buried alive
by Douglas Messerli
Giuseppe Verdi (composer), Antonio
Ghislanzoni (libretto, based on a French scenario by Auguste Mariette) Aida / the production I saw was the
Metropolitan Opera live HD, in encore on Thursday, November 12, 2009
One of the aspects of Aida that interviewer / singer Renée
Fleming suggested several times in the intermissions of Verdi's great opera was
that, despite the huge size of the cast, except for the scenes in court and the
triumphal march of Act 2, Scene 2, the opera is an intimate work, centered
around a love triangle of the characters Aida (Violeta Urmana), Radamès (Johan
Botha), and Amneris (Dolora Zajick).
In few other operas do the major characters sing so many arias
consisting of what we might describe as internal dialogue. In Se quel guerrier io fossi!...Celeste Aida, Radamès
sings of his love and the beauty of Aida to himself, terrified that Amneris
might get wind of it. Amneris sings of her need to discover the name of Aida's
lover, and later describes her plots to expose her slave. Aida, who secretly is the Princess of
Ethiopia, sings of numerous things she cannot share with others, her love of
her country, the identity of her lover, her father, and herself. Radamès'
desire to lead the Egyptian military into victory can also only be expressed in
private thoughts. Like Eugene O'Neill's 20th century drama Strange Interlude most of the characters of this 19th century opera
spend a great deal of time in soliloquy. Without these private interludes, in
fact, there would be no story left to tell. For the public events of the opera,
Radamès' victory over the Ethiopians, his plea that the captives be saved, and
his reward of marriage to Amneris, are the forces that doom them all, and speed
two of them to their death by being entombed alive.
It is apparent from what I have just suggested, accordingly, that all
three characters have lived buried lives long before the final scene from the
very outset of the work. Radamès must hide his love and his ambition both as he
tries to balance opposing forces, for his desire to be made general will mean
destroying Aida's kin and perhaps even losing Aida's love. Rebuffed by Radamès
in love, Amneris hides her sorrow while, at the same time, pretending deep
friendship with Aida as she attempts to expose what she senses is a growing
love between her and the general. Aida must hold nearly everything inside: her
love of Radamès, her hatred of Amneris, the name of her father, even her own
identity. Although all sing of their deep love for one another, because of
buried secrets those loves are transformed into destruction, betrayal, and,
ultimately, death.
The numerous choruses of the Egyptian priests calling for war,
vengeance, and punishment, although seemingly set apart from the deep loves of
this trio, are psychologically played out by the three major figures of the
opera. Each of these figures, in short, sweeps up the others into a kind of
vortex that draws them into the void.
By the final "real" entombment, strangely enough, Aida and
Radamès are released. For the first time, hidden from all other eyes, they can
openly show their love and, accordingly, are freed from the sorrows of their
previously hidden lives. Amneris remains entrapped in life while feeling only
death.
Los Angeles, November 19, 2009
Reprinted from Green Integer Blog and USTheater,
Opera, and Performance (November 2009).
