Aida
La Scala went all out for its 1986 production of this grandest of grand operas, with a strong cast and, most important for a video recording, a larger-than-life staging. The Triumph Scene in Act II is by no means Aida's only attraction, but it is the part that makes the strongest and most lasting impression and it is the visual and musical climax of this production. Stage director Luca Ronconi brings on a procession to dwarf all processions: looted treasures, heroic statuary, miserable captives struggling under the lash of whip-bearing slave drivers. On par with these visuals is Lorin Maazel's first-class performance of the popular Grand March with the outstanding La Scala chorus and orchestra. In Act III, the contrasting tranquility of the Nile Scene also gets a visual treatment to match the music's qualities.
Cast
Maria Chiara
as Aida
Luciano Pavarotti
as Radamès
Ghena Dimitrova
as Amneris
Nicolai Ghiaurov
as Ramfis
Juan Pons
as Amonasro
Paata Burchuladze
as Il Re
Ernesto Gavazzi
as A messenger
Francesca Garbi
as Priestess
Giulio Bertola
as Chorus Master
Lorin Maazel
as Conductor
