Here's something you might be interested in.
Even though Aida is months and months away, I’m starting to get into the mood for some sword consecrating and triumphal marching.
There are two scenes in Aida that are among my favorites of all time to sing as a chorister.
Neither scene does much to advance the story but they are balls-to-the-wall singing for the chorus.
The first scene is at the end of Act I. Ramfis, the high priest, performs a ritualistic consecration of Radames’ sword. The euphemistic potential of this scene is only now dawning on me...
The scene has chanting priests, offstage priestesses singing to the glory of “immenso Ptah”, and the tenor and baritone singing one of Verdi’s iconic tunes.
For the record, Ptah was an impressive god. He was what is called a demiurge. While he did not create the substance of the universe, he did fashion the form of the universe with his thought and then brought it into being with his word.
The Triumphal Scene in Act II of Aida is one of the grandest of grand opera. Its inclusion only adds to the anachronism that is the whole of the show.
The scene follows the script of a Roman triumph. When a general was proclaimed imperator by his army on the battlefield, he was awarded a triumph by the people and senate of Rome.
The general’s army would march along a specific route through the city. All the spoils of the campaign would be displayed along with prisoners of war and the head of the conquered people,if he survived the conflict. At the end of the triumph, the conquered leader would be ritualistically strangled.
The triumphing general would ride in a chariot accompanied by a slave. The slave stood behind the general and held a wreath over the general’s head. The slave’s chief task was to repeat a phrase to the general during the entire course of the triumph. The phrase was, “You are a mortal man”.
The triumphal scene in Aida has many of these elements. The army is there. The spoils and prisoners are there. Radames is usually carried on a litter as the triumphing general and the defeated king shows up. The twist here is that no one is aware the king is there until he reveals himself as Aida’s father. He is not strangled.
It goes without saying that the triumphal scene isn’t an accurate representation of Ancient Egyptian style. Of course, the entire show isn’t accurate but it is glorious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBuKNOWt7gM&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PLCACBA969F88DF1BB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6yoeaVsbY&feature=related
Even though Aida is months and months away, I’m starting to get into the mood for some sword consecrating and triumphal marching.
There are two scenes in Aida that are among my favorites of all time to sing as a chorister.
Neither scene does much to advance the story but they are balls-to-the-wall singing for the chorus.
The first scene is at the end of Act I. Ramfis, the high priest, performs a ritualistic consecration of Radames’ sword. The euphemistic potential of this scene is only now dawning on me...
The scene has chanting priests, offstage priestesses singing to the glory of “immenso Ptah”, and the tenor and baritone singing one of Verdi’s iconic tunes.
For the record, Ptah was an impressive god. He was what is called a demiurge. While he did not create the substance of the universe, he did fashion the form of the universe with his thought and then brought it into being with his word.
The Triumphal Scene in Act II of Aida is one of the grandest of grand opera. Its inclusion only adds to the anachronism that is the whole of the show.
The scene follows the script of a Roman triumph. When a general was proclaimed imperator by his army on the battlefield, he was awarded a triumph by the people and senate of Rome.
The general’s army would march along a specific route through the city. All the spoils of the campaign would be displayed along with prisoners of war and the head of the conquered people,if he survived the conflict. At the end of the triumph, the conquered leader would be ritualistically strangled.
The triumphing general would ride in a chariot accompanied by a slave. The slave stood behind the general and held a wreath over the general’s head. The slave’s chief task was to repeat a phrase to the general during the entire course of the triumph. The phrase was, “You are a mortal man”.
The triumphal scene in Aida has many of these elements. The army is there. The spoils and prisoners are there. Radames is usually carried on a litter as the triumphing general and the defeated king shows up. The twist here is that no one is aware the king is there until he reveals himself as Aida’s father. He is not strangled.
It goes without saying that the triumphal scene isn’t an accurate representation of Ancient Egyptian style. Of course, the entire show isn’t accurate but it is glorious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBuKNOWt7gM&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PLCACBA969F88DF1BB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6yoeaVsbY&feature=related