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Al-Ahram Weekly 14 - 20 October 1999 Issue No. 451 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 14 - 20 October 1999 Issue No. 451
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Hanging the gardens of Babylon
By David Blake
Whatever is in store for you at the top, climbing the plateau of the Pyramids, by whatever method, is an occasion. The three monoliths gloom watchful. And finally, when you reach the heights, there it all is, spread out before you. The two cities, Aida- Memphis-Pharaonic and Cairo-flashing-1999.
Aida is a woman with a lot of problems and she is not very bright. The daughter of a big Ethiopian King, Amonasro, she was caught up in the religion and power-politics of her own country and the Pharaonic Empire.
She is captured one day during the endless war between the two nations and in going to Egypt becomes a personal slave of the Egyptian Crown Princess Amneris, daughter of the Pharaoh himself.
These two daughters of Empire fall out dangerously by falling in love with the same man, the Pharaonic Field Marshall of Egypt, handsome young and ambitious, Rhadames. He further stirs up the passions by himself falling for, not the beautiful and dashing Amneris, but Aida the slave girl, whose father is the enemy of the Egyptian nation. The ensuing battle of will and lust provides highly seasoned confrontations and boils up to a climax when the unfortunate Rhadames betrays his country to the Ethiopian enemy of Egypt, King Amonasro and his daughter Aida.
All the interweaving plots are overheard by the Princess who appears calling out traitor. Aida and her father escape the guards, Rhadames is arrested and condemned to the special death reserved for traitors -- he will be entombed alive. Aida learns of his punishment and, in one of the few active things she does in this story, sneaks into the tomb to die with him.
photo: Sherif Sonbol
What does the new 1999 production of Aida do with this carefully constructed human mayhem. Du Locle and Mariette did such a good job in providing Verdi with his last grand opera that it is difficult to prune it.
It is too perfect to prune and so it has gone on generation after generation, always the same. The tale, everyone knows, everyone grows tired of, yet no-one can overlook it or really do without it. It runs through Everyman's operatic consciousness -- an everlasting grandmother, forever growing young and who cannot be ignored. It deserves its fame and the reason why is its music -- the tunes. In spite of Verdi's well known penchant for the word, it is the music that keeps it alive. And what the Cairo Opera House has done with Aida in 1999 is just to be very true to the music.
You can differ with the setting, the picture, this version of a space-age Aida, but you cannot ignore the music. This production is quite stupendously musical and an accurate rendering of Verdi's score. Almost everyone knows the story but few people realise that the good old faithful, that always fills the house, is a musical masterpiece. They will not be in any ignorance after hearing this particular Aida.
From the wispy, elusive almost feline prelude to the mystical evocation of death which the opera ends, hours later, this is musically a dream Aida made into thrilling reality. Under conductor Patrick Fournillier every phrase of its remarkable concision is given diamond clarity, perfectly molded to a tempo the composer asked for but seldom received. The Cairo Opera Orchestra has never given such a performance. It is a special boon to hear how every turn of the plot is given in the orchestra, ever-changing colour, shape and rhythm.
photo: Sherif Sonbol
Bad temper and high life: the millennium's last performance of Aida
photos: Salah IbrahimFournillier is magic master. This reviewer has heard all the great Aida's since the golden age of the Scala, Met and Covent Garden and here in Cairo in 1999 comes this bon bouche to put beside them, a memory to last a lifetime. It is really the answer to the Cairo Aida story. Change her, try to do without her, find another star to take her place? In this revelation Aida became a sort of primal urge, a flame, and when it passes we shall all be duller. Whatever they do with opera in Cairo, this production is a noble and thrilling achievement. Cairo has been true to all Aida's glamorous memories of past splendours and given us a creation to remember. If you do not care for grand spaces yawning between you and the performers, and many do not, you still have the sound of true Verdi.
Producer Abdel-Moneim Kamel has a New Age view of the legend and like his ballets it is one of almost abstract grandeur, though so high-toned it passes criticism. It is a classic thing but done in this manner it achieves its own thrill. The entire story is clear and unfazed -- no longeur -- it just goes for the narrative plain.
The lighting, by Macchitella, seems to produce its own light, like a precious stone. It flashes and glows darkly and the immense proceedings flow along without a hitch. Abdel-Moneim Kamel is a master of the procession, always the historical highlight of the 'Big Opera'. This production is almost one long procession. and sometimes not even one but three, or even four. Left, right, centre, people move and sway always like the sea in and over the vast spaces to the music's exact rhythm. This is a great feat of opera theatre. The entire machinery of Aida runs along as smoothly as a Vacheron Constantin watch, without a hitch.
The costumes fit the atmosphere. They do not shout colour. Rather, they blend like an Ingres painting, rich and flawless but never dull.
Not a point is lost, but for vision. These grandiose folk, hieratic and ageless like the Pharaoh's themselves, never come close to us -- they occupy an area beyond our normal vision. This is perhaps the only weakness in the Abdel-Moneim production. The people are too far away from us.
Aldo Magnato, the chorus master, has produced his highest pitch of achievement. All these hurrying people in the processions are real and the singing is so pure it makes any difficulties vanish. His treatment of the triumphal-fugue was inspiring and warm, not just stand and deliver.
The characters themselves of these strange, exalted people coping with bad temper in high places suggest big people must expect big troubles.
The best till last. All and every one of the singers were quite perfect, from the Priestess in the first act, Gihan Fayed; to the all important messenger, Walid Korayem; the Pharaoh, the forceful dark-voiced Peter Daaliysky; Ramphis, bass baritone, Reda El Wakil, never richer, darker or more menacing; Amonasro, baritone, heroic anguished father of Aida, Alain Fondary; Amneris, Bruna Baglioni, mezzo soprano, absolutely the power centre of the opera; Rhadames, Nicola Martinucci, a true heroic tenor, clear, passionate, alluringly masculine without barks or shouts -- tall, handsome and centre stage.
And then, of course, Aida, Sylvie Valarye: a dream Aida voice, she has the entire vocal gamut of the part plus deep insight. The character, in spite of all the distance between us, came across in pathos, despair and love. She is a true Verdi heroine. Tall, majestic, the voice surpassingly pure. High floats to deep depths.
She and Martinucci, together at the end, sailed like wonderful seabirds over all the difficulties in the almost conversational, slangy words Verdi allows them.
All was love. The tempi and ongoing tide of music was heartwarming. All the ensembles blazed and there was endless variety in the score. With fireworks, flaming flambeau and the sense of rich, luxurious panoply, Cairo's latest but never last Aida was an experience the high jinx of the millennium will find it hard to equal.
