Metropolitan Opera- Aida

Verdi’ Aida is one of those magnificent operas guaranteed to sell seats. Pomp and glory, a heart-wrenching story, emotionally poignant and grand music- what more could an audience want? Fortunately for performance’s sake, it still takes an A-list cast to make a magical night. There were moments of Romantic glory in this performance, but on an overall whole it was an unmemorable evening. Dolora Zajick as Amneris and Violeta Urmana as Aida both put forward energetic performances. Their duet moments had drive- one’s performance seemed to inspire the other towards reaching new vocal heights. They were like animals feeding off each other’s energy. Though Ms. Zajick’s deep voice sometimes overpowered everyone else’s on stage, she presented the most intense character and was without a doubt the only memorable performer of the evening. The conductor, Paolo Carignani, did little to inspire a feeling of ensemble. He rarely seemed to have control over an unmotivated orchestra and cast, and certainly did not add any flare or personal interpretation of his own. Richard Margison as Radamès gave us a less than inspiring performance. His wobbling and superficially forceful voice was certainly not genuine enough for a prince who is considering abandoning his homeland in the name of love.

One of the most beautiful Verdi arias is Aida’s “O Patria Mia”. Leontyne Price commanded this aria in the early 1980s. Watch her 1985 farewell performance on youtube and you will be hard-pressed not to have an emotional reaction. Then watch Montserrat Caballé sang the aria. Every moment is tender, certainly not rushed, and as heavenly as an atheist can describe. Unfortunately for the present time, Ms. Urmana did not live up to the grandness of the title role. Her performance was too fast, (party because of the conductor’s neglect as well) with at best nonchalant emotions. Granted it is a difficult aria for any soprano to sing, but that should not scare the singer away. She is singing about her homeland being conquered by the Egyptians! One should relish in the music and work to improve their technique even in only for the purpose of this aria. Live performances are so much more exciting when the singer’s technique is strong enough to allow ample room for emotional involvement, maybe even an added fear factor. I’d rather hear a singer crack than not even try for beauty. Can you imagine an opera audience actually on the edge of their seats mesmerized with anticipation? Certainly some performers today possess these wonderfully hypnotic qualities on stage, but more should. The reality of it is that the Met has one if not two operas performed 6 days a week, nine months out of the year. Not everyone is going to knock your socks off. That is why we have recordings.