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Aida
By Michael Van Duzer
Los Angeles Opera launched their 2000-2001 season in grand style with their first production of Verdi's Aida. An acknowledged masterpiece of Verdi's maturity and long a favorite with opera-goers, Aida has been revived less frequently in the last decade or so because of the expense in producing it and the scarcity of singers with enough voice and passion to do the music justice.
Renowned soprano Deborah Voigt made her company debut in the title role revealing a commanding voice with an impressive range. Well-known for her Strauss and Wagner heroines, Voigt sang Aida with a steely intensity and emotional iciness seemingly more suited to Valhalla than Verdi's conception of Ancient Egypt. But, if sensuous tone and Italian passion were missing, one had to admire the ease with which she dispatched the demanding role of the hapless slave. In the role of her lover, Rhadames, Johan Botha (another debut) acquitted himself admirably. Although as wooden an actor as Ms Voigt, he found more color and variety in the score. Vocally he has the resources to blast his way through the treacherous territory of "Celeste Aida," but he chose to honor Verdi's dynamics and end with a mezza voce whisper of forbidden rather than the stentorian bleet most tenors favor.
Simon Estes made another company debut (why did this take so long?) in the role of Aida's vengeful father Amonasro. His regal presence, his glorious voice, and the vigor of his acting were potent reminders of how brilliantly this opera can work when perfectly cast. As the jealous princess Amneris, Nina Terentieva had little trouble stealing most of her scenes and even managed to get a laugh in the Triumphal Scene when doing a double-take to Aida and Rhadames. Jaakko Ryhanen and Louis Lebherz sang Ramfis and the King respectively with an authority and grace that made their moments count.
Director Stephen Pickover's concept was safely traditional with minimal staging and an underwhelming Triumphal Scene. Pier-Luigi Pizzi's costumes looked a bit threadbare and his sets were massive but gloomy. Although not singing any roles this season, Placido Domingo was very much in evidence in the pit where he led the orchestra in an authoritative and extremely spirited reading of the score. Domingo's recently announced plans for the Los Angeles Opera's future sound exciting, and it looks like Los Angeles will have much to look forward to under his guidance.
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