Seattle Opera's Aida a Great Season Opener

Aida Seattle Opera by Victoria Rimoczi When Guiseppe Verdi wrote Aida in 1870, he created an opera written for the people. From the opening notes of the overture, the audience in McCall Hall was drawn into a world which is both far away and yet intimately familiar.

Aida is a story of the conflict of love and duty. The action takes place in Egypt in the midst of a war between Egypt and Ethiopia. Aida (Lisa Daltirus) has been captured as a slave by the Egyptians, unbeknownst to all as the daughter of the King of Ethiopia. She loves and is loved by Radames (Antonello Palombi), the hero of the Egyptian Army.

Were this not opera, the story would end here, but this being opera, we add Amneris (Stephanie Blythe), the Pharos daughter who is in love with (as you guessed) Radames to the mix. If you’re thinking this isn’t going to end well for our two lovers, you’re right. Aida’s father, Amonasro (Charles Taylor) convices Aida to use her feminine wiles to obtain state secrets thus leading us to our crushing denouement. Radames betrays his country for love and is condemned to be buried alive. Aida chooses to share his fate and the lovers die in grand, heart-wrenching operatic style.

The control Lisa Baltrius had over her voice as Aida was impressive, maintaining the tuning even in the highest register and producing a very beautiful lyric line. Her voice was the perfect contrast to the dramatic Amneris. Some of the intimacy of the “O Patra Mia” was diverted due to set staging, but the subtlety and sweetness in her voice made you really sympathize with her plight. Stephanie Blythe is the reigning Queen of the mezzo-soprano repertoire and her Amneris was a delight to the senses. The sheer size of her voice, the impeccable technique and the ease at which she was able to soar her voice over orchestra, chorus and small buildings in a single bound, had this reviewer looking for a cigarette. Her performance made one wonder if the opera should have been called Amneris instead of Aida.

Lisa Daltirus (Aida) and Antonello Palombi (Radames) Photo: © Rozarii Lynch

Antonello Palombi’s rich tenor voice portrayed both the strong, conquering hero as well as the tender lover with equal success. Radames was a man’s man and his betrayal by Aida was felt intimately. The final duet between Aida and Radames was a tender and magical moment on stage. Joseph Rawly as the King of Egypt brought the right nobility to the stage while bass-baritone Charles Taylor, is believable (if a bit young) as Aida’s father, Amonasro.

The High Priestess, Priti Gandhi provided a delightful contrast against the lush sounds on the stage at the end of the first Act. Special commendation must be made to the chorus for a truly beautiful performance. Though there were no elephants in the Seattle Opera performance, Speight Jenkins put his faith in Verdi and his faith was repaid. The rich orchestrations so brilliantly conducted by Riccardo Frizza, the colorful and triumphant sets by Michael Yeargan, brilliant choruses, dramatic arias and ensembles made Aida the perfect kickoff to a fantastic Season with Seattle Opera.

For more reviews of the arts in Seattle: http://www.prostamerika.com/EnglishMirrorPages/SeattleEventsEn.html