Aida
So. My first ever opera. Aida, the story of forbidden love, war, divided loyalties and jealousy was written by Verdi at the behest of the Khedive of Egypt. Set in the deliciously bright sunshine of Egypt and the cool, chilly environs of temples, this is a timeless tale of emotions and history.
This production's set was extraordinarily realised, with huge blocks of marble and stone which felt entirely real. The lighting was well done and the costumes suitably exotic and shiny. It's a long performance - from 7:30 til 10:15 - but we get two intervals which breaks things up nicely. Olga Perrier is a believable Aida, and we're all definitely on her side from the word go - her voice is clear as a bell and her projection excellent. The other stand out performance for me was Zarui Vardanean as the princess of Egypt, Aida's love rival, whose journey from self important jealousy to pure regret is beautifully played out. As it was sung in Italian we has surtitles, which were of utmost importance when working out what's going on. It's not a massively active opera - there's not much physical movement, but the addtion of a fire spinner and a short dance by a troupe of young girls cuts through the long passages of singing and shifts our attention well.
For a first opera, I would recommend Aida, for its lavish stage set, glamorous costumes and beautiful songs. It didn't grip my attention as fiercly as other art forms do, for example ballet, but I think that's just me - I wasn't used to such slow paced entertainment. A glorious and well told production from Ellen Kent.
