I really liked this version of Verdi's majestic opera, with the lavish Egyptian settings. The only real things that bothered me was that some of the costumes looked as though they came from other opera productions. For instance, Amneris's dress looked like something out of Turandot, and Rhadames' looked rather Wagnerian, and also how badly the grand march was choreographed. The acting was variable with Dimitrova coming off best, but I was very impressed with the singing. Luciano Pavarotti makes a noble hero, more in the voice than in the acting, though he has been better in the 1988 version of La Boheme. I was also impressed with the beauty in voice and looks of Maria Chiara and she is a very competent actress, though she doesn't quite surpass Leontyne Price as the finest contemporary Aida. Juan Pons and Ghena Dimitrova do respectively as Amonasro and Amneris especially Dimtrova, but the real star was Nicolai Ghiaurov as Ramfis, with his rich noble voice and commanding stage presence. The whole production looks lovely, and the score is wonderful with Celeste Aida, The Grand March, The Nile Aria, and the act 4 finale the definite highlights. A good production, marred by the costumes and the choreography. For the best production, look no further than the 1989 Met production. 8/10 Bethany Cox.
