Aidaby Anonymous

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February 27, 2004: This was the work with with which I cut my teeth in the opera world , as a diletttante many years ago. Many works I have listen to , live as well as recorded , including Leontine Price as Aida at Caracala under Subin Metta's baton. I would put Aprile Milo just about as high in her performance here. Placido is just Placido. Convencing, and always on the note as the great musician that he is.( Do I show too much as his fan?) Sherrill Milnes while not at his best still can give one a jolt whith his performance as Amonasro. The cast is compleated and enhanced by the participation of the great mezzo Dolora Zajick .Her temperament and thechnique shows with every note. This is one of the Mets grandest stagings of this work under the musical direction of James Levine. The grand entrance of Radam?s at the finale of Act II is as lavish as one would like, I am mentally comparing with Caracala's many years back , not much lacking here. One should never underestimate the use of excellent customs on any production , since, in my opinion, visual is just as much an integral part of the spectacle . The customs here are candy for the eyes. Not being an oudio tech I have little to say ( I am only an audiophile) except that I enjoyed its sound and probably you would too. This production is woth the money. You would go back to it many times over for a number of reasons.