Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan Opera

The first thing that impresses the viewer are the stupendous sets. It is as though the designer, Giani Quaranta, has thrown down a gauntlet to the performers - "Match this!". He clearly conveys the impression of a great civilization that seems to be on the wane. The giant friezes (if that is the correct term) are hugely impressive, but they are beginning to crumble. The frescoes in Amneris' room are lovely, but the paint is coming off. I was also impressed by the King's costumes. I checked up and the headresses, including the double crown as well as the regalia - the crook and the flail - are absolutely correct. I only wonder why Pharoah did not have his false beard? Would it have made singing harder?I confess to a certain fascination with Amneris, and Dolora Zajick gets better and better in this role as the opera goes on. In the end you have the feeling that old Ramfis is going to have a rough ride when she becomes queen.I have seen too many Aidas where you wonder WHY Radames prefers her to Amneris. Here, thanks to Ms. Millo's exquisite looks (it is a pity she is not black in real life, it suits her) and marvellous singing (particularly the pianissimos) the plot seems half way reasonable.The only negative, and I say this with sadness because I admire him, is the performance of Sherrill Milnes. He is no longer in good voice and his acting is not upto par. He comes across as far too old for a warrior king and he is very stiff in certain parts.Domingo is Domingo - looks, voice and acting are all perfect.I have one quibble with the video and that is the superimposition of Amneris on Aida and Radames in the finale. It would have been better to present the double stage from a distance. Also, Amneris' final "pace" is swallowed up by applause, which is a pity. I would have expected better of the Met's audience.

I cannot imagine a better "Aida" than this Met production/performance from 1991. The sets and costumes spectacularly reflect the grandeur of Ancient Eqypt, and James Levine is in top form, leading the ever-fabulous Met orchestra and a cast that, if not pitch-perfect, is never less than first-rate.Admittedly, neither Domingo nor Milnes is at their best here. By this time Milnes had lost a lot of the richness in tone and shading that made him one of the best bass/baritones of his generation; he pretty much wields his voice like a blunt instrument, getting the job done, but not much more. And while this isn't an out-and-out off-night for Domingo, it isn't one of his best, either. The performance seems to be taking more effort than usual, particularly the high notes. (His modulation of the final whatever-it-is at the end of "Celeste Aida" is pretty much a metaphor for his entire performance.)The women are, in a word, spectacular. I've seen Aprille Millo at the Met a number of times and cannot remember being so blown away. Perhaps by the time I saw her live she was in her decline. In any event, we're lucky that this DVD has captured what I think is one of the finest operatic performances I've ever seen. Truly. Millo's vocal control is astounding (the pianossimos are breathtaking) and her acting no less so (without ever toppling over the fine line into melodrama). She's nothing short of a star here, well-deserving of the hugh ovation she receives from the Met audience. And I love Zajick's interpretation of Amneris. On first glance she's the regal, jealous bitch we've seen in every other "Aida." But this superb artist takes us deeper into the character. In modern terms, she's the awkward, dumpy math geek who can't understand why the star-athlete prefers the homecoming queen. Heartbreaking.

I have just ordered 2 additional videos! I RARELY do that! If you want Grand Opera at its Grandest this is the video for you. I reviewed Aida with Loren playing Aida but Tebaldi singing the notes. This video contains ALL the notes - every gorgeous one. I have been searching for a soprano who could do pianissimos like Tebaldi to no avail - UNTIL now. Millo is ravishing! The end of "Oh Patria Mia.." is just what I had in mind. You really have to hear this!! And "..Padre a costoro schiava non sono.." will tear (double entendre) you up!! The entire cast is far above average! I saw this first on PBS while channel surfing in 1990. I heard a voice that reminded me of Tebaldi - so - of course I had to stop and listen (to see if what I thought I heard was true - it was!) At the end of the performance(TV) I was disappointed I hadn't heard it from the beginning. Now, with this video I get to hear ALL of this beautiful opera over & over. To those Tebaldi fans out there who have been bemoaning the fact that Renata is no longer singing and long to hear a seemingly effortlessly done pianissimo, Aprile Millo is the voice that delivers "that sound" we've been craving. It's a pity she doesn't seem to have done many videos or records/cds. Does anyone know what Millo is doing now??? The Amneris in this offering (Zijack) is fantastic! For the first time I found myself crying more for her than Aida!! The trial of Rhadames and Amneris' reaction to it was/is simply spellbinding!! Truly a valued addition to any collection of top notch performances of this opera.

This opera must be one of the most spectacular in the repertoir and both set and constume designers have done an excellent job. The grandeur of the massive Egyptian-style statues fully meets expectations and the vocals are performed and enhanced with such a legendary singing star as Placido Domingo. That said, I was particularly impressed with Dolora Zajick as Amneris, who brought to the role the haughtiness, jealousy and scorn that was required. Also there was no skimpimg on the extras whose large numbers must have been a nightmare for the wardrobe department. The instrumental music was suitably dynamic under the expert baton of James Levine who with the aid of the talented orchestra put in a fine performance.

'Aida' is not my favourite Verdi opera,' Ballo in Maschera' and' Don Carlos' get my vote there. I do enjoy this production, though, as it is so well sung and acted, by most of the cast. It was an Emmy award winner that year and is a powerful production. I find my greatest enjoyment at the end though, in Act 4, starting with the Radames /Amneris confrontation. Here Domingo and Zajick are amazing, their chemistry is wonderful, better than between Domingo and Millo I think. Millo has a beautiful voice but Zajick is the finer actress and Domingo responds in kind to this, there is real electricity between them ! Then follows the very moving scene in the tomb with Amneris sobbing' Pace' as they slowly die. Again the singing is stunning here, especially Millo, with her floating pianissimos, I'm usually in tears at the end of this. So even if parts of this opera aren't perfect, be prepared to be blown away by Act 4. I haven't seen other productions but I doubt if the scene between Domingo and Zajick can be bettered.

This is THE Aida to watch. I had the Zeffirelli Production and it was all about Zeffirelli and you almost forgot about the Opera. The camera zeroed in on the spectacle and made you forget about the music. Also Roberto Alagna is not a match for Domingo. I now understand why he was booed on opening nightTo sum up - there is no comparison

My wife and I sat through this totally enthralled. The set and costumes were superb as was the music and singing. The choice of lead singers could not have been better matched and each played their part in making the story memorable - again.

The original VHS VIDEO DID NOT HAVE SUB TITLES this DVD does which helps those of us who only speak English