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Aida at Grimsby disappoints
OH DEAR might have been a better name that AIDA for the production at Grimsby Auditorium this week, staged by Ellen Kent Productions.
Bringing this opera back yet again on what is being said to be a 'farewell' tour for the touring element of Ellen Kent Productions, this time round the production was badly miscast and the audience in addition had to suffer an orchestra that was way too loud, particularly in its brass section.
None of the principal soloists displayed a great deal of acting ability with only Galina Bernaz as Aida able to get above the orchestra, but I felt she was far too self assured in her role as a slave girl, even if she was the daughter of a king. She should have been more demure and subservient in the opening two acts and then opened out into her true, more dominant character in the final act.
Zarui Vardandean as the princess was possessed of a pleasant voice but it was impossible to hear her above the orchestra, and the same could be said of Patrizio Ha as Radames, who could not be heard at all – at times he seemed to be merely miming!
I feel he was badly miscast with little stage presence and conveying nothing of the returning war hero. Frankly, it was difficult to believe that two beautiful women should be throwing themselves at him!
The orchestra, conducted by Gheorghe Stanciu, played well but, as I have said before, too loudly, perhaps because they are more used to having to play up to have their sound get out of an orchestra pit.
However, let's not be too critical, some of the set pieces were quite glorious – the temple scene in Act 1 Scene 2 was wonderful and, unusually perhaps, the chorus was particularly good.
Ellen Kent, who has been almost single-handedly responsible for getting opera and ballet out into venues normally starved of such delights, is retiring the touring side of the company to concentrate on large scale arena productions.
With Carmen next month as her final touring production (at least for the time being), it is to be hoped it will be better that this.
As one of my esteemed fellow reviewers told me, Maria Callas once said on being asked how she prepared for each role, that she simply portrayed every role as if she was making love.
If that is the case, this production could certainly do with a shot of Viagra.
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Weather for Market Rasen
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
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