Aida

Sung in Italian with English surtitles
All performances at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

It is the grandest of the grand operas, with Verdi at the peak of his creative powers. Radames, the victorious Egyptian warrior, desires the hand of Aida, the enslaved Ethiopian princess. However, the King’s own daughter Amneris has designs on the conquering hero. The result is a bitter love triangle fueled by the strongest emotions — love and jealousy. This inspired tale of ancient Egypt, conflicting loyalties and forbidden passion is fueled by soaring arias, surging choruses and exhilarating orchestral music. From the seductive slave dances and the triumphal march to the power of ‘Celeste Aida’ and the hauntingly heart-rending finale, this music is some of the most memorable in all of opera.

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Artists

Click on any of the performers' names to read their full bio.

Richard Buckley, Conductor
Dejan Miladinovic, Director
Angela Brown, Aida
Elena Bocharova, Amneris
Carl Tanner, Radames
Burak Bilgili, Ramfis
Donnie Ray Albert, Amonasro
Mikhail Kolelishvili, The King
Cara Brown, High Priestess
Ron Long, Messenger

Richard Buckley

Conductor

Renowned American conductor Richard Buckley has been heralded by critics around the world for his dynamic contributions and passionate conducting style in both the orchestral and operatic genres. His extraordinary career includes performing with Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Canadian Opera Company and L’Opéra de Montréal. He has enjoyed return engagements at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, L'Opéra National de Paris, Hamburg Staatsoper, National Theatre of Mannheim, Teatro Colon, Royal Danish Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Göteborg Opera, Norwegian National Opera, De Nederlandse Opera and Teatro San Carlo Lisbon, among many others. This season’s engagements includeRigoletto with the Lyric Opera Baltimore, and I Pagliacci, Le Nozze di Figaro and Faust for Austin Lyric Opera, where he serves as artistic director and principal conductor.

Dejan Miladinovic

Director

Dejan Miladinovic was born into a family of opera artists. Dejan has served as principal stage director and artistic director of the National Opera of Novi Sad, Serbia. He has served as director and artistic councillor for Grand Opera Projects with Sava Convention Centre in Belgrade, Serbia. He was appointed as a professor and artistic director of Opera Theatre, Meadows School of Arts at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He was principal stage director and artistic director of Belgrade National Opera. Dejan was appointed as a professor of Opera Theatre at Music Conservatory, Belgrade, and as an associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, California. He was the artistic director of Madlenianum Opera & Theatre in Belgrade. Dejan has staged more than 100 opera productions with professional opera companies in former Yugoslavia. In the United States and Canada he has staged more than 60 opera productions for major opera companies, for some of which he also created set designs.

Angela Brown

Aida

Angela Brown personifies the ideal American dramatic soprano:  sheer vocal power, luxurious finesse, shimmering, high pianissimos and a charming personality larger than life. Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in 2004 sparked a media excitement with reviews from The New York Times, (“At last an Aida”), the Associated Press (“She combines a potent, dusky lower register with a striking ability to spin out soft high notes of shimmering beauty. There's no doubt her voice is powerful enough for Verdi”),  CBS Evening News (“The future of opera has arrived”), and features on the front page of The New York Times and in Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Classical Singer, Reader’s Digest and Psychology Today. Angela has also been featured on CNN worldwide for her one-woman show, Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View.

Elena Bocharova

Amneris

Elena Bocharova opened the Mumbai Festival in India as Santuzza in her first Cavalleria in early 2012. Prior to this she replaced Olga Borodina as Dalila during the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse performances in Toulouse and at the Salle Pleyel in Paris (with Ben Heppner) to rave reviews. 2010/2011 was an important season for Elena’s evolution to the spinto mezzo repertoire with performances as Azucena at the Macau Festival’s Il Trovatore, covering Azucena at the Metropolitan Opera, debuting as Marina in Dallas Opera's new Boris Godunov as well as performances in Trieste's Verdi Requiem; in the title role of Dalila for Trieste's Samson et Dalila she received great public and critical acclamation. The 2009/2010 season included performances such as the Principessa in Adriana LeCouvreur in Firenze and a New Year’s Eve concert at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. Upcoming performances include her debut as Laura in La Gioconda and Amneris (in a new production the following season) for the Paris Opera, as well as a return to Toulouse as Santuzza in a new Cavalleria.

Carl Tanner

Radames

Carl Tanner debuted this past summer with the Greek National Opera and Grange Park Opera (United Kingdom) in the roles of Cavaradossi (Tosca) and Herman (Pique Dame) respectively, to great acclaim. The 2011/2012 season included the role of Calaf with both Deutsche Oper Berlin and at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre (debut); Radames in Hamburg, a gala concert at the Kennedy Center in a tribute to Chinese culture, and his debut at the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg in the San Carlo production of Pagliacci. After returning to Dresden in spring 2011 for his first Otello in Germany, the American tenor debuted at the Colon in Buenos Aires as Luigi in their new Tabarro followed by a triumph in the Teatro San Carlo’s new Pagliacci in Napoli.  Recent season highlights include performances at the Metropolitan Opera (Fanciulla) and the London Symphony Orchestra (Chairman Mao in Nixon in China) as well as debuts at La Scala (Don Jose), Covent Garden (Cavaradossi) and Bayerische Staatsoper (Radames). Upcoming engagements include Liege (a new Fanciulla) a return to the Bolshoi (Turandot), and a return to Grange Park for a new production as Peter Grimes and others TBA.

Burak Bilgili

Ramfis

The young Turkish bass has performed in many of the world’s leading opera houses including Teatro Alla Scala, Metropolitan Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, San Francisco Opera, Geneva, Florence, Palermo, Cagliari, Avignon, Seattle, Miami, Toronto and Detroit, just to name a few. Most recently Burak debuted at the San Francisco Opera as Ferrando in Il Trovatore, in Geneva as Leporello, and at the Michigan Opera Theatre as Zaccaria in Nabucco and as Leporello inDon Giovanni. His concert engagements in 2010/2011 included Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the Atlanta Symphony and Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Washington National Symphony. Future engagements include his debuts with the Washington Opera, the National Symphony, Beijing, Dallas Opera, Edmonton Opera, Atlanta Opera, the Caramoor Festival as Procida in Vespri Siciliani as well as performances in Nabucco with the Auckland Symphony and Lakme in Montreal. This summer he will also perform the world premiere of the opera La Fenice at the Savonlinna Opera Festival.

Donnie Ray Albert

Amonasro

Donnie Ray Albert is a regular guest of opera companies and symphony orchestras around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Opera. He has also made numerous appearances with Opera Pacific, Houston Grand Opera, Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Dallas Opera, Arizona Opera, Atlanta Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Utah Opera, and the opera companies of New Orleans, Baltimore, Columbus, Kansas City, Omaha and Pittsburgh. In Canada he has performed with the companies in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Manitoba and Vancouver, in addition to the Canadian Opera Company. In Europe, he has appeared at the Cologne Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Royal Opera Wallonie in Liege, the National Theatre in Prague, the Deutsche Opera Berlin, Lithuanian National Opera, plus the opera houses in Bordeaux, Köln, Bregenz, Milan, Mannheim, Hamburg and Vienna. He has also appeared in Japan with the New National Theatre in Tokyo and in Brazil in Sao Paolo.

Mikhail Kolelishvili

The King

Mikhail Kolelishvili vaulted on to the international opera stage as a finalist in the 2005 International BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. In June 2008, he was the grand prix recipient of the Prince Renee III Monte-Carlo World Voice competition. Mikhail has been a soloist of the world-renowned Mariinsky Theatre since 2009. The bass singer was recently heard as Varlaam in Boris Godunov with Dallas Opera, Isaac Mendoza in Khovanshchina with Opera Toulouse and Opéra Comique Paris, and Il Re in Aida in Orange, France. Future contracts include Leporello in Don Giovanni with Den Nye Opera and Varlaam in Boris Godunov with Israeli Opera. In 2014, Mikhail will make his Metropolitan Opera debut as Priest in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

Cara Brown

High Priestess

Cara Brown is recognized as a generous and open artist. Since her operatic debut singing Despina in a concert version of Così fan tutte with The Opera Project, the soprano has been inspiring audiences with her distinct voice and compelling honesty. Cara has performed in recitals and operas across Western Canada, including performing Micaëla in Carmen with Vancouver Island Opera, where an Opera Canada review described her voice as having “enviable clarity of tone.” Cara also sang Nedda in Mercury Opera’s production of Pagliacci and Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro in Rome, Italy, with Operafestival di Roma.  She has also graced the stages with Opera NUOVA, performing the roles of the Dew Fairy and the Sandman in Hänsel and Gretel. Cara has also appeared as a featured guest performer with Vancouver Island Opera, Red Deer Symphony and Calgary Concert Opera Company, where she returned in September and sang the role of Micaëla in a concert version of Carmen.

Ron Long

Messenger

Ron has performed such roles as Beadle Bamford and Anthony in Sweeney Todd, First Officer Murdoch in Titanic the Musical, Papageno in The Magic Flute, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mars in Orphée aux enfers, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas as well as various comprimario roles for Edmonton Opera. Ron is also a member of the musical comedy group Il Duo which regularly performs at various venues and Fringe Festivals around Western Canada. He has been a soloist in various recitals including CBC’s Wednesdays at Winspear concert series which was recorded for CBC Radio 2. He has also directed many student musicals and operas including numerous Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. He currently is a private voice instructor at MacEwan University’s Alberta College Conservatory of Music. This Christmas you can see him in Amahl and the Night Visitors at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Synopsis
By Stephan Bonfield

Synopsis 

Act I: 
Egypt is again threatened by Ethiopia. An Egyptian officer, Radamès, is chosen to command the attack force against the Ethiopians. Left alone on stage, Radamès sings of his love for Aida, the Ethiopian slave of Amneris, the Egyptian princess. Radamès dreams of triumph in battle and being granted a victory prize by Pharaoh — having his beloved Aida freed.

Amneris enters, and it is soon clear that she loves and admires Radamès. However, when Aida follows Amneris shortly after, Amneris observes Radamès trying to conceal his glances toward Aida. In the trio that follows, Radamès worries that Amneris may have discovered his love for Aida — a valid concern.

Pharaoh arrives and a messenger delivers news of Ethiopia’s invasion. With Thebes now under threat, Pharaoh and the gathered assembly cry out for war. Radamès will lead their troops into battle and Amneris is elated. Radamès thanks the gods, confident of victory. He is led to the temple of Vulcan to be anointed. The powerful scene continues with the chorus of priests and citizens invoking their gods to bring victory to Egypt and death to the Ethiopians. Amneris presents Radamès with a staff that is blessed to ensure his victory.

Aida, now alone, is filled with self-reproach for repeating the impious words calling for Egyptian victory. She is torn between her love for Radamès and her loyalty to Ethiopia. If the Egyptians are defeated and her father rescues her from slavery, Radamès may die. If Radamès is victorious, her father may be enslaved or killed and her country destroyed.

At the temple, priests chant hymns to their gods. Radamès receives the consecrated armour and sword and now acts with the powers of the gods to protect and defend Egypt.

Act II: 
Egypt is victorious against the Ethiopians. Amneris is prepared for the victory celebration by her attendants while she dreams of Radamès.

Aida enters. Amneris is suspicious about her slave’s feelings, but does not yet know Aida’s true identity. At first, Amneris responds with genuine affection to Aida, but then deliberately misleads her, telling her that Radamès died in battle. Hearing this, Aida cannot hide her despair. Amneris knows she has discovered the truth. With complete guile, Amneris contradicts the news, telling her Radamès lives. Aida is elated, but having discovered her secret, Amneris declares herself Aida’s rival.

The Grand March accompanies the entrance of Pharaoh and the court, and a ballet of celebration displays the treasures taken as the spoils of victory. During the Triumphal scene, Radamès is praised as Egypt’s saviour.

As his reward, Radamès asks Pharaoh for mercy for the prisoners. One of the prisoners is Amonasro, King of Ethiopia and Aida’s father, disguised as an officer. Recognizing him, Aida cries out “My father!” When they embrace, he tells her quietly not to reveal his true identity as king.

But the high priest Ramfis and the priests are indignant to Radamès’ wish. They advise Pharaoh to sentence the prisoners to death for fear the captives will rise up and attack Egypt again. Radamès reminds Pharaoh of his promise to free the Ethiopians; he believes their king was killed in battle and the enemy has no hope of mounting another attack. Ramfis suggests a compromise: free the prisoners, keeping Aida and Amonasro as hostages. Pharaoh agrees and announces the marriage of Radamès to Amneris. In the grandiose finale, Amneris gloats at her triumph, Aida despairs, Radamès is torn and confused, and Amonasro, thinking his daughter is despondent at the thought of never being free, urges her to be patient. He is still unaware of his daughter’s love for Radamès.

Act III: 
Amneris and Ramfis arrive at the temple to pray amid hymns for wedding preparations.

Homesick for Ethiopia, Aida appears for a secret meeting with Radamès. Meanwhile, Amonasro has learned his daughter loves Radamès. Amonasro warns his daughter that Amneris will destroy her. Invoking patriotism, Amonasro tells Aida that she is obligated to help the Ethiopians defeat the Egyptians, promising she can have her country, her throne and Radamès. Amonasro manipulates his daughter, convincing her to learn Radamès’ tactical military secrets. When Aida refuses, Amonasro calls her a traitor to her people, unless she relents and betrays Radamès. Aida agrees.

Radamès appears. Aida denounces him as Amneris’ husband, but Radamès swears he only loves Aida. She argues that the only solution is to flee to Ethiopia, describing their blissful life together. Radamès hesitates; Aida renounces him and tells him to go to Amneris. Radamès refuses, deciding to flee with Aida. He reveals that the road along the gorges of Napata will be safe until tomorrow, when the Egyptian armies attack the Ethiopians at dawn. Amonasro, in hiding, hears this and reappears, announcing he is both the presumed-dead king and Aida’s father. Upset, Radamès realizes he has betrayed his country.

Amneris and Ramfis exit the temple, overhearing Radamès’ betrayal. They accuse him of treachery. Radamès prevents Amonasro’s attempt on Amneris’ life, and Amonasro and Aida flee. Guards appear and arrest Radamès.

Act IV: 
With Ethiopia defeated, Aida fears Radamès will be considered a traitor, condemned to die by the priests.

Amneris decides if Radamès renounces Aida, she will use her power to persuade Pharaoh to pardon Radamès. Radamès, however, has accepted his fate. He believes Aida is dead and does not care about his own life. Amneris reveals that Aida lives and pleads with him to save his life by living for her. When Radamès refuses Amneris, she lapses into anger and intense frustration, only underscoring her defeat more. Radamès, oblivious, is led off to trial.

The priests intone the charges against Radamès, who enters no plea for his life. He is sentenced to be buried alive.

Amneris remains outside, cursing the priests and crying to the gods.

In the crypt, Radamès is joined by Aida, who has elected to die with him. Their duet affirms they believe they will be immortalized in heaven. Above the tomb, Amneris prays for Radamès: “Pace, t’imploro, pace t’imploro, pace, pace, pace!” (“I pray for peace, I pray for peace!”)

Director's Message

FOOTPRINT IN THE SAND

The curious eyes of the 14-year-old boy followed the flickering torch carried by the Arab guide. The corridor was narrow and steep. Even with the torch, guide and visitors felt as if they were engulfed by thousand-year-old darkness. The boy couldn’t believe that he was walking in the footsteps of pyramid robbers.

In the main hall of the Cairo Museum the boy watched the colossal statues with curiosity. He hesitated for only a moment with slight fear touching his face at the entrance into the Mummy Room. At the exit door the boy stopped in front of the bust of Queen Nefertiti. Motionless, he stared in amazement at such incomparable beauty.

The boy had a precious chance to visit the museum every day, week by week, thanks to his father’s all-season engagement as a conductor with the newly founded Cairo Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor, the father insisted that concert programs promote serious symphonic music composed by Arabs and Copts, such as Rahim, Khairat, El-Shawan or Greiss. So, the brother of the late Egyptian composer Greiss, a doctor in Egyptology, became the boy’s one-month teacher, telling him stories about ancient Egypt, its people, its customs, its Pharaohs, and its gods and deities. The curious boy was an attentive listener and a quick learner.

One day, all three of them — the father, the Egyptologist and the curious boy — went to the Sahara Desert to visit a newly discovered tomb, a mastaba ("house for eternity") of a rich ancient Egyptian merchant. For the first time in his life the boy stepped on the Sahara sands. It was an unforgettable feeling. The Egyptologist told the boy: “Grab a handful of sand from the spot where you left your footprint and take it with you. This sand will always be a link with what you have experienced and learned about ancient Egypt.”

The Egyptologist was right. The boy was enchanted forever.

When I staged Aida for the first time, memories of that teenage boy were awakened. Although I have since enriched my knowledge about the grand mystical culture of ancient Egypt, I have remembered in great detail all Dr. Greiss' stories. There is the story about the final epic battle between the gods Horus and Seth, a metaphor for the everlasting battle between good and evil. There is the fascinating battle between the sun god Atum Ra and the monstrous snake Apophis (deification of darkness and chaos) in the underworld, which acts as a metaphor for the ending of one day and the beginning of the next. I’ve heard the stories about the goddess Bastet with the head of a cat, known as “the devouring lady,” the lion-headed goddess of war Sekhmet and the goddess Hathor, of feminine love, who has horns on her head. Above all, of course, there’s the story about Ptah, creator of the universe.

The last words in the opera — “Immenso Ptah...” — were the initial start for my directorial thoughts about staging Verdi’s Aida. Furthermore, the battle between Atum Ra and Apophis is an excellent visual expression for the scene in which the sword is consecrated. The victory of Horus over Seth is the perfect triumphal representation of victory over Amonasro’s army. Thus, combining creative theatrical presentation with portions of the original spectacular rituals, along with emotionally strong personal scenes, is the proper way for reviving the spirit (Kha) of ancient Egypt. It seems to me the parts of my boyhood memories and the corresponding parts of Verdi's music are choosing each other by themselves.

In my directorial approach, I want to convey all my long-time intact excitements and emotions to the spectators, so they could feel all the same as what the boy felt when he encountered the mummified time and space of the Pharaohs.

Dejan Miladinovic

August 2012

Multimedia

Aida dress rehearsal photos

Amneris & Ramfis



Triumphal scene from Aida



Edmonton Opera
City TV, October 11, 2012

#AskAida

Opera singer Angela Brown answers your questions. Ask Angela a question by tweeting @edmontonopera with the hashtag #AskAida, or leave a comment on our Facebook page. She will be performing in our first production this fall, as Aida in "Aida," Oct. 19, 21, 23 and 25.

"If you could perform another role in 'Aida,' which would it be?"



"Can you perform when you catch a cold?"



"Which scene in 'Aida' is your favourite to sing, and which is the hardest?"



Carl Tanner sings "sacerdote, io resto a te"


Opera Pacific: These two are Verdi good, The Orange County Register

Top 10 reasons to see Aida

Top-notch talent: The principals in Aida have made their debut in opera houses around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera. Angela Brown, Carl Tanner, Elena Bocharova, Burak Bilgili and Donnie Ray Albert have already graced the opera stage in New York, while bass Mikhail Kolelishvili will make his debut there in 2014.

Promising Verdi voices: The role of Aida has catapulted soprano Angela Brown’s career, and it is the role that she has sung the most often. The familiarity that she has with the role has allowed her to have some fun with the character and make it part of her personality, the singer has said previously. Mikhail Kolelishvili, Elena Bocharova and Carl Tanner have also previously performed in Aida.

Grand requirements for a grand opera: We are excited to be able to present Aida in its full splendor. Nearly 100 people are on stage at any given time, with six principals, 60 chorus members, Brian Webb dancers and 20 supernumeraries accompanied by a full symphony.

Opera lives in Alberta: Originally from Fort McMurray, Cara Brown (High Priestess) has performed with opera companies and symphonies across Western Canada, while Ron Long (Messenger) works in the Edmonton area and participates in numerous artistic endeavours on the Prairies. The sheer size of the opera also requires nearly 60 chorus members from the Edmonton area.

Tried and true: This will be the first time in over a decade that Aida will be performed in Edmonton, but the grand opera has been performed here four times previously. The earliest performance of Aida in the capital city was in 1972.

One of the most-performed operas: In 1872, a disgruntled opera goer wrote to Verdi to tell him that after seeing Aida twice, he felt it would “fill the theatre a few more times and then gather dust in the archives.” The tale of ancient Egypt is listed in the No. 16 spot on Opera America’s list of most-performed operas, and is one of the three most-performed operas at the Met.

Accessible opera: Opera may be so different than anything else we normally do, but that doesn’t mean it’s not relatable to everyday life. This fall, members of Edmonton Opera Explorers and encore! will be able to check out the view from the set of Aida during Storm the Stage. Plus, all opera patrons have a chance to further their understanding of opera by attending Opera 101, Opera Talks or panel discussions.

Opera is more wide-spread than you think: Remember that tune in Up that you just can’t stop humming? It’s actually from Carmen. When you’re on the lookout for opera references, it’s amazing where small references pop up — in a TV show, a novel, movies or the current music you’re listening to.

Recreating the glory of ancient Egypt: Contrary to popular belief, it was Rigoletto, not Aida that opened the Cairo Opera House. Isma’il the Magnificent, the ruler of Egypt from 1863 to 1897, was a huge fan of Verdi, however, and wanted a new Verdi opera for his new opera house. Verdi was finally intrigued when Egyptologist Auguste Mariette sent him an act-by-act, scene-by-scene, 24-page booklet with the scenario. Verdi proposed a detailed contract and accepted the commission; Antonio Ghislanzoni was hired to write the libretto.

Everyone else is doing it: Opera houses around the world have planned their seasons around operas written by Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner this year, as 2013 is the 200th anniversaries of the births of both Verdi and Wagner.

Tickets

Tickets for Aida

Call the Edmonton Opera Box Office at 429-1000, visit us at Tix on the Square: 9930 102 Ave NW or purchase tickets online

Date Time Buy Tickets
Friday, October 19, 2012 8:00 pm
Sunday, October 21, 2012 2:00 pm
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 7:30 pm
Thursday, October 25, 2012 7:30 pm Purchase
Verdi's Aida - October 19, 21, 23, 25 2012