Performer: Walter Fraccaro

Kamele, Feuerwerk und ein riesiger Kopf von Nefertiti: der Sydney Harbour-Inszenierung von Aida fehlt es nicht an Spektakel. Latonia Moore sticht in der Titelrolle heraus, mit guter Unterstützung von Miliaja Nikolic als Amneris und Michael Honeyman als Amonasro.

Visually this production fully rendered the opera's atmosphere. The director was good at encompassing the private stories and emotions of the three main characters into a broader context, dominated by Fate.

Aida typifies all that is grand about opera. Its exotic setting, majestic music, and dramatic love triangle can make for an evening unique among performing arts events. It’s not a bad way to close an opera season either. San Diego Opera did so on Saturday, capping a uniformly satisfying season with Zandra Rhodes’ vibrant production that was refreshing and at times thrilling.