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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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A fin-de-siècle extravaganza
By Rehab SaadWork is in rapid progress at the Giza Plateau to prepare for a LE15 million production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. A stage has been constructed by the Armed Forces, a light system has been installed and rehearsals for the 12-17 October performance are well underway.
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters "This will be the last performance in the millennium, and we wanted to come up with a new concept," said director Abdel-Moneim Kamel.
Declaring that this year's performance will be completely different from past productions, Kamel told Al-Ahram Weekly that "there is a new vision for the stage direction, sets, props and clothes. We thought of a mixture of old and new symbols. The stage is shaped like the sun, which is one of the most important Pharaonic symbols, but this sun takes the form of a UFO."
The 21m-high stage, built on an area of 4,200 square metres, is operated by hydraulic power, which makes it possible to change the background quickly. "Clothes will have a special significance, with their colours changing to correspond to the nature of the scene. The temple scene, in which the high priest Ramfis sings Celeste Aida, will be dominated by white, symbolising purity. In the victory scene, where the Egyptians prevail over the Ethiopians, gold, symbolising splendour and glory, will prevail. In the third act, the Nile will be in the background and the clothes will be blue, a symbol of romanticism. Rose and red, symbolising love and sacrifice, will prevail in the last trial scene, in which both Aida and Radamis, her lover, die."
Kamel said the stage will be kept and re-used for the next three years at least. "Nobody constructs a stage every year, as we do. The stage in Opera Verona, for instance, has not been changed in the past 20 years. After this year's performance, we will dismantle the stage and keep it for future use. This is more economical. This does not mean that the direction and the performance will be the same, however. The set can be changed and the direction can be modified," he cautioned.
For the first time, Egyptians will have leading roles in the opera. Iman Mustafa will sing Aida, along with Sylvie Valayre and Lucia Mazzaria. "Aida is Egyptian, the director is Egyptian, the ballet is Egyptian, the choir is both Egyptian and Italian and the stage is built by Egyptians," said Kamel, adding: "We are going to increase the number of Egyptians every year." This year, however, Radamis will continue to await an Egyptian singer: Kristjan Johannsson and Nicola Martinucci will play the role. The orchestra will be conducted by Patrick Fournillier and Giorgio Croci.
Prices for the gala opening will range from $100 to $250, with those for other performances varying from $75 to $200. Egyptians and foreign residents will pay the same prices, but in Egyptian pounds.
Opera officials say that reservations for this year's production, sponsored by MobiNil and EgyptAir, are up 22 per cent from last year. Officials expect that a total of approximately 27,000 spectators will fill the 4,500 seats on successive nights.
"Aida will never be staged outside Cairo and Giza," Kamel asserted. "Experience has proved that these settings have a special charm. Although Luxor was great, there were difficulties in promoting the venue and getting people there. Moreover, Luxor hotels could never absorb such a large number of tourists and Egyptians, but this can be done easily in Cairo. Hotel occupancy during last year's performance soared, the production received better promotion and the economic revenue was better than anything ever achieved before."
