BY SALINA MYAT
Aida
Opera Australia
Sydney Opera House, 18 July (opening night)
What’d you miss?
- Cutting-edge technology that actually served the narrative
- Forbidden love between an Ethiopian princess and Egyptian war hero
- An orchestra that mirrored human emotion (yas!)
Leading up to the opening night of Opera Australia’s new production of Aida, the main point of anticipation was its promise for a high-tech reimagination, and artistic director David Livermore did not disappoint.
The curtains rose to reveal 10 moving panels of about seven metres high, which initially appear as conventional backdrops. It soon rotated 180 degrees to reveal a digital clone of the image so stunningly crisp, as if to boast the capability of the technology against a ‘real-life image’ comparison.
For me, in the opening moments of the opera, the awe of the ‘cutting-edge technology’ really did steal the show. But as the opera progressed and the novelty wore off, it continued to serve its purpose, never dominating but always supporting what was happening on stage.
There will always be the same complaint, any time someone tries to do anything pointedly new with opera productions; that it distracts from the ‘core value’ of the opera in a glib attempt to try to remain relevant. I guess only time can tell the the true value of an innovation, but so far I’m pretty convinced.
The dramatic simplicity of Aida perhaps does lend greater attention to the staging of the opera, typically fairly excessive in effort- a perfect platform for technological exploration. The essential narrative is a forbidden love between Ethiopian princess Aida (Amber Wagner) and Egyptian war hero Radames (Riccardo Massi), complicated by princess Amneris’ (Elena Gabouri) love for Radames.
Maybe it was the sheer size of the LED panels that gave it such dominating impact, but it was incredible how dramatically the set could be transformed from scene to scene. The grand spectacle of the glittering-gold cobras in the more cast-heavy scenes transitioned so seamlessly to intimate arias with minimalist backdrops; a logistical dream come true in terms of panic-free major set changes.
There was a minor glitch on one of the panels just before the interval, and in the back of my mind I could hear a voice complaining about the unreliability of technology. But maybe that was due to my initial reservations. When you think about it, conventional sets are just as prone to malfunction, anyway. You’d rather a glitch than a stage that’s been set on fire any day.
Beyond the hype of the technology, the production was enjoyable in every way. A stand-out moment for me was Wagner’s performance of Oh Patria Mia, in which the entire hall was filled with her incredibly decadent voice. Conductor Andrea Battistoni did an incredible job to ensure the orchestra was equally important as the libretto in shaping the meaning of the narrative. (Word on the street is that he conducted the entire opera without a score – could the rumour be true?) I particularly enjoyed the orchestral moments featuring the lower strings, reminding me of their incredibly convincing ability to mirror human emotion.
The costuming effectively complemented the set design and was especially impressive when displayed with the entire cast on stage in a glittering medley of brassy tones. If creating a grand spectacle is what opera seeks, then for me this production of Aida has achieved it.
Images courtesy Opera Australia/Prudence Upton.
