problematic are the political machinations propelling the opera. her passion for the Egyptian officer Radames the rivalry between Aida and the Egyptian princess Amneris, who is certain that Radames must be hers. This “Aida,” a co-production with Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera and Minnesota Opera, proves most successful when delineating the plot’s conflicting strains of betrayal and loyalty: Aida’s love for her native Ethiopia vs. Music director Nicola Luisotti led the orchestra in a fervent performance, and the singing often registered with potency. Yet, when the production comes into focus, as it did midway through Saturday evening, the new production yields a number of arresting episodes. This revival of Verdi’s 1871 melodrama, which opened Saturday evening at the War Memorial Opera House, doesn’t measure up to some of the company’s past triumphs (since 1925, San Francisco Opera has given 116 performances of “Aida.”) Hazy dramaturgy, with an odd mix of glitz and grittiness, often blunts the impact of Francesca Zambello’s contemporary staging. The new San Francisco Opera production gets it right – although it takes a while to make it clear. With its teeming crowd scenes and massive set pieces, it’s easy to forget that “Aida” is about four individuals struggling to meet the demands of duty and desire.
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