Organization

Bregenzer Festspiele

Singer

Bass

Kevin Short

The King of Egypt

Keel Watson

Bradley Garvin

Mezzo-soprano

Iano Tamar

Amneris

María José Montiel

Guang Yang

Soprano

Tatiana Serjan

Aida

Zvetelina Vassileva

Indra Thomas

Tenor

Rubens Pelizzari

Radames

Philip Webb

Arnold Rawls

Tigran Martirossian

Ramfis

Sorin Coliban

Andrew Gangestad

Baritone

Iain Paterson

Amonasro

Vittorio Vitelli

Quinn Kelsey

Ronald Samm

A messenger

Joseph Guyton

Elisabetta Martorana

A high priestess

Talia Or

Conductor

Carlo Rizzi

Gareth Jones

Stage director

Graham Vick

Set designer

Paul Brown

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Wolfgang Göbbel

Sound designer

Wolfgang Fritz

Choreographer

Ron Howell

Chorus master

Anna Szostak

Wlodzimierz Siedlik

Benjamin Lack

Orchestra

Vienna Symphony Orchestra

Bregenz

Austria

Seebühne

The impressive backdrop of Lake Constance poses a certain challenge for every production at the Bregenz Festival. But with this first performance of Verdi's "Aida" (in an abridged form) on the Bregenz lake stage, it's easy to overlook the beauty of the surrounding nature. Director Graham Vick and set designer Paul Brown conjure up a "superlative open-air spectacle" (Die Zeit), which bridges the gap between ancient Egypt and modern-day USA.

The stage effects are breathtaking: ruins of the Statue of Liberty assembled with the help of giant cranes, boats with priestesses and prisoners - parts of the opera even take place in the lake itself! And in the Grand March - one of the opera's most famous marches - a golden elephant comes into view on a barge....

Under Carlo Rizzi, the Wiener Symphoniker provide excellent support for the chorus and soloists, including Iano Tamar (Amneris) and Tatiana Serjan (Aida ). With over 200,000 spectators in just one season, "Aida" is the most successful opera of the festival so far, even more successful than the production "Tosca", which was immortalized in the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace".

The Ethiopian Princess Aida is being held captive in Egypt as a slave. She falls in love with Radames, the Egyptian general. Love is under a bad star. On the one hand, Amneris, the daughter of the Egyptian king, also wants to win over Radames. On the other hand, Radames leads the Egyptian army into the war against Aida's fatherland and after the victory unknowingly brings her father with him as a prisoner. None of this changes Aida's feelings for Radames. However, he cannot return her love, since the king promises him the hand of his daughter Amneris in gratitude for the victory achieved.

Radames allows himself to be persuaded to flee by Aida and reveals to her the Egyptians' new war plans. They are caught at the last moment.

Radames is sentenced to death for high treason, Aida is immured with him, and Amneris, whose jealousy has done much to the evil, is left alone.

Bregenzer Festspielhaus

Aida Verdi

Approved

Photos