Search - Verdi - Aida / Vaughn, Sebastian, Nicolai, Donati, Teglia, Tomasev, Croci, St. Margarethen Opera on DVD

Aida Real Quick

Flying Mouse | Atlanta, Georgia | 09/27/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't a complete recording of Aida. Because it doesn't even have "Celeste Aida" it couldn't even be classified as highlights. It could be called selected excerpts. The running time is only 80 minutes which includes some extras of dubious merit. There are no subtitles for either the butchered opera or the extras. Only the 4 severely cut acts are offered as chapter stops. Some of the cuts occur in mid sentence. I've often wanted to yell more at the end of an opera but never before because I'd been robbed of half the opera.

Nevertheless, I'd gladly purchase another disk of this performance if I could get the entire performance because what you do get is marvelous. The audio (stereo and 5.1) and video are excellent, the sets and costumes lavish, and all the performers were superb. The Grand March included both real horses and elephants. The orchestra was on stage with the performers and set to the right inside the mouth of a giant Sphinx which was a nice touch and permitted the audience to almost reach out and touch the performers. The ballet numbers were exquisite and featured drop dead gorgeous ballerinas. .

Because we get half of Aida I'll give it 2.5 stars rounded off to 3 stars. Get me the other half and they'll get the other two stars.
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