AIDA Comes to the New National Theatre, Tokyo Next Month

The great festive opera of Aida is being performed as a celebration performance for the New National Theatre Tokyo's 25th Anniversary. Franco Zeffirelli's resplendent production, premiered in 1998 to commemorate the opening of the theatre, involves a dynamic stage transformation. The scene of the Triumphal March is a grand aural and visual spectacle with hundreds of performers on stage. This production is a must-see for everyone, whether you are an opera fan or not.

Aida is the major work of Verdi's later life and was revealed at the Opera House in Caro which was built to commemorate the completion of the Suez Canal. A month later it achieved success at the Teatro alla Scala with a string of forty encores, and has been one of the most popular operatic repertoires across the globe.

The story, set in ancient Egypt, is of the devoted love between the military commander, Radamès, and Aida, the queen of Egypt's enemy, Ethiopia. There is a glorious succession of famous songs such as Radamès' aria "Celeste Aida", and Aida's "Ritorna Vincitor" and "Marcia trionfale" ("Triumphal March"). In the second half of the opera, the plot describes protagonists' dilemmas; father and lover, love and patriotism, longing and jealousy...etc,. The music in the duet between Radamès and Aida, "La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse" in the final scene expresses with reverberating purity the sublimation of the couple's love.

Noted soprano Serena FARNOCCHIA takes on the title role, with Roberto ARONICA, one of the world's best tenors, as Radames. The role of Amneris is performed by Irene ROBERTS, making great strides at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and other opera houses in Europe and the United States. Verdi expert Carlo RIZZI leads these ideal cast, orchestra and chorus in a return performance for which expectations are high.