Aida: Not Another Spectacular Review
The attention span of most Americans is only twenty-seven minutes long; to imagine what the attention span of a New York teen is would be laughable. For many, Aida was rather an interesting experience, perhaps a little too long. Act II and III were dazzling with great excitement, beautiful dancing, and magnificent stage works. In a time and place where time is of the essence, Act IV rather dragged on and much of the magic had worn off.
The opera is perhaps losing its touch on the younger generations, though it was no doubt that its singers were brilliant. It ought to have been Angela Brown who was the star of the show, though as Aida progressed, it was rather Mark Delavan who shone brilliantly.
Mark Delavan made his debut in Aida as Amonasro in 2001. His powerful voice rung eloquently throughout the halls of the Metropolitan theatre and he was asked to return to the stage as Amonasro many times. His role as Aida’s father and king suited him perfectly. His voice triumphed over others and whenever he sung, the attention was all on him, a feature fit for a king.
The lyrics seemed to drag on and took ten minutes to say one line, however, it did not appear that way when Delavan sung. His tone was demanding, short yet powerful. It is no doubt to why he’s had such an impressive career, playing numerous roles in many famous operas.
A fellow classmate stated that Delavan’s voice was so powerful because of his race, so it was much to my surprise to find out that he was white rather than black. Delavan is the prime example where race is not essential in operas, as Angela Brown said herself. A voice like Delavan is hard to come by, and can touch people of different generations, whether with an interest in opera or not.
This opera is nothing short of what an opera should be: grand, magnificent, overdramatic, and extravagant. For the young teenage mentality, something flashy will be enough to capture our attention. But operas are an acquired taste; perhaps as we grow older and learn patience it will be more appealing.