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"Aida" at the Coliseum: Spirited, Awash in Color, and Fun

by Zoe Strimpel
Fri, 9 Nov 2007 at 12:03 PM
updated Fri, 9 Nov 2007 at 12:04 PM

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After a rocky season with a much-derided "Carmen," the Coliseum needed something good to happen. Luckily, that good thing did happen, on Thursday night, with the opening of "Aida," a gorgeous production of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic love story of an Ethiopian slave girl (the British Claire Rutter) and the Egyptian warrior Radames (John Hudson, also British). From the moment the curtain rose, it was smiles all round and rapturous applause between scenes.

The production, sponsored by Sky Arts, the artier part of the mainstream Rupert Murdoch-owned TV channel, was notable on several accounts. First, this is the English National Opera's first new production of "Aida" in 20 years (made in conjunction with the Houston Grand, San Francisco, and Norwegian Operas). Although it has been one of the most loved operas since it opened at the Cairo Opera House in 1871, two years after the Suez Canal opened, it is a costly production, and the ENO is not rolling in cash. Also the blatant spectacle of the show has made it feel outdated in recent years and not suited to a national opera house going into the 21st century. But while some opera buffs find it empty and "merely" a crowd pleaser, an opera company cannot survive unless the crowd is pleased. Furthermore, the story struck this particular citizen of the new millennium as absorbing. It reflects in high musical form the themes most people occupy themselves with every day anyway, in magazines, television, and gossip. Two women love the same man — one of them is powerful (the daughter of the Pharaoh), and one is a fallen slave girl. Painfully for all, the man loves the slave girl, and her rival is torn between the evil of jealousy and the beauty and truth of love.

Then there's Zandra Rhodes, the screamingly pink-haired fashion designer, known for outlandish makeup and excessive jewelry, who designed the costumes. Thanks to her, the demands of the opera's spectacle were roundly met: The stage was constantly awash in gold, turquoise, and pink. Men wore billowing metallic skirts and had their heads shaved to make way for zigzags of blue lightning; women wore clingy robes of shining black, pink, blue, and brown. Inevitably, the most spectacular scene was the Triumphal March, the send-off for the Egyptian troops as they head into battle. A brilliant blue-spangled elephant came through (not a real one, unlike at a recent performance at the Met). It was enormous and beautiful, streaming in gold and led by equally finely dressed members of the enormous chorus.

The orchestra, conducted by the up-and-coming new music director of the ENO, Edward Gardner, was outstanding. He led his players through such a spirited and sensitive performance of the emotive score that the orchestra sometimes shone above the singers (who, as one or two aficionados commented, were good but not as strong-voiced as could be).

Those who don't like fun with their opera should stay away. Everyone else will love it.

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