By Gus Kairupan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The grandest of grand opera is surely Aida. It's
\na matter of taste, of course, but for sheer spectacle and
\nspectacular singing I can only think of one to equal Aida, the
\nbest-known of Giuseppe Verdi's operas.<\/p>\n
This is Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov -- but, again, it's all a
\nmatter of taste. Aida, first staged in Cairo in 1871, requires an
\nenormous stage, large enough to include the cast and -- as some
\nproductions reputedly featured -- some elephants.<\/p>\n
Whether Verdi did call for the beasts would be doubtful,
\nthough; the cast of priests, priestesses, warriors, guards,
\ndancers, Ethiopian prisoners and ordinary people would be quite
\nenough.<\/p>\n
Excerpts from the opera, billed A Tribute to Aida, were
\npresented Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta by The London Opera
\nand Concert Company, a group of six British singers.<\/p>\n
The opera, whose libretto was written by Antonio Ghislanzoni,
\nconsists of four acts.<\/p>\n
Love, hatred, jealousy are acted out against a backdrop of war
\nin Egypt during the pharaonic period.<\/p>\n
Army captain Radames (tenor James Anderson) is smitten by
\nslave girl Celeste Aida (Heavenly Aida, sung by group leader and
\nsoprano Barbara Segal) who returns his affections.<\/p>\n
Amneris, daughter of the king (mezzo soprano Sonja Nerdrum) is
\nalso in love with the captain but suspects something is going on
\nbetween Radames and Aida, her slave.<\/p>\n
Egypt, thanks to Radames, emerges victorious from a war
\nagainst Ethiopia and the king bestows more honors on the captain,
\nincluding the hand of Amneris.<\/p>\n
Aida (who is actually an Ethiopian princess) is torn between
\nlove for country and her love for Radames.<\/p>\n
Egged on by her father, Amonasro (a POW, played by baritone
\nMark Glanville), she tricks Radames into revealing the secret
\nconcerning the route Egyptian forces will take to crush the
\nEthiopians once and for all.<\/p>\n
Radames is caught and sentenced to be buried alive. Aida
\nmanages to slip into the tomb and the two lovers die happily ever
\nafter.<\/p>\n
All of the singers performed admirably, although tenor
\nAnderson occasionally displayed some wobbles when moving between
\nregisters.<\/p>\n
The three low-voiced roles were marvelous, especially William
\nMackie (the king) and baritone Glenville, who provided the one
\ndramatic high point of the concert when he roared at daughter
\nAida.<\/p>\n
Nerdrum was well-nigh faultless as the passionate and jealous
\nwoman scorned.<\/p>\n
Segal, whose strong voice and coloring abilities imbued the
\nrole of Aida with fire, is perhaps a bit uncharacteristic for a
\nslave girl.<\/p>\n
But her portrayal of grief and distress in the final scene was
\nperfect.<\/p>\n
The cast performed in full costume and theatrical make-up on a
\nnarrow stage with minimal decor.<\/p>\n
Props<\/p>\n
Four pillars arranged in a square around a sofa were the only
\nprops in addition to some screens on which were painted a palace
\nand African landscapes.<\/p>\n
A plain backdrop and a bit of imaginative lighting would
\nprobably have been more effective because the screens and what
\nwas painted on them were neither adequately visible nor were they
\nsupportive of the action.<\/p>\n
As for the costumes and make-up, these were rich, glittering
\nand glamorous, in short, everything one would expect from royalty
\nin ancient Egypt.<\/p>\n
But this applied only to the king, high priest, Amneris and
\nAida.<\/p>\n
Radames's outfit was so poor you'd take him for a commoner
\nrather than a high ranking military officer who, surely, should
\nwear some of the regalia attached to one in such a venerable
\nposition.<\/p>\n
He also could have done with a hair piece and a better make-up
\njob (he looked as if he wasn't wearing any) that would make him
\nlook, well, younger.<\/p>\n
Amonasro on the other hand needed make-up that would make him
\nlook older than his daughter Aida.<\/p>\n
And the most difficult part? That of the musical director and
\npianist, of course.<\/p>\n
Robin Humphreys was in charge of representing all the various
\ninstruments specifically designated to enhance the roles, e.g.
\nthe flute in the final scene, or the roar of brass.<\/p>\n
A more central position of the piano would have considerably
\nreduced the disjointedness that often marked the performance.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/by-gus-kairupan-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}