The company of Verdi’s “Aida,” Lyric Opera/Photo: Todd Rosenberg Photography
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There’s an irony in the way Lyric Opera touts its “Verdi expert” music director Enrique Mazzola while pointing out that his first Lyric “Aida” would be his first performance of Verdi’s signature opera anywhere.
And yet it is the second time a Lyric “Aida” would be presented by departing general director Anthony Freud, and in fact, his last opera production while still in that company role before his July retirement.
Freud is leaving with high confidence in his choice of Mazzola as Lyric’s third-ever music director. So much so that on Tuesday in his announcement of the 2024-25 season—which will open with more Verdi from Mazzola, “Rigoletto”—Freud announced he had signed the still largely-untested-in-Chicago Mazzola for another five years.
The current 2023-24 season is only Mazzola’s third as music director; he has mostly conducted Italian operas here with mixed results. Another Mazzola “first” will be his first-ever Mozart at Lyric,next Friday and Sunday, March 22 and 24, when Mazzola conducts Lyric concert performances of Mozart’s “Requiem.”
Freud might as well go out with a bang, and “Aida,” the grandest of Verdi operas if not the grandest of operas, ensures that he does.
Apparently, experience is not always the determining factor when it comes to Mazzola. It turns out that his first-ever “Aida” is the best Verdi he has thus far conducted at Lyric. From the tender and tranquil strings in the opening prelude to not allowing the famous Act II Triumphant Scene to overwhelm, Mazzola kept control of the proceedings on Saturday’s opening night.
Russell Thomas and Michelle Bradley in Verdi’s “Aida,” Lyric Opera/Photo: Todd Rosenberg Photography
It was inspiring casting to reunite soprano Michelle Bradley and tenor Russell Thomas, who were so memorable as the doomed lovers Tosca and Cavaradossi in Lyric’s 2022 “Tosca,” as the doomed lovers Aida and Radamès. Although Bradley hit her high note in “O patria mia” radically under pitch and Thomas began with an underwhelming “Celeste Aida” on opening night, their scenes together—especially the heart-wrenching finale as they are entombed together—were quite special.
Although mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton was not projecting well in Act I as Amneris, she came to life in her scenes with Aida. Her prayerful plea for peace that closes out the opera had the perfect pathos.
Baritone Reginald Smith Jr., who was so magnificent as the older Emile in “Champion,” made a chilling Amonasro in what is often a throwaway role.
Director Francesca Zambello managed to bring out the conflict and intimacy of the love triangle and it was great to have the dance scenes and ballet music restored, even if the quality of some of the dancing left much to be desired. With Lyric now having to alternate every other month of its season with Joffrey Ballet—another Freud decision—it would be great to see Joffrey take over the dance element in Lyric productions.
The chorus is vital to an effective “Aida” and under Michael Black’s direction, the Lyric Opera Chorus did not disappoint.
“Aida” at Lyric Opera, 20 North Wacker (at Madison), lyricopera.org. Through April 7.
