One Minute World Arts- Performing in Verdi’s Aida at the Met with No Opera Experience
A re-produced Aida, based on the famous 1988 version directed by Sonja Frisell, is now presented at The Metropolitan Opera in New York, showing the audience the opera house’s classic staging of Verdi’s masterpiece. Frisell’s Aida is most admired for the splendor of its mise en scene, using extras as many as 175 – a lot of them without any opera experience – and 4 real horses this time to create a visual feast on stage. Their major task in this production is to make the triumphal scene in the second act look authentic, celebrating the victorious return with a sense of honor and great beauty. Meanwhile, the 4 horses are selected through auditions; since this is their Met Opera debut, they would have to show that they are gentle and steady enough for this big occasion.
Before entering the stage, all the non-speaking actors and horses need to wait patiently in a purposefully designated space, fully prepared with adequate costumes and props, until the first act ends. Soon the “soldiers” would be assembled and led to gather behind the wall of the grand setting, being reminded of the procedure of marching one last time. When the march starts, horses are mounted with their riders, who are also first-timers on the Met stage, handling them to lead the marching troops. The soldiers then follow up, squad after squad, seeming like an infinite stream, but are in fact played by the same group of extras changing looks and taking turns. Their participation in the production makes this Aida become highly watchable, and the audiences are inevitably amazed by the splendid scenes, and further pleased to see the majestic view again when the curtain is opened once more after the show comes to an end. For the non-speaking actors with no opera experience, on the other hand, the sight of 3500 people applauding in the auditorium would certainly stay in their mind for a very long, long time.
大都會歌劇院復刻經典《阿依達》：舞台上壯盛軍容的新手「人馬」
紐約大都會歌劇院（The Metropolitan Opera）近期推出復刻版的威爾第歌劇《阿依達》（Aida），重新詮釋知名導演索妮雅．弗里塞爾（Sonja Frisell）於1988年所製作的版本，再現其中的經典橋段。此版《阿依達》以富麗雄偉的舞台效果聞名，甚至動員多達175位的龍套演員，以及4匹活生生的駿馬，來打造豪華的視覺饗宴。之所以如此勞師動眾，徵用許多連歌劇都沒看過的素人上台表演，主要是為了忠實演繹《阿依達》第二幕的凱旋進行曲，讓勝利歸國的尊榮感，可以透過壯盛的軍容來具體呈現。此外，台上的馬匹也需要透過「甄試」來挑選，確保牠們性情溫順，不易受大型場面驚擾，如此才能擔起重責。
上台之前，所有「人馬」都需著裝、梳整，穿戴好配件及道具，耐著性子在等候區靜待第一幕結束。登場時間一到，演員們就被引領至巨大佈景的後方整隊，迅速把行軍場面的流程再溫習一次；而馬兒則在那些和牠們一樣首度登上大都會歌劇院舞台的騎師指揮下，昂揚待發。進行曲開始後，馬匹踩著沉穩的步伐，泰然自若地領軍出場；接著士兵們一批批魚貫而入，隊伍看似無止無盡，但其實是由同一群臨演不停地變換造型，輪替上場，讓大軍凱旋歸來的畫面顯得飽滿好看。當演出結束、布幕落下再升起時，意猶未盡的觀眾將可再次欣賞到由眾多演員和堂皇佈景所構成的盛大場面；而初次參與歌劇演出的素人演員們，也能從台下3500位觀眾熱情的掌聲中，獲得難以忘懷的感動。
Photo Credit ©Sinna Nasseri, Cam Pollack
Sources:
https://www.metopera.org/season/2022-23-season/aida/