As his symbol-scored panels turn fire-red to create a ceremonial hall or giant letters hunch like an alien race, the mood is stark and otherworldly. Set against towering gray walls, the strikingly-colored hieroglyphics of concept artist RETNA seem to hold urgent but mysterious messages. This rendering of Aida (★★★★), co-produced with the San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera and Minnesota Opera, almost gets there. Unless the intimacy of these tortured hearts is conveyed, the unfolding consequences - written so large in this opera - are little more than pretty displays. In Aida, it is the love triangle between the young Egyptian officer Radames, the powerful Egyptian princess Amneris, and the captured princess, Aida. There are rafter-bending arias, vast choral tsunamis, and the potential for many feasts-for-the-eyes tableaux.īut like all epics - be they born of Hollywood or in the Opera House - the scale and grandeur must play host to a riveting and intimate human drama. DeMille proportions with foreign wars, high-court drama, and not one, but two princesses in high personal distress. One can see the Washington National Opera’s point in choosing its Aida for the upcoming “Opera in the Outfield,” the company’s invitation to any and all to give opera a try via the big screen at Nationals Park. Kennedy Center: Aida - Photo: Scott Suchman
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