Should we acknowledge it? We go to the Palais Nikaïa thinking that the quality of the stage spectacle will surely overshadow the voices, probably mistreated by microphones taped to the heads of the artists. We leave with the opposite feeling: thankfully, there were the voices. This speaks to the relative disappointment at the end of the premiere, on Friday, June 12th, of this opera by Giuseppe Verdi played in the hall of the Palais Nikaïa. The hall made even more immense by the setup of the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra behind the stage.
A challenge we thought was within the abilities of Paul-Emile Fourny, who, as a man of theatre, had surprised us with breathtaking productions at the Opéra de Nice. Notably remembered are Britten’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” or Jacques Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffmann.” Could his announced departure from the establishment on rue Saint-François-de-Paule have deprived him of his usual inspiration? Regardless, despite his efforts and some two hundred artists engaged in this production, there persists an unfortunate impression of scenographic statism: actors, choirs, and extras scattered across the hall seem frozen in their movement. Despite a bed of fine sand and a few authentic palm trees, the sets and direction suffer from this vast “desertic” expanse that fails to be filled by a central stage insufficiently elevated to highlight and distinguish the main actors of the Egyptian drama. Furthermore, it is hard to understand why the glorious soldiers of the Pharaoh’s army enter dragging their feet to that majestic and so well-known brass tune while a few minutes later, as if the barely sketched magic of the show had to break for a circus performance, riders perform amazing stunts on galloping thoroughbreds. Do “bread and circuses” mix well with lyrical art?
Proof that ingenious dramatic creativity has not completely abandoned the general director, the final moments are of sublime beauty, both aesthetic and lyrical. With just two funeral marble thrones at the center of an inventive play of lights—for which Jacques Chatelet must be vigorously applauded—the spectator too seems “buried alive” and eventually comes to terms, with the same serenity borne of their powerful love, with the fate reserved for Radamès and Aida. As it goes.
Against all odds and despite echoes and other vibrations due to the use of microphones, the voices charm with their poignant sensitivity. The soprano Michèle Capalbo proves very convincing in the various vocal registries tackled in this work and for which she always finds the most accurate intonations: intimate and fervent prayer in Act I, penetrating lament at the beginning of Act III, noble resignation to death in the last act. She alternates high notes of incredible clarity, despite technical conditions, with vocal tones of infinite softness when she retreats into the painful evocation of her homeland. A remarkable tenor counteracts her: equipped with a magnificent voice of wide range and whose stability also triumphs over technological uncertainties, Jorge de Leon instantly wins over the audience as soon as he enters the scene with his singing both powerful and warm.
The result of a fortunate casting, Mzia Nioradze in the role of Amneris offers a strong vocal contrast in her multiple duets with Aida, while Jean Teitgen embodies a Ramfis unyielding in religious rigor. The local Franck Ferrari was unlucky with his microphone settings: the relentless echoes gave the impression that his voice, always appreciated by his fans, was wandering from one end of the stage to the other. A similar incident to lament for the choirs, yet very professional, of the Opéra de Nice. We will also regret too conventional ballets and, sometimes, completely out of harmony with the melodies played. The Nice Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Marco Guidarini performs brilliantly, a task all the more complicated as the Maestro turns his back to the stage and does not see the singers.
In the eyes of the audience, the grandiose fresco and the live spectacle have triumphed over artistic creativity and lyrical demands. So noted. But one can only hope to find these promising voices in a much more traditional environment.