Aida and Amneris: Vocal Gladiators

Netrebko and Rachvelishvili face down, photo @ Marty Sohl

In recent years, the NBA has gained a renewed interest. Maybe the most intense since the days of Michael Jordan. Why? Because NBA fans know that every spring, there will be a thrilling facedown between Lebron James and Stephen Curry. Two equally amazing players doing what they do best, and throwing down season after season. It's great for the sport.

In an ideal world Verdi's Aida is supposed to be a throw-down between Lebron and Steph-calibre singers. The battle of wills between Aida the Ethiopian princess and Amneris the Egyptian princess when done right is thrilling, edge-of-your-seat drama. Unfortunately it's been a long time since we've had performances where the Aida and Amneris have been equally matched. Well we finally got that match. Anna Netrebko and Anita Rachvelishvili are two prima divas of the stage. Their voices are huge and soaring and overpower the chorus and orchestra. Their temperaments are fierce and unyielding. They both have charisma to burn. And the energy they generate together takes the performance to another plane.

Netrebko, photo @ Marty Sohl

Aida is by far the best thing I've ever heard Anna Netrebko sing. It's a great synergy between singer and role. Her voice sits in a perfect place for the music -- she has at this point in her career both the cavernous chest voice and the soaring upper register to handle the role's daunting range. Her vocal security allows her to negotiate the treacherous climb to high C in "O patria mia" without any fear. She could even take the C "dolce." You'd have to go back to Leontyne Price to find a soprano who sang "O patria mia" with so little fear. Her control over her instrument is a marvel -- she can float her voice in moments like the "Numi, pieta" of "Ritorna vincitor" and also let her voice rip in huge waves of sound during the Triumphal Scene. Her acting was not very specific -- it involved a lot of raised fists and not much else -- but it was deeply felt. There was a sincerity to her performance that isn't always there. Besides, who cares about the acting? Opera is about voice and Netrebko's voice carried the evening.

Netrebko learned the role from Ricardo Muti and this is also the most disciplined singing I've seen Netrebko do. Because as great as her natural gifts are Netrebko can often be a careless singer. Sagging pitch, rhythmic slackness, cloudy vowels and disappearing consonants, smudged runs -- that's usually the "but" of the Netrebko experience. With this role, there was none of that. She sang the role with scrupulous attention to vowels, consonants, pitch, and dynamics. Brava diva.

Netrebko throws a fit

For those who are curious: after an online scuffle on Instagram about skin darkening makeup Netrebko tonight wore virtually no bronzer. I guess she took the criticism to heart after all.

But all of this would be for naught if there wasn't an Amneris who threatened to steal the show. Amneris is actually the most fully realized character of the opera -- her storyline makes a complete arc from spoiled, jealous princess to vengeful, spurned lover to the heartbroken woman left behind. Verdi gives her the last word in the opera, a beautiful prayer of forgiveness.

Amneris and Radames, photo @ Marty Sohl

Anita Rachvelishvili was just that mezzo who didn't just threaten, she actually stole the show. Her voice is a lot like Netrebko's -- a large powerful column of sound. She too has a genuine chest voice she's not afraid to use, as well as a decent enough upper register to negotiate those upward ascents in the Judgment Scene and she caps the scene with a thrilling final high A. She wasn't all bluster though -- in the final scene her prayer floated over the auditorium like a breeze. She was also not the most specific actress -- Olga Borodina had less voice but could slay with the bitch-face and side-eye, while Rachvelishvili mostly used stock gestures. But as I said, with a voice like molten lava and such charisma, as well as such frisson with Netrebko, who cares? Brava diva.

Quinn Kelsey, photo @ Marty Sohl

This run also has a strong Amonasaro in Quinn Kelsey, who may not have the world's most beautiful voice but sure has the vocal power to thunder ominously in the Nile Scene. The duet between Aida and Amonasaro was another one of the moments when one was simply awash with waves of sound from two huge-voiced singers. It's great to finally have an American baritone with the volume and range of, say, Leonard Warren or Robert Merrill. Kelsey even has the Warren snarl. I've heard Kelsey in other things at the Met but next to Netrebko and Rachvelishvili he also seemed energized and unleashed his voice with all cylinders grinding. The world is always short of true Verdi baritones. Maybe Kelsey will be The One. Ryan Speedo Green was also sonorous as the King. Dmitriy Belosselskiy (Ramfis) is a bass without low notes. How is that possible? But one low note after another came out like a weak growl. Russia used to produce the world's greatest basses. What happened?

I've avoided talking about Aleksandrs Antonenko (Radames) because had he even been halfway decent the night would have been an unalloyed joy. But Antonenko was quite frankly awful. Strangulated, off-pitch bellowing in "Celeste Aida." Okay, but that aria is impossible so let's give him a chance. Unfortunately he got worse. By the Nile Scene he was completely out of voice, and what came out of his mouth was noise rather than music. The Tomb Scene with the exquisitely quiet "O terra addio" had Netrebko floating beautifully and Antonenko yelping helplessly. The warm appreciative audience gave him almost no applause and there was even scattered booing during his curtain calls. Usually I'd say "poor guy" but this was not a vocally acceptable performance in any venue, anywhere.

Nicola Luisotti led a taut, thrilling performance from the orchestra. He did not indulge his singers, and that also elevated the quality of the performance. The Met chorus continues to be another star unto itself. Sonja Frisell's 30 year old production looks like the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Gallery -- the Triumphal Scene continues to be a crowd-pleaser, with the horses getting applause. I've seen several Aida runs and the production can look tired and rote with lesser singers but when you have Netrebko and Rachvelishvili it served as a perfect picturesque backdrop for these two divas to just let their voices rip downstage center in front of the prompter's box.

This past summer my mom visited Rome but she refused to see the Roman Colosseum because of its savage background. "It's too hard to think about," she said. "Lions over here, gladiators over there ... no." My mom's sense of morality and compassion are amazing, but the current run of Aidas with Netrebko and Rachvelishvili is like being transported back to Roman times where two gladiators are fighting to the death. And I could understand the thrill.