Here are some materials to help you prepare for and then remember the opera. Here is a synopsis: http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Aida/.
Here if the full libretto (script) in Italian and English: http://opera.stanford.edu/Verdi/Aida/libretto_ie.html
Here is a full version of the opera on youtube with English subtitles: https://youtu.be/A13eDZRVfz4
Here are some questions about what you saw, please prepare responses to discuss on Tuesday.
What did you think of the ballet segments? Why do you think they were included in the opera?
Was the ending of the opera satisfying to you? Why or why not?
Describe one or two places where the music stood out to you, and describe why.
The “war song” that closes Act I (https://youtu.be/pkQmAVdHD6I) has a quality similar to other European songs that express a populist war sentiment, such as the French revolutionary song “La Marseillaise” (which is now the French national anthem): https://youtu.be/4K1q9Ntcr5g. Why do you think Verdi wrote a war song that sounds like the music of European nationalist and populist movements?
Were there any moments where the music sounded “exotic” versus sounding like typically Western classical music? If so, did you find these effective in telling the story of the opera?
Since its inception, opera has always been about spectacle. Originally this involved opera patrons showing off their riches through elaborate stage machinery, costumes, and sets. In what ways does Aida fit into this tradition of spectacle?
As a follow up to the previous question, one of the main aspects of spectacle is the act of viewing by the audience. As we gaze onto the stage, everything that unfolds is there for us, we sit in our chairs and watch the action taking place on stage, we objectify the bodies and stage setting. In light of this, what did you think of the scene in the victory march when the wagon of dead bodies was brought out? Did it bother you or was it just part of the opera?
Aida is a product of a rich fascination in Europe during the late 19th century with what is called “the Orient,” namely, non-Western cultures such as Egypt. In fact, the story of Aida was developed by a renowned Egyptologist, who attempted to recreate the look and artifacts of ancient Egypt in the set and props for the original production. Cultural theorist Edward Said writes about Orientalism as a way for European cultures to consider and manage their thoughts about “the Other” — those who are ethnically, culturally, and geographically different from the dominant European society. Said writes that “the relationship between [the West] and Orient is a relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a complex hegemony.” In what ways might Aida be Orientalist? How does it maintain relationships of power and domination? Or is this not applicable here?
What does it mean to go see an opera “about” ancient Egypt? How much is Egypt a character in the story? Would this work in a more modern setting, perhaps with two fighting families (as in Romeo and Juliet) rather than two fighting African empires?
In an opera like Aida, does it matter that the Ethiopians are not black? Should the race of the actors matter when we are watching an onstage representation that deals with race?
Finally, some questions about going to the opera…
What was the experience like of going to the Met Opera as compared to other cultural events in New York?
Do you think opera is a living institution or is it a relic of the past? Does opera have a future in the arts scene of 21st-century America?
Is it effective for houses like the Met to keep producing the same repertoire from the 18th and 19th centuries? What topics or styles of music would you like to see in an opera? Do you think opera is an effective medium for telling a story?
Is opera more about the music or the drama? Do you think the balance between these two is right?