Aida

Set in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs, Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera (which premiered in Cairo in 1871) follows the doomed love affair between the eponymous captured Ethiopian slave and an Egyptian commander named Radames, who are torn between conflicting calls to patriotic and filial duty. While there have been several fine productions of Aida released on DVD (including Franco Zeffirelli's 2001 mounting [VL-11/02], and the 2003 production shot in Barcelona's Liceu [VL-11/04]), this 2004 open-air staging from Austria's St. Margarethen features—and this is what caught my philistine eye—real live elephants and horses. Unfortunately, the realism (a dubious aim for such a patently artificial art anyway) is regularly compromised with, among other sights, noticeably post-Egyptian-era bra straps and mics taped to the cast's foreheads (which makes them look a bit like the Borg on Star Trek). Eszter Sümegi is in fine voice as Aida, with Kostadin Andreev solid as Radames (although the somewhat chunky Andreev is a bit of a stretch as a “youthful hero”), Janusz Monarcha suitably stately as the King, and Cornelia Helfricht a little scary as his daughter (one close-up of bare legs and varicose veins offers a little more realism than we need—open-air or not). Under the baton of Ernst Märzendorfer, the National Theatre Brno sounds technically proficient, but due to the outside setting, the music's aural punch is somewhat dissipated. Kudos for the big sets (and big elephants), and the powerful finale (a particularly timely and resonant call for “peace”), but ultimately the minuses here outweigh the few pluses. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo, the DVD includes a 10-page booklet but no other extras. Optional. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)