This theme of an absent God is a vital one in all of Verdi operas and it was great to see it brought to life in this manner, but at the end of the day this is what makes Netrebko so great – she provides unique dramatic insight into everything she does. Netrebko went from humble and gentle to growing in frustration over the course of this dialogue and her reprisal of “Numi pieta,” left alone to wonder her fate, was hard-edged and rougher you could feel the anger boiling up in Aida as well as her resentment toward the gods for leaving her behind. This scene was arguably THE best scene of a night filled with many of them, but seeing these two women operating on such a high dramatic and vocal level was simply divine in the truest sense. She extended phrases amply and the importance of this interpretation was made all the more brilliant during its callback a few scenes later after the heavy-hitting confrontation with Amneris. But the key of it all was the final “Numi pieta,” the voice floating quietly, prayer-like. This ruggedness, which expressed exasperation and dread, continued throughout this recitativo section before transforming into an agitated distress on the rising and falling “L’insana parola o Numi, sperdete!” High note climaxes vibrated brilliantly, each one with greater and greater sense of pain and resentment. She blasted out “Ritorna Vincitor” with full-blooded conviction before her answer, “E dal mio labbro usci l’empia parola” had a coarser quality that expressed her repudiation of the former phrase. Just in the first two lines, we sensed the torn nature. She loves Radamès, but she feels a strong sense of loyalty to her home, which she misses. “Ritorna vincitor” is a challenging aria, not only vocally, but because it demands the soprano to really give us a sense of the duality existing within Aida. But by the ensuing scene, she was warmed up and ready to charge forward, her sound piercing through the massive ensemble. Rising Above the Challenge, As Per UsualĪida is a challenging sing and the Russian diva was not at her most comfortable in early passages, her sound a bit unsteady in the opening trio where Verdi challenges her with soaring lines over the more rhythmic vocalizations of the Amneris and Radamès.
She didn’t often get it, but she made the most of what she could. This is great news, because a soprano as dynamic as Netrebko, capable of making anything out of nothing, often looked like she wanted more to work with onstage in this production. One of the main attractions was Anna Netrebko’s first interpretation of the lead role at the Met she is reportedly going to take on the opera again in an upcoming season, but in a production tailored to her dramatic potential. It was one of the most anticipated performances of the entire season and it certainly didn’t let anyone down. The production is reportedly on its way out, so it is fitting that one of the final casts to give it the send-off would be one of such high quality as the one on Wednesday, Sept. However, oftentimes we get casts that only remind us all the more of this lack of dynamism onstage. It’s quite the definition of static, though the visual beauty often makes one forget that the singers are doing little else but parking and barking. This current production by Sonja Frisell has been around for quite a few decades. In a house like the Met Opera, this work is also featured in an impressive and immersive set tailored to bringing us to some version of Ancient Egypt. It features a larger than life story in an exotic world alongside some of the greatest music ever written.
Verdi’s “Aida” is the quintessential opera in so many ways.
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