Ali Bongo meets The Gorsedd |
Aida |
Welsh National Opera , Wales Millennium Centre , June 2, 2008 |
![]() At the opening of Aida the reception for John Caird and his production team resembled voting figures for a British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Yet again we had an evening that relied on the singing, breathtaking power of the WNO chorus and Community Chorus and Carlo Rizzi’s elegant reading of the score. I should also mention the sword brandishing, flag waving, stave beating, marching, dancing, prancing dancers who were seemingly thrown in to compensate for the dreariness of the rest of the production. The scene opens with Ramades smoking his hookah and hallucinating. Okay so I assume it was all a drug induced dream, a late Ottoman Empire fantasy blah, blah blah but frankly it was more like Ali Bongo teaming up with the Whirling Dervishes and joining the Gorsedd. Bits were pretty enough. Well, the opening was anyway. From then on we had a set that was frankly any opera circa 1970-1980, stark walls and different levels. (I have now read the programme and what looked like a disused slate quarry is supposed to evoke an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus – it doesn’t.) Costumes? Well there were big skirts for men and even bigger hats while the women had bland sort of frocks while Amneris looked as if she has wandered in from a production of Tosca and the priestesses from a toga party. Supervised by the chief bard, one got her throat cut so Ramades could be ritualistically daubed in her blood – that would liven up the Eisteddfod. That is far too much about the production. This Aida is worth going to for the music – and that is reason enough. Dennis O’Neill is in strong voice, a commanding presence who delivered THAT aria with panache. Margaret Jane Wray is not an Amneris to be messed with, powerful and, despite the odd wobble, dominant. David Soar shook off, metaphorically, the horrendous costume and sang a splendid King while Phillip Joll took to the role of Amonasro with ease. Andrew Gangestad was a revelation as Ramfis. Zvetelina Vassileva kept her eye on Carlo in the pit and barely took a wrong step. While this was a finely sang Aida some of the chemistry between her and Ramedes was a little lacking. Okay so at the end Dennis doesn’t die, he just goes back to the beginning, looking rather spaced out waiting for the visions to reappear. To misquote When Harry Met Sally. I don’t know what he was smoking but I don’t want any. Well, unless it does that to my voice. Further performances: June 3, 7, 14. |
Reviewed by: Mike Smith |
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