Rehearsals for Aida are now well underway, and on Monday, director Tim Albery (whom you may remember as the director of Götterdämmerung, War and Peace, and Rodelinda) introduced us all to his vision for the production. The discussion took place in the Imperial Oil Opera Theatre, where we were surrounded by various and sundry props and set pieces. Johannes Debus and the principal singers were all present, and the first music rehearsal took place after the concept discussion concluded.
The concept discussion included a small scale model of the set with various removable pieces, colorful costume drawings, and an exploration of important questions such as "how stupid is Radames [in Act III]?" As Tim Albery talked us through his concept and ideas for each scene, tiny dollhouse-sized pieces of furniture (as well as some tiny figurines representing the singers) were moved around on the miniature stage.
For the time being, we're keeping details of the production under wraps, but the concept talk has made me even more excited to see it take shape, and I can't wait to show you more images of the Aida sets, props, and costumes. I hope these photos convey what an animated speaker Mr. Albery is!
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Posted by Cecily Carver / in 2010/2011 / comments (2) / permalink
Sara Fulgoni in the COC production of Bluebeard's Castle. Photo: Michael Cooper © 2001