Review: AIDA at Kinneksbond

On January 25th, the Kinneksbond welcomed Giuseppe Verdi's Aida, a production put together by directors Jeroen Weierink and Marc Krone and performed by the Kharkiv National Opera and Ballet Theatre. This one-day-only event brought the opera to Mamer once again, attracting a diverse audience that seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show.

The story follows the misfortunes of Aida, an Ethiopian princess forced into servitude in the kingdom of Egypt. Her new masters are unaware of her identity and, although a slave in hostile territory, the young royal cannot help falling in love with Radamès, the captain of the Egyptian guard. When a new conflict starts between the two nations, Radamès is called to arms, leaving Aida torn between her feelings for the captain and her loyalty to her country. After the war, she is thrilled to see him return, yet his survival and triumph ultimately result in the defeat of the Ethiopian forces and the capture of her father, the king. To make matters worse, Radamès is offered the hand of the Egyptian princess Amneris, as a reward for his victory.

The main actors were great in their roles. Aida's character was presented with tremendous feeling, with our leading lady choosing to add a more emotional performance to the traditional operatic delivery. Both the king of Egypt and Ramadès had formidable vocal strength and range, but it was through the interactions between Aida and Amneris that you could really feel the best sort of tension and passion that an opera can provide. The well-coordinated ensemble gave the play the epic tone it deserves, with its strong chorus numbers often leaving the audience breathless.

The costumes, the scenery and props were spot on, and did a great job at developing an atmosphere of ancient times. Our thanks to the Kharkiv National Opera and Ballet Theatre and to the Kinneksbond for yet another great evening.

Image credit: SH Alexandr