Giuseppe Verdi was the preeminent Romantic opera composer in the 19th Century. He can be even considered the "Richard Wagner of Italy." On November 7, 2014, his most famous opera, Aida, came to the Big Apple. The opera is so timeless that only the Metropolitan Opera House would be able to hold it. Its script was first written by Antonio Ghislanzoni in 1871. The music, which is usually the main attraction of an opera, was written by Giuseppe Verdi himself. Aida's cultural and historical significance should attract viewers of all ages and backgrounds, regardless of their interest in music. However, patrons should be prepared beforehand to endure long portions of the piece that are lacking in action. .
The captain of the Egyptian Army, Radames, is in love with the Ethiopian slave woman, Aida. When Radames is appointed commander of his country's troops against Ethiopia, he hopes to win Aida's hand in marriage by defeating the country ruled by her father. To complicate things further, Amneris, the daughter of his own king, also loves Radames. The plot changes to a violent love triangle filled with passion, betrayal, and high treason.
While the Metropolitan Opera House was eager to hold Aida, they knew that there was to be a long setup for sounds and sets on stage. In every performance of Aida, there have been large, expensive, and detailed sets. This time, there were many stone walls which were retractable and interchangeable. On these walls there were many statues and Egyptian symbols. The walls looked gritty as if freshly carved. It is obvious that the opera wanted to make this performance as realistic as possible. .
At the back of the stage, the background imagery was also very well constructed; the audience felt as if there were no end in length of the stage. The characters would enter and exit at either side of the stage and they maneuvered around the set with steps or ramps. Throughout the theater itself, the layout was magnificent in its size and design while being also comfortable.
Many writers of he early 1800's belonged to the artistic movement known as the Romanticism, or the Romantic Movement. The work of such artist show their themes as they thought it should be rather than as it actually was. The Romantic Movement was partly a reaction to the enlightenment. Romantics g...
Opera has been a form of art for many centuries now. Performers belt out high notes for long periods of time and have flowers thrown at them in exchange. When people think of operas though they often don't pay much attention to the people behind them and they should. If you were to look up "famous o...
