Aida

Aida, the story of the ill-fated love between an Ethiopian captive princess and the Egyptian hero Radames, is amply represented on DVD. The main distinction of this 1986 performance is that it marks the first appearance at La Scala (Milan) of Luciano Pavarotti in the role of Radames (much to the delight of the audience, which rightly gave him resounding applause for his interpretation of the aria “Celeste Aida”). However, even though Pavarotti is joined by a strong cast—with Maria Chiara as Aida, Ghena Dimitrova as Amneris, and Juan Pons as Amonasro—along with truly exceptional orchestral support led by Lorin Maazel, this Aida is a stodgy production. The crowded sets are dominated by towering sculpted figures and earth tones; the triumphal scene is listless, with slaves laboriously tugging outsize figures that even manage to eclipse the substantial corporeal presence of Pavarotti; and the ballet sequences are ragtag (featuring some juvenile nudity as young boys dash about the stage, as well as partial female nudity in the bath scene). Most crucial of all, however, is a decided lack of mutual ardor between the principals. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo and PCM stereo, Aida bows on a two-disc set with a bonus feature-length 1988 documentary on the making of Aida that offers rich details about Verdi's life, together with artistic insights into the unique qualities of this particular score. Given the multitude of excellent versions available on DVD (including Franco Zeffirelli's 2001 mounting, reviewed in VL-11/02), this one is optional for all but Pavarotti completists. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)