Thank you for giving us the most dramatic portion of the whole opera (at least for me). With the right mezzo this opera might as well be called Amneris. Extraordinary!
The "Aida" that Antonio Pappano led triumphantly to Rome By Juan Antonio Muñoz H. EL MERCURIO Unavoidable. The Roman public bought all the tickets in a few minutes (little more than 2,700 seats) of the Parco della Musica in Rome, where the Santa Cecilia Academy staged “Aida” (Verdi, 1871) on February 27, as a unique and exclusive concert that Warner Classics will place into grooves and launch in October of this year. No scene or costumes or show of any kind, everything rested on the music and voices, in a plot of huge evocative power under the conduction of maestro Antonio Pappano, who made of the Verdian melodic stream the absolute protagonist. Confirming that he is the best Italian opera conductor in recent years, Pappano became one with the score, controlling from the onset its pulse, intensity and lyricism, dealing with the shadows, haziness and details that Verdi left imprinted. Thus, his baton was able to communicate that incessant tide, those boiling passions and theatrical determination, so eloquent in the impatience of the atmosphere and in the sensuality of memories. He was supported by an extraordinary choir, which was musical, powerful, and light, and by an orchestra at its highest level in its phrasing ability, neatness, power and subtleties, as was the case of the first violins in the final phrases of “Celeste Aida”, and the woodwinds and brass instruments in the second act. He knew how to be scary in the terrible Judgment scene and to transport us to Paradise in the final duet. He did all of this but at the same time, he let the singers sing - with all it implies. Thus, this “Aida” revealed its perfect balance between music and word, so often broken; a huge score that lives in the chiaroscuro and in that permanent ambiguity between the public and the intimate dimension of the facts. Pappano is a Master. Anja Harteros is not the voice one imagines for Aida. She is more in line with Mirella Freni, a pure lyrical voice, than with Leontyne Price, a Verdian singer par excellence, but she sings wonderfully and controls every detail of the score. Her first acts were perfect; however, in the third one, where she has a tricky part, “Qui Radames verrà” and “O Patria mia”, the voice did not respond at the end of the aria. She must undoubtedly have recorded it again for the record release. The character she portrays is not to be underestimated: a confused, fearful, contradictory lover that betrays, a sometimes deceitful, sometimes heavenly Aida. Remarkable. Her rival? With a powerful volume, with singing to spare throughout the register, a truly amatory and vindictive tempest, Ekaterina Semenshuck is one of those Amneris that could set the Arena of Verona shaking. Some complained about her emphatic delivery, but in these times when Elena Obraztsova has already reached another level, we must not be so demanding. Ludovic Tézier sang Amonasro and he did not yell or bark or drawl, as almost all do; he is a fine and lyrical singer, with an unlimited expressive voice flow and an overwhelming singing solvency. Erwin Schrott’s vocal color is beautiful. He interpreted Ramfis, a role in which the Chilean public heard him in 1997, with robust bass tones, although a somewhat pronounced vibrato in the high notes. From “Celeste Aida” onwards, the audience was bewitched by Jonas Kaufmann, who debuted as Radames. Even mezzo Cecilia Bartoli, in the room, was “electrified” by his gamut of nuances and the eternal morendo -conveniently forgotten by the tenors of recent decades- of “un trono vicino al sol”. His whole interpretation was a plot of details and inflections, like the diminuendo introduced in “il ciel de’ nostri amori come scordar potrem?” or that sweet, softly spoken voice with which he travelled over “O terra addio” together with Harteros. If the initial aria was ethereal, sometimes whispered, with very long pianissimi on the violins, the passion of his singing set the audience alight at the end of the third act and, naturally, in the scene with Amneris and in “La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse”. A Radames both dramatic and lyrical, more of a lover than hero, controversial with himself and his environment. He will reprise the role again in München and later on in London, where his first “Othello” is scheduled for the 2016-17 season, also under the conduction of Pappano.
Thank you for giving us the most dramatic portion of the whole opera (at least for me). With the right mezzo this opera might as well be called Amneris. Extraordinary!
This artistst really know what they want to say with this music! The greatest Aida for a long time.
The "Aida" that Antonio Pappano led triumphantly to Rome
By Juan Antonio Muñoz H.
EL MERCURIO
Unavoidable. The Roman public bought all the tickets in a few minutes (little more than 2,700 seats) of the Parco della Musica in Rome, where the Santa Cecilia Academy staged “Aida” (Verdi, 1871) on February 27, as a unique and exclusive concert that Warner Classics will place into grooves and launch in October of this year.
No scene or costumes or show of any kind, everything rested on the music and voices, in a plot of huge evocative power under the conduction of maestro Antonio Pappano, who made of the Verdian melodic stream the absolute protagonist. Confirming that he is the best Italian opera conductor in recent years, Pappano became one with the score, controlling from the onset its pulse, intensity and lyricism, dealing with the shadows, haziness and details that Verdi left imprinted. Thus, his baton was able to communicate that incessant tide, those boiling passions and theatrical determination, so eloquent in the impatience of the atmosphere and in the sensuality of memories.
He was supported by an extraordinary choir, which was musical, powerful, and light, and by an orchestra at its highest level in its phrasing ability, neatness, power and subtleties, as was the case of the first violins in the final phrases of “Celeste Aida”, and the woodwinds and brass instruments in the second act. He knew how to be scary in the terrible Judgment scene and to transport us to Paradise in the final duet. He did all of this but at the same time, he let the singers sing - with all it implies. Thus, this “Aida” revealed its perfect balance between music and word, so often broken; a huge score that lives in the chiaroscuro and in that permanent ambiguity between the public and the intimate dimension of the facts. Pappano is a Master.
Anja Harteros is not the voice one imagines for Aida. She is more in line with Mirella Freni, a pure lyrical voice, than with Leontyne Price, a Verdian singer par excellence, but she sings wonderfully and controls every detail of the score. Her first acts were perfect; however, in the third one, where she has a tricky part, “Qui Radames verrà” and “O Patria mia”, the voice did not respond at the end of the aria. She must undoubtedly have recorded it again for the record release. The character she portrays is not to be underestimated: a confused, fearful, contradictory lover that betrays, a sometimes deceitful, sometimes heavenly Aida. Remarkable. Her rival? With a powerful volume, with singing to spare throughout the register, a truly amatory and vindictive tempest, Ekaterina Semenshuck is one of those Amneris that could set the Arena of Verona shaking. Some complained about her emphatic delivery, but in these times when Elena Obraztsova has already reached another level, we must not be so demanding. Ludovic Tézier sang Amonasro and he did not yell or bark or drawl, as almost all do; he is a fine and lyrical singer, with an unlimited expressive voice flow and an overwhelming singing solvency. Erwin Schrott’s vocal color is beautiful. He interpreted Ramfis, a role in which the Chilean public heard him in 1997, with robust bass tones, although a somewhat pronounced vibrato in the high notes.
From “Celeste Aida” onwards, the audience was bewitched by Jonas Kaufmann, who debuted as Radames. Even mezzo Cecilia Bartoli, in the room, was “electrified” by his gamut of nuances and the eternal morendo -conveniently forgotten by the tenors of recent decades- of “un trono vicino al sol”. His whole interpretation was a plot of details and inflections, like the diminuendo introduced in “il ciel de’ nostri amori come scordar potrem?” or that sweet, softly spoken voice with which he travelled over “O terra addio” together with Harteros. If the initial aria was ethereal, sometimes whispered, with very long pianissimi on the violins, the passion of his singing set the audience alight at the end of the third act and, naturally, in the scene with Amneris and in “La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse”. A Radames both dramatic and lyrical, more of a lover than hero, controversial with himself and his environment. He will reprise the role again in München and later on in London, where his first “Othello” is scheduled for the 2016-17 season, also under the conduction of Pappano.
thank you for sharing!!!! ♥
Alicia Livani k
C'ero. Serata indimenticabile.
Que lujo de Orquesta
Thanks for sharing, it's so wonderful
Les accompagnants, écrasent les chanteurs, on entend trop les cuivres, dommage pour ces voix exceptionnelles.
fabulous!!!!!
Grateful for this clip. DId he look unwell to you? Conflicting views. Thanks.
Both Joonas, and Ania were unhealthy.
***** No
UN GENIO ,GRAN DIRECTOR PAPPANO .JONAS KAUFMANN COMO SIEMPRE INSUPERABLE Y SU CELESTE AIDA ,GLORIOSA.....
REally want to hear this and have interference here with echo sound chamber in public library.
Solo se ve al director!...
comment ne pas être émue par tant de beauté
cassandre
''beauté'' ?...
bodiloto beaute du chant et de cette interprétation beauté des interprêtes
céleste AIDA par JONAS une merveille
cassandre
''beauté du chant'' ?
'' JONAS une merveille'' ?
beata tu cara cassandre !
bodiloto Comme dit la célèbre série TV " La vérité est ailleurs" ... Mention spéciale à Ludovic Tézier et à lui seul ...Bises Nicola
+Françoise Crameri
Ludovic è una bellissima sorpresa per me.
in questi giorni aveva cantato il Conte di Luna.
era semplicemente magnifico.