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The Met: Live in HD Presents Aida

 


This afternoon I caught my first Met Opera Live in HD production at the Cinemark Theater in Robinson. Something I’ve been meaning to try for a long time, the Met HD series expanded from an initial six transmissions to 10 in the 2014–15 season and today reaches more than 2,000 venues in 73 countries across six continents.

          Beginning live from the Met at 12:30 p.m., Aida starred soprano Angel Blue making her Met Opera debut in the title role. The 3 hour, 40 minute long performance included one 15 minute intermission as well as interviews with cast members such as mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi (Amneris) and behind the scenes look at some of the production elements.       

          I believe I heard that this staging of Aida was the first for the Met in 25 years, although I may have heard incorrectly. It seems highly unlikely that such a popular opera could go that long without a reboot somewhere along that time span.

          Of course, the sets and costumes were dazzling, the chorus, supernumeraries and orchestra musicians under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin were numerous and uber professional and the projections and animations remarkable. Finally, it was wonderful to finally get to hear Polish tenor, Piotr Beczała, sing, this time in the role of the Egyptian general, Radames.

          Besides the Cinemark in Robinson, the opera  also screened at the Cinemarks in Monaca, North Hills and Monroeville Mall.  The opera was sung in Italian with easy-to-read Met titles in English translation at the bottom of the screen.

          Aida will be screened again as part of the Encore Series at local Cinemark Theaters on Jan 29 and Feb 1.

          Four additional The Met: Live in HD operas complete the 2024-25 season. They are Beethoven’s Fidelio, on March 15; Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro on April 26; Strauss’ Salome on May 17 and Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia on May 31, For tickets and more information, go to www.metopera.org/hd.


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