AIDA: DVD

Verdi - Aida

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, conducted by Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez

Filmed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Daniela Dessì, Elisabetta Fiorillo, Fabio Armiliato, Juan Pons and Roberto Scandiuzzi lead the cast in the renowned period production filmed in 2003 against the historic paper trompe-l'oeil sets painted between 1936-45 by Josep Mestres Cabanes, the last representative of the old Catalan school of scenography. Mestres Cabanes worked on his Aida vision for eight years. The opulent staging he created in 1945 is here in every detail. The seven magnificent sets he painted for Aida in 1945 have been subtly and painstakingly restored by Jordi Castells and his team - revealing the palaces, temples and surroundings of Memphis and Thebes which the set designer had wanted to evoke in his historical yet also fantasy-like vision.

These fascinating sets are not just realistic - but also magical in the theatrical sense. Mestres Cabanes loved the theatre which he had been exploring for over a quarter of a century. His sets are dramatic and visceral, conceived for stage action, conveying the dynamic tensions proper to each part of the work – intimate, epic, severe, sensual, troubled and tragic.

PLUS

	Scenographer Josep Mestres Cabanes at the Liceu
	Illustrated synopsis
	Cast and Set Galleries

Reviews

‘AIDA Returns in Victory’
‘The success of this production of Aida is unstoppable... The Liceu has reunited an amazing cast of voices... Daniela Dessi gives a deliciously lyrical version of the character far from the aggressiveness of other Verdi sopranos. Her "Ritorna Vincitor" is a jewel and her overall performance was overwhelmingly applauded. ... The extremely moving performance of Fabio Armiliato was greatly rewarded by the audience. ... The magnificent Elisabetta Fiorillo [sings] with fulsome deep bass notes... An immense Joan Pons ... Excellent work of the Chorus ... This re-staging of Aida is full of virtues ... The production of Mestres Cabanes is admirable for the work of this last painter of the modernist catalan school.’

La Vanguardia, Barcelona (Translation)

REGIONS CODE	ALL
PICTURE FORMAT	16:9
RUNNING TIME	approx 186 minutes DVD 9
SOUND	Dolby surround /LPCM stereo
SUBTITLES	F/D/ES/NL
CATALOGUE NO.	OA 0893 D

Rating: - A Beautiful Production of 'Aïda' from Barcelona

Fabio Armiliato, a fairly young man who is now singing in all the biggest houses. His tenor is just one notch below that of the best, but he manages it well, his acting is excellent and his appearance (he's tall and trim, and has devilish good looks) helps the effect. This is a video of a live performance and he, like many tenors, isn't at his peak for his big aria at the very beginning, 'Celeste Aïda,' but he warms up nicely and by the time of the Nile scene and the Dungeon scene the voice is ringing out heroically; he is also capable of nuanced soft singing. Daniela Dessì is a known quantity. She has been a leading Verdi soprano for years, and she shines here. Again, like Armiliato, she warms up after Act I and by Act II and beyond the singing is thrilling. Both the duet with Amonasro in the Nile scene and the aria and duet in Act IV are scrumptious, delicately shaded and featuring some pianissimi that gave me goose-bumps.