"Aida" as a complex arena adventure

The Nile usually flows quite comfortably through Egypt, but bathing in it is not recommended - not only because of the crocodiles and hippos, but above all because of the schistosomiasis pathogen, i.e. flatworm larvae, which burrow under the skin and cause cercaria dermatitis. On Wednesday evening, the guests of the opera producer Jasper Barendregt were therefore given a unique opportunity: They were allowed to sink briefly into the floods of the Nile in the stalls of the Barclays Arena and immediately emerge again unscathed.

As part of the set design for an upcoming "Aida" production by FKP Scorpio Shows, the Nile consists of almost 700 square meters of blue silk fabric. 14 performers heaved it up behind the pews and then ran past the audience on either side as the Nile flowed between them over the heads of the audience before surging onstage in front of the Pharaoh's Palace. Because the production is still at the beginning of the rehearsals, some visitors had a nice new hairstyle afterwards. But the Nile looked fantastic.

As is well known, Giuseppe Verdi's “Aida” is an opera that is good for spectacle. In the productions of large opera houses, things often get crowded on stage simply because of the prisoner's choir, and in the open air, elephants and horses are often part of the ensemble. The number of participants is as enormous as the opulent compositions, including the triumphal march, which Verdi delivered to Ismail Pasha, the viceroy for Egypt in the Ottoman Empire, for the then record fee of 150,000 gold francs.

For years, the European-educated ruler had asked Verdi for the opera to be played to mark the opening of the Cairo Opera House and the opening of the Suez Canal. But he only agreed when he heard that the order would otherwise go to his competitor Richard Wagner. The first performance of "Aida" was not heard until 1871. The current arena production, with a 60-strong live orchestra, 40 performers in addition to the soloists, 18 dancers and 40 prisoners cast at the venue for the choir, was also heard is supposed to start, comes about a little later than planned because of Corona. The opera show will have a total of 250 participants.

The premiere of the new production in the Barclays Arena in Hamburg had to be postponed from 2023 to February 2, 2024 due to Corona and is then to be shown at 38 locations throughout Europe. Ticket sales have started. And that is also certain: the cheapest tickets are available for 26 euros. The conception of the opera about the love between the Egyptian general Radamès and Aida, the jealous daughter of the pharaoh and the treason is finished. Everything else has yet to be built and rehearsed.

In addition to the high scenery elements of the royal palace, the elephant puppet “Ayana” based on the design by Marten Mathies Lojenburg, which represents the real elephants here, is largely functional. It is currently operated by nine players and serves as a high seat for the Egyptian Princess Amneris. The magnificent costumes can already be seen in large numbers.

The Egyptian troops are currently rehearsing a dance with their whips on the stage instead of going to war against Ethiopia. The choreographies are by Jerome Knols, who attaches great importance to the highest precision in his works for opera and musicals. Knols worked for the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien as well as for Stage Entertainment and combines both worlds in "Aida".

Directed by Rian van Holland. The former dancer has already designed several arena productions for Companions Opera. She is looking forward to an "enchanting Aida, with a top-class, multidisciplinary team of authentic creatives and plans to catapult the opera into a new dimension". It is currently not possible to predict whether this will succeed and what the artistic quality will be like in the end: the main roles have not yet been cast and the orchestra has yet to be put together by the musical director and conductor Michael Ellis Ingram.

In any case, the dimensions of the planning of the new "Aida" are enormous, even beyond the number of staff: 72 square meters of LED walls are used. The love between Aida and Radamès is introduced on them right at the beginning of the overture in the animated film. Otherwise, a visit to the show does not require any operatic knowledge. The production lasts exactly 120 minutes, one hour before and one hour after the break. Almost 600 costumes are worn, almost 150 loudspeakers provide surround sound and, in addition to pyrotechnics, 20,000 ml of perfume are used per performance to olfactorily prepare the audience for a trip to Egypt. Of course, including a bath in the Nile, for those on the seats in the parquet.