The Aida which was performed Sunday at the Palau de les Arts Verdi was not, however much you see the Italian composer's name on posters, but of Maazel. In any case, I should say something like "adaptation of the original work of Giuseppe Verdi." That said, I fully understand the astonishment and even negative reactions that you can read for those cibercampos of the Lord, because he expected to meet with Verdi's Aida can keep a disappointment. However, we continue to Maazel for years we have grown accustomed to his peculiar way of running up to a devotion. We maazeladictos and we let it.
Lorin Maazel begins what will be his last year at the helm of the orchestra he created giving a further twist to his peculiar notion of direction with very slow tempi but intense that allows the orchestral brilliance (the sound gets This training is very beautiful) and that puts more of a hurry to choir and soloists. And even the public: there were several times yesterday in which I myself could not tell if there were disturbances at the entrance of the chorus and some soloists or was my mind that he was unable to keep pace so leisurely baton and was ahead events. As so often happens in Les Arts, best of the function were the orchestra and choir. This last one looks especially in the highly sensitive and hyper-internal slowed in the first act, second scene.
As soloists, highlighted the Amneris of Daniela Barcellona, \u200b\u200bwho is debuting the role in these functions. May disappoint the lovers of the great Verdi voices because neither volume nor by density, or by serious can approach the great references in this role. However, it is a very intelligent singer who knows how to capitalize on their strengths and just pulling out the role excellently. Some reservoirs, although correct in the first three acts, is in the fourth act where he displays all his vocal and interpretive resources, making his duet with Jorge de León is high voltage.
I liked the Radames of Jorge de León , courageous and dedicated but with a very limited range of hues. Appeal to those who know how to forgive the latter in exchange for listening to this rare bird that is a true spinto voice with a sharp release and you do not ever hesitate to look can and deafening volume. Too bad a certain lack of homogeneity between acute and half their areas. 
Indra Thomas in the role of Aida, made yesterday the last of their performances in this set of functions and also the best, say those who have attended other. This is a soprano with serious shortcomings, among which a voice totally stuck behind a bad pronunciation (the typical potato in the mouth of many Anglo-Saxon singers) and the annoying habit of breathing where he wants, charging any approach to legato singing. Also has strengths, notably the volume, which makes it stand out in the overall numbers despite that its projection is not adequate and easily at the high end but not enough to lift the paper. Also, is dramatically at odds with the implicadísima Barcellona. Overall, the best we can say the best of their performances is that at least muddied not the work of his fellow actors.
A pleasant surprise was hearing Giacomo Prestia as Ramfis, because it has a bass voice of truth, and great sound and nothing serious pitfalls. I also liked Spotti Marco, Il Re, for the same reason although the instrument is more discreet.
as Amonasro Gevorg Hakobyan has the same handicap Barcellona, \u200b\u200blacks character pasta and Verdi, but while the know meet your shortfalls Barcellona with great skill, the young Georgian baritone does not exceed the limits of the correction. Okay
Javier Agulló as a messenger and Sandra Ferrandez as high priestess.
Regarding the staging of David McVicar , passed by the outrageous censorship Helga Schmidt, can be summarized in just two ideas. 1: Where there should be no samurai Egyptians. 2: The scene is empty and dark. The first of these two ideas have the advantage of avoiding the air kitsch in which just falling all staged faithful to the script. It also gets piss lovers cardboard, which is always good. The second idea does nothing, but at least come cheap. The only thing I liked was that the controversial scene of human sacrifice (Act I, Table II), overly distracting the viewer's attention is more focused on the extras that the poor Jorge de Leon, who is who should shine .
