ENCORE OPERA FOUNDED BY STEVE SCHWARTZ For June 7, 2019 CAN YOU HELP? This Week’s Program by GENE MARTIN Verdi’s I have not yet created a formal structure for Encore Opera with a Riderwood’s commitment AIDA to maintain and increase Steve’s media Library with English Subtitles so that other residents can continue showing ————- operas after Steve and I are gone. Do let me know if you’re interested in helping; we can NOTES by STEVE SCHWARTZ talk about what needs doing. By 2011, the Metropolitan Opera had This production won an EMMY for “Outstanding performed Aida more than a thousand Classical Program in the Performing Arts” in times, more than any other opera. Last 1989-90 The Emmy Awards are administered year, they performed it with two entirely by three sister organizations which focus on different casts for a total of fourteen more various sectors of television and broadband performances in just one season! programming, namely the Television Academy AIDA is universally recognized as one for primetime programs, the National Academy of the most popular operas as measured by of Television Arts & Sciences for daytime, the number of performances in opera houses sports, news and documentary programs, and throughout the world. Verdi composed it in the International Academy of Television Arts & 1871, when he was almost sixty. By then, he Sciences for international programs. already had the status of dean of opera NEXT FRIDAY composers and had written more than two On the 14th, we have Puccini’s Tosca from the dozen operas. Hence, he was a wealthy man Arena di Verona with Daniel Oren conducting who had earned the right to live out his Fiorenza Cedolins, Marcelo Álvarez, and golden years in retirement. Ruggero Raimondi. Were that not treat Verdi had previously turned down enough, the recording is on Blu-ray disc! numerous offers to write another opera, but in anticipation of the imminent opening of AIDA: PRINCIPAL CAST the Suez Canal, the fabulously wealthy Radames, tenor: Placido Domingo Khedive of Egypt kept after him and Aida, soprano: Aprile Millo ultimately made him an offer he could not Amneris, mezzo: Dolora Zajick refuse. Amanasro, baritone: Sherrill Milnes James Levine conducts the Metropolitan Contrary to general belief, Aida was Orchestra & Chorus not composed to coincide with the opening of the canal, although the two events were Runtime: 158 minutes • Recorded live at definitely connected. It had originally been the MET 1988 • DVD released 2000 by intended that the premiere of this new opera Deutsche Grammophon • MPAA not rated coincide with the opening of the opulent new ASIN: B000050X2Z opera house being built in Cairo. Page !1 of 4 However, the Franco-Prussian War He sings that he fervently hopes to prevented that. The new opera’s sets and be named to lead the army, and that he costumes were conceived, built and stored in loves Aida. If he returns victorious, he will Paris which was besieged by the Prussian seek her freedom and be with her when he army so they could not be shipped to Cairo places her back on her rightful throne. in time. As a result, the new opera house Amneris also loves Radames, and opened to a performance of Verdi’s twenty- suspects that Aida is her rival. From the year old war-horse, Rigoletto. And Aida was outset, the love triangle and their premiered in Venice, Italy on Christmas Eve conflicting loyalties underlie the conflict of 1871. It was an immediate hit and has between the two women that drives the remained a favorite ever since. opera. We see this tension between them PLOT immediately. After some action involving ACT ONE the King and Ramfis (both bassos), As in all Verdi operas, the story Radames is named to head the Egyptian begins with inter-personal and internal army. The Egyptian crowd sings “ritorno conflicts that were the sine qua non for vincitar,” (return the victor) to Radames all the plots he set to music. The story and Aida, caught up in the patriotic fervor, is set in ancient Egypt where, several joins in. years earlier, Egypt had defeated its But when Aida is alone we hear Verdi next-door neighbor and rival nation, at his best, as he captures the conflicts Ethiopia, in a war that had ended with that are tearing her apart. In a piece that numerous Ethiopian prisoners being is as much a Hamlet-ish soliloquy as an transported back to Egypt, to serve as aria, Verdi takes us into the heart-rending slaves to members of the ruling class. emotions that race through her mind. She Among them was the beautiful young knows the battle-cry seeks the defeat of maiden named Aida. She is the her father and countrymen. She ends her daughter of the Ethiopian king, aria bemoaning her dilemma and asking Amanasro, hence she is heir to the for Fate’s pity. Verdi’s genius is apparent Ethiopian throne. However, that has not as his music conveys the appropriate been disclosed to her captors. In an aspects in each part of Aida’s long solo and improbable situation that could only ends the act. happen in opera, Aida (a princess ACT TWO Scene One: In Amneris’ herself) was unknowingly assigned to be private chambers the personal slave to the heiress to the Egyptian throne, the princess Amneris. Many slave girls including Aida are ministering to the princess who is As the action opens, the Egyptians bathing to purify herself for the coming learn that the Ethiopians have invaded ceremony in which Radames will don the again; the burning question is: who will uniform of his new rank and receive a lead the Egyptian army? We meet the special protective aura from the Egyptian opera’s hero Radames as we hear him gods. Amneris watches as the slave girls sing his opening and most famous aria, perform gently swaying movements to “Celesta Aida” (heavenly Aida). Verdi’s rhythmic music. Page !2 of 4 Once the other slaves exit and Aida Then the King dashes the hopes of is left alone with her, Amneris seeks to our hero and heroine. He awards Radames get Aida to betray her true feelings with the highest honor a sovereign can toward Radames. She starts by telling give: the hand of his daughter in marriage. Aida that Radames was killed in battle. The act ends on that unhappy note. Naturally, Aida is distraught. Then, when ACT THREE Scene One: At The Nile Amneris tells Aida that she had lied and River Radames is alive, Aida is overjoyed. So, Amneris knows that Aida is her rival for This is the famous ‘Nile Scene’. Radames’ affections and tells her a mere Aida is waiting to be with Radames slave girl cannot fight a princess. Aida before he leads the army to battle the almost blurts out that she too is a Ethiopians again. Amneris arrives and princess, but catches herself. enters the temple of Isis to anoint herself prior to becoming Radames’ bride. As she ACT TWO Scene Two: The Grand waits, Aida sings another of the role’s Procession great arias “Oh patria mio” (Oh my The battle has been fought and won country) in which she recalls the joys of by Egypt. The great mass celebration of her childhood and laments she will never the victory provides one of the grandest see her homeland again. spectacles in grand opera. A procession Amanasro suddenly pops up to composed of many carts loaded with confront his daughter, and we’re treated seized Ethiopian treasures and animals, to another of Verdi’s famous father- accompanied by a host of captured foot daughter scenes. The two ride an soldiers, all pass in review for the Egyptian emotional roller-coaster that combines royal family and entourage. Among the filial love and patriotic fervor with prisoners is Amanasro disguised as a heartless extortion. Amanasro wants to common soldier. Upon seeing him, Aida know which of two routes Radames will blurts out that he is her father, but before choose as he leads his army, so that the she says more, he warns her not to reveal Ethiopian forces can ambush them, and that he is the King. He tells his captors demands that Aida wheedle the secret that Amanasro died in battle. out of Radames. The procession is followed by a long At first Aida refuses to betray her ballet sequence. This music is often played beloved, but her father twists the knife: in orchestral concerts. The Grand March If she doesn’t do his bidding, he tells her, combines massed trumpets on stage with she is no longer his daughter. She cannot the orchestra in the pit, all blaring out the resist that pressure, so she surrenders glory that was Egypt in its day. The King and promises to do as he asks. Radames tells Radames that as reward, he can have a r r i v e s a n d A m a n a s r o h i d e s t o any wish fulfilled. Radames asks that all eavesdrop. After another glorious love Ethiopian prisoners be freed. But, since duet, Aida sings of the happy life they the high priest Ramfis argues against it, will share after the war and tricks the King decrees that Aida and her father Radames into blurting out the army’s must remain. secret route. Page !3 of 4 Friday, 1:00 PM, Encore Theater OPERA NOTES FOR : At this, Amanasro jumps out of hiding to Scene Two: The Tomb Beneath The say that he is Aida’s father, the Ethiopian king.