“Aida” at the Salzburg Festival: Verdi’s opera as a war drama News and criticism | BR CLASSIC
“Aida” at the Salzburg Festival
Verdi’s opera as a war drama
08/11/2022 by Eva Halus
Some things don’t work the first time. It was the same with director Shirin Neshat with Verdi’s “Aida”. Five years ago she restaged the opera for the Salzburg Festival. Everything revolved around the war. But she was too “cautious” at the time, says Shirin Neshat today. That’s why she sharpened her directing concept again. The premiere is on Friday evening.
Bildquelle: SF / Ruth Walz
Vorbericht zum Anhören
Shirin Neshats Sicht auf Verdis “Aida” lässt sich als deutliche Verurteilung des Kriegs lesen – und vor allem dessen Glorifizierung. Wie schon vor fünf Jahren verzichtet Neshat komplett auf alle Aktionen, die in einer herkömmlichen Inszenierung den Triumphmarsch bebildern würden: Krieg ist kein Anlass zu prunkvollem Triumph, sondern ist verantwortlich für Zerstörung und Leid.
Kriegsthematik aktueller denn je
Man kann die Oper in diesen Tagen nicht sehen, ohne deren ganz spezielle Aktualität zu spüren. Zwei ihrer Videos legt Shirin Neshat unter die Oper: “Rappture”, auf Deutsch Entrückung, ist wie eine Klammer zwischen Beginn und tödlichem Ende gesetzt. Frauen wagen sich in einem kleinen Schiff aufs Meer. Ob sie entkommen oder untergehen werden, bleibt offen. “Passage” zeigt Frauen, die mit bloßen Händen im Wüstensand ein Grab auskratzen. Das Video akzentuiert Aidas Klage über den Verlust der Heimat.
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Luca Salsi (Amonasro), Elena Stikhina (Aida), Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus, extras from the Salzburg Festival, dancers | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Elena Stikhina (Aida), Extras at the Salzburg Festival | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Piotr Beczala (Radamès), Elena Stikhina (Aida), Extras of the Salzburg Festival | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Amneris), Elena Stikhina (Aida) | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Erwin Schrott (Ramfis), Luca Salsi (Amonasro), Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Amneris), Roberto Tagliavini (Il Re), Piotr Beczala (Radamès), Elena Stikhina (Aida) | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Elena Stikhina (Aida), Piotr Beczala (Radamès), Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Amneris), Erwin Schrott (Ramfis), Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Choir, Extras | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Piotr Beczala (Radamès), Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Amneris) | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Erwin Schrott (Ramfis), Piotr Beczala (Radamès), Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Choir, extras from the Salzburg Festival | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Amneris) | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Elena Stikhina (Aida), extras at the Salzburg Festival, dancers | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Piotr Beczala (Radamès) | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Elena Stikhina (Aida), Extras at the Salzburg Festival | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Choir, extras from the Salzburg Festival | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Piotr Beczala (Radamès), Elena Stikhina (Aida) | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
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Elena Stikhina (Aida), extras at the Salzburg Festival, dancers | Image source: SF / Ruth Walz
Shirin Neshat attaches great importance to recognizing that the characters in the opera are very complex, permeated by the contrasts inherent in the work. Shirin Neshat explains: “The three main characters are complex and full of opposites. They have demonic and human sides. The program of ‘Aida’ is these opposites.”
What is Aida about?
Here you can see the BR-KLASSIK opera guide to Verdi’s “Aida” as a Lego animation film.
A love triangle with a tragic ending
Radamès is at the center of the tragic love triangle: He is the victorious military leader of Egypt and may also hope for the hand of the king’s daughter Amneris. But his heart belongs to Aida, the daughter of the enemy. Piotr Beczała makes his Salzburg debut in this game. “The imaginary images make the balancing act between duty and love very complicated and interesting,” says Beczała. “In every piece there is a moment of no return.”
More from the Salzburg Festival?
Read here the BR-KLASSIK reviews of Puccini’s “Trittico”, Mozart’s “Magic Flute”, the concert with Daniil Trifonov and much more.
I want audiences to go home feeling like they have a choice about how they want to live.
Shirin Neshat, director
The Iranian artist Shirin Neshat staged “Aida” for Salzburg five years ago. | Image source: © Salzburg Festival / Anne Zeuner
The tragic end is also inevitable. The final scene is her favorite passage, says Shirin Neshat. She sees the lovers’ deaths as a mystical event, an invitation to everyone to take their destiny into their own hands: “I want the audience to go home feeling that they have the choice of how they want to live – how much Control accept them.” In Iran, one could have dealt with these questions for 40 years, explains Shirin Neshat. Today WILL see how important these decisions are.
Criticism of the Salzburg “Aida” on BR-KLASSIK
BR-KLASSIK will broadcast the review of the premiere at the Salzburg Festival in “Piazza” on August 13 from 8:05 a.m.
Broadcast: “Allegro” on August 12, 2022 from 6:05 a.m. on BR-KLASSIK.