Dolora Zajick and the Temple of Doom: Act III of Aida at the Met.
Alexei Ratmansky's dances replace the embarrassing, dated choreography that used to stop Act II dead--twice. The dancer's motions are kinetic, tribal, and more naturalistic. This is a major breath of fresh air for this show. The cast is strong, led by the redoubtable South African tenor Johan Botha as Radames. He is well-matched with Violeta Urmana, a passionate Aida. The ex-mezzo floats some very nice notes in her two big arias and blends perfectly with the other singers. However, she is eclipsed by the Amneris of Dolora Zajick. The American mezzo has sung this role at the Met for 20 years, and her intelligence, musicality and sheer bitchiness are enough for her to walk away with the fourth act and give the best performance of the opera.
The three important low parts were a dissappointment. As Ramfis, Roberto Scandiuzzi sounded woolly and baritonal. Stefan Kocán's Pharoah wasn't much better. In the role of Amonasro, baritone Carlo Guelfi sounded high and pinched in the second act. But his Act III duet with Violeta Urmana is a highlight of the performance, and his voice swells to fullness as he warms up. The Met chorus and orchestra play at their usual high standards under Daniele Gatti, although his conducting lacks tht last degree of Verdian bang necessary to make this opera more than a pageant.
The high-definition picture picks up the dim reverentlial lighting of the temple scene, and small, charming details, like the fact that Radames' helmet is looking a little tarnished after being on the heads of tenors for almost two decades. And if you've ever wondered what the view is like from the Met catwalks, this DVD provides the answer. By placing the cameras where audience members could not possibly go, the directing team creates a fascinating viwewing experience. It's an impossible birds-eye angle--opera filmed by Google Earth.
