Conductor(s):
Antonio Pappano

Orchestra(s):
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus

Artist(s):
Elena Stikhina; Francesco Meli; Agnieszka Rehlis; Ludovic Tézier; Soloman Howard; Insung Sim; Francesca Chiejina; Andrés Presno; The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus; Antonio Pappano

"Francesco Meli’s golden-toned Radames warrants saluting even if we can sometimes hear the gear changes, and Elena Stikhina’s Aida packs considerable power behind her sweet-sounding soprano. Agnieszka Rehlis’s velvety mezzo-soprano doesn’t initially cut through the orchestra but catches fire in Amneris’s later scenes; here it’s the string sound Antonio Pappano draws from his orchestra that makes us trust in the sincerity of a character who has previously seemed villainous ... it’s rock solid in the pit, Pappano and his players filling in all the colour that’s lacking on stage in this dour but truthful Aida." (The Guardian ★★★★)

"... the singers were magnificent. The Russian soprano Elena Stikhina both sang and acted excellently as the Ethiopian princess Aida, taken prisoner by the Egyptians but hiding her identity. She is in love with Egyptian army commander Radames, powerfully played by Italian tenor Francesco Meli. The love triangle is completed by Amneris, played by Polish mezzosoprano Agnieszka Rehlis, who also loves Amneris and is highly suspicious of Aida. These three are very well cast: Stikhina has a beautiful, crystal clear voice, which is perfect for conveying the anguish of Aida ...

This production is at best an intriguing modern interpretation ... A five-star performance of a five-star opera ..." (The Daily Express ★★★★)

"Director Robert Carsen is a master of the stylish operatic update, and here with his set designer Miriam Buether and costume designer AnneMarie Woods he has taken on the massive challenge of transposing one of opera’s most specific locales into a modern-day political arena. It is all extremely clever, and carried through with sustained discipline and sophistication.

Elena Stikhina’s touching Aida is fragile, fearful, sometimes a little fluttery, but rising to moments of passionately focused clarity: a most affecting portrayal of doomed love. Francesco Meli’s ardent Radames has authority and expressive weight, though without all the warmth of tone we might expect.

... the evening is a triumph for Royal Opera Chorus, on tremendous form, and for the Royal Opera Orchestra who under Antonio Pappano draw out the transparency and inventiveness of Verdi’s score, its astonishing combination of chamber-music precision with overblown triumph.

On all levels a stimulating, outstandingly professional and well-realised evening." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)

"I find the concept valid and compelling… Pappano responds brilliantly to the wonderful, complex score with its conflicting but complementary elements… he coaxes exquisite sounds from the orchestra and his singers… Stikhina gives a heart-rending performance as Aida, her voice luxurious. " (British Theatre Guide)

"Verdi’s popular masterpiece, has enjoyed several impressive iterations…but few have the sheer das and vividness of this new set… A winning factor for many will be the crystal-clear resolution of the image in this impressive set which is matched by impactful sound that does full justice to the score." (Classical CD Choice (online))

"The choral singing is terrific… the big ceremonials are almost oppressive in their grandeur… it all adds up to a brave attempt to rethink a work. " (Gramophone)

"In a reading that always brilliantly maintains Verdi’s crucial balance between delicacy and grandeur, the conductor['s]… commitment to the work is memorably evident." (Opéra Magazine)