The production should have been presented to the public on November 26th. Tomorrow, Wednesday (December 29th), there will be the big premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida” in the Linz Music Theater. Not at 7.30 p.m. as originally announced, but at 7 p.m. due to the curfew imposed by the government (10 p.m.) – in addition, the 2G-plus rule (vaccination or recovery plus valid PCR test) applies. “We tried all possible ways to cut it, but did not want to interfere with the artistic concept of director Sabine Hartmannshenn – and to protect the singers we cannot do without the break. Therefore we had no other option than to bring the premiere forward”, says director Hermann Schneider in an interview with the OÖN.
Hartmannshenn creates a rehearsal situation based on the story of the Ethiopian king’s daughter Aida. Aida is abducted to Egypt as a hostage and there, together with the military leader Radames, who had been promised to the Pharaoh’s daughter Amneris, makes a fateful decision about life, love and death. The audience will witness how “Aida” develops.
Sonja Saric can be seen in the title role. The Serbian-born soprano made her debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2013 and was already performing in Linz in January 2020 as Leonore in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore”. “Aida really appeals to me as a character, she is a slave and a princess, wants to love Radames, but not betray her people. What you have to do and what you really want – to balance that is almost impossible in this piece,” says Saric .
The premiere will be conducted by Markus Poschner, head of the Bruckner Orchestra, and Enrico Calesso will be responsible for the musical direction for the rest of the dates.
Musiktheater Linz: “Aida”, Opera by G. Verdi, Premiere: 29. 12., Director: Sabine Hartmannshenn, Musical direction: Markus Poschner / Enrico Calesso. Term: January 6th, 17th, 21st, February 2nd, 25th.
Source: Nachrichten
