The interplay of both voices and characters made for truly exceptional dramatic opera. Instead of symbolic political statements about power and race, the international multi-racial cast had been selected for the sheer vocal power of the individual voices as well as their vocal compatibility. The casting was full-on “blind” as the parlance goes. There is also a night scene wherein the lovers meet where indigo and deep purples create a velvety mood that stirs the heart. The man who developed his distinctive style, marrying ancient scripts (including Egyptian) with contemporary graffiti for this Aida, created wall treatments, backdrops, and simple set pieces (one that resembles somewhat Cleopatra’s Needle) that unfolded ever more gorgeous stage pictures which integrated well the emotions of each scene without distracting from the story.įrom a monochromatic bunker that looked like a war zone graffitied and peppered with gunfire comes a transformation by fiery red emblematic backdrops that slide down into place signifying a mythical state’s militaristic superpower. Gaining top billing for his collaboration, RETNA clearly brought his star status to bear. In many ways this was a production dominated by the inventive crossover artist RETNA (aka Marquis Lewis) and an imaginative celebration of art for art’s sake. On the other hand, there were no reductive themes of war or race played out to scratch our nation’s current itch for those provocative conversations. Gone were the elephants in this new production co-produced with four other major regional opera companies. (I wasn’t sure if he were serious, but please read further for his post-performance assessment.) (center, l-r) Morris Robinson, Yonghoon Lee and Solomon Howard in Aida at Washington National Opera (Photo: Scott Suchman) He was going to be quite cross if there were no elephants in this production. Newman entering the Great Hall of States on our red carpet stroll to the Opera House who shared with me he had just returned from Italy where he had taken in an Aida with elephants. Yet, I am sure there were others in the opening night audience hoping for a return to the operatic canon. I resonated fully with its art as political statement. Its spare look was unapologetically contemporary a harsh look at our involvement in war in the Middle East. Am I the only one who wondered what the heck Artistic Director Francesca Zambello was going to do to top her Ring of the Niebelung cycle not to mention pulling off Phillip Glass’ Appomattox and then last season the lean, visceral Dead Man Walking? I also had been a big fan of her 2012 summer production of Aida at Glimmerglass Festival which stripped back some of the bulk of Verdi’s work to focus on the human cost of war. From the remarkable singing to the stage pictures filled with RETNA’s startling, rich iconography, this is a production not to be missed.
Aida opened Washington National Opera’s season, and the production is stunning grand opera.
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