Compared to The Ring Cycle, Verdi’s Aida is a doddle. At just under three hours, it felt like a walk in the park.

Although seeing it, as I was, three-quarters of the way through the Richard Wagner epic may not have been fair.

That’s because I was in a Wagner zone and found it a tad difficult to recalibrate. Still, it’s a wonderful idea to stage them both in Brisbane in what is essentially an Opera Australia-led festival of opera this month in the Lyric Theatre at QPAC.

Both are digital productions. It is the first digital version of The Ring Cycle anywhere in the world and the precursor is this digital Aida, which was Opera Australia’s first major venture into this realm. Both being digital, they can share the vast LED screens erected on stage at QPAC.

Opera Australia and Opera Queensland collaborated on this one and the Opera Queensland Chorus adds oomph and helps fill the stage in this monumental piece.

The visuals of this production have to be seen to be believed. Set in Ancient Egypt it has all the splendour, or imagined splendour, of the Pharaoh’s court, with amazing costumes by Gianluca Falaschi, a set by Gio Forma, lighting by John Rayment and digital design by D-Wok.

The cast is sensational and the singing is stupendous with soprano Natalie Aroyan stunning as Aida and her pal, tenor Diego Torre,  in the role of Radames. Aida is a captive Ethiopian princess and she is in love with the Egyptian general Radames. Their love has tragic consequences. Really tragic consequences.

I mean – SPOILER ALERT – only mummies really want to be buried in Egyptian tombs, not people who are still alive!

Acclaimed Italian director Davide Livermore helmed this production, heightening the drama with choreography (there’s a lot of dancing or, should I say, cavorting by the attendant temple maidens) and striking costumery and pageantry.

There is a lot of pageantry – and there are moments that are so spectacular and dazzling that you almost can’t believe your eyes.

The music is amazing and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Italian conductor Lorenzo Passerini was incredible. They must be exhausted. By the end of December, when The Ring Cycle and Aida are over, they will probably be carrying the musicians out of QPAC on stretchers.

Now, in case you think you have missed the opportunity to see Aida, think again.

Opera Australia has announced that this critically acclaimed digital production will be streamed from Brisbane in real time on December 11 from 7pm AEST (8pm for NSW, Victoria and Tasmania; 7.30pm in SA; 6.30pm in NT; 5pm in WA).

The production will remain available to watch on-demand for two weeks following the broadcast.

Both the livestream and on-demand video will be available for free in Australia and around the world. Free pre-registration and more information about how to access the stream is on the Opera Australia website.

For a full surround-sound, in-theatre experience the livestream is being screened at the Townsville Civic Theatre on December 11, presented in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and Opera Queensland.  To secure a seat at this one-time event, bookings can be made via the Opera Australia website, with a small booking fee.

This stream will be hosted by revival director Shaun Rennie and Australian soprano Jane Ede, with special guests appearing pre-show and during the interval, providing greater insights into Verdi’s famous Aida and the world of opera.

Opera Australia CEO Fiona Allan says increased access to world-class opera performance is a priority for the national company.

“This is an exciting way for us to share opera of such scale and complexity with audiences beyond the city in which we are currently performing,” Allan says.

“This production of Aida was ground-breaking when it premiered – the first to incorporate such highly sophisticated digital technologies into sets and staging, so it’s fitting that it will now be viewed by people everywhere on a digital platform. I’m sure audiences will be wowed by the spectacle and our brilliant cast.”

The production has been a smash-hit since its premiere in 2018, playing to five-star reviews and ecstatic packed houses.

Aida, Lyric Theatre, QPAC, December 9,11,13,16,18

opera.org.au

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