Be the first to comment!Aida at the Aurora with scenery by opera legend Franco Zeffirelli
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Verdi’s opera Aida, set in the backdrop of ancient Egypt, will be performed at the Aurora Theatre in Gozo this October.
The scenery for Aida will be by opera legend Franco Zeffirelli, and the costumes by his lifelong colleague Anna Anni. Aida will be directed by Vivien Hewitt, with Colin Attard the conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
Best remembered for his Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew and Jesus of Nazareth films, Franco Zeffirelli is often associated with colossal operatic stagings like Turandot, Carmen, Traviata and Aida currently packing the Verona Arena, the theatre said.
The Aurora explained that Aida is usually perceived as an opera of and for the masses, with over-sized choruses and triumphant processions. But, with this particular production, Zeffirelli goes to show how intimate an opera Aida is, even when throngs of people are singing the most rousing of patriotic choruses.
“Vivien Hewitt, who first met Zeffirelli in 1989, particularly loves this fabulous 2001 production conceived for the prestigious Verdi Festival at the Teatro Verdi in Busseto and she is looking to create a faithfully Verdian interpretation of this 150-year-old opera masterpiece,” the theatre said.
The Aurora said that “a Zeffirelli-designed production in Gozo was a question of strategy but also a matter of good planning and timing. It is the Aurora’s deliberate choice to put itself on the international map of high calibre productions by re-staging this magnificent edition of Aida in Gozo.”
This Zeffirelli Aida production, not to be confused with the Arena di Verona one, was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Verdi’s death, specifically for the intimate theatre in the composer’s home town of Busseto. The theatre said that “contrary to so many perceptions, the smaller dimensions of stage actually amplify the illusion of the immensity of Ancient Egypt and the aura of the exotic mystique the opera needs to create.”
The theatre added that “Anna Anni’s lush and lavish costumes, which switch from soft pastels to vivid reds that tend to darken as the opera reaches its tragic climax are a feast for the eye and actively participate in telling the tale in a more pungent and impactful manner.”
Aida will be a single performance on Saturday, the 15th of October, starting at 7.30pm, doors open at 6.45pm. To book your ticket please click here.The Aurora Theatre expressed its thanks to the Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo “for their invaluable support through the Investment in Cultural Organisations Gozo programme.”
