Verdi: Aida [Blu-ray]

I have over 100 opera and ballet DVD/BR's that I watch on a projected screen about 7' 8" wide and listen through a 7.1 loudspeaker setup where the left and right speakers are about 9' 6" apart. The room has sound treatments. The goal is to make the viewing experience as if I was there in a middle seat in one of the front rows.My collection includes the 1989 Aida from the Met with Domingo and Millo as well as a 2004 open air performance from St. Margarethen, Austria with Suemegi and Andreev.I thought it was time to replace them with the new Met performance.This is essentially the same performance as in 1989, same stage setup, costumes and props.Picture is, of course, a lot better, no complaints here.Sound is another story.Soundstage of the DTS 5.1 MA track is not much wider than stereo, just the applause comes also from the sides and not only the front. Orchestra and chorus are o.k., just not very wide.The voices suffer from variability of the loudness, depending in which direction the principals are singing. At the beginning, it is rather static, everybody faces the front and variability is limited. But as the action picks up, it gets worse. Amonasro (Guelfi) moves his head all the time and he sounds the worst. But it affects pretty much everybody.The stage microphones are in 4 pairs at the front of the stage, aiming pretty low, I guess to catch the sound when the action is in the back of the stage and the chorus. But for the principals, no good. A dozen names given for the audio, Mix Ken Hahn (from Merry Widow and La Traviata fame).For comparison, I inserted the 1989 DVD (4:3) of the Met and pretty much the same sound, (stereo only). Soundstage just as wide as the BR, orchestra and chorus o.k., voices just as variable. Looks like even the same microphones are used in the same positions. In over 20 years no change. Somebody must have kept detailed records in 1989 and they still follow them today.Then I loaded the 2004 St. Margarethen DVD. Screen is 16:9, the singers carry body mics.Picture is, of course, not as good, particularly in the wide stage shots. The closer shots are ok.Sound is DTS 5.1 and gives quite a wide soundstage, at least 2 feet past the corner speaker.Orchestra is a bit thin, but the voices are solid as a rock and the singing is quite o.k. The acting here is the best of these 3 performances, with Cornelia Helfricht being by far the best Amneris.So I don't consider this Aida a good replacement and cannot recommend it. It's time for the Met to get some body microphones.

Production: This review is for the Blu-ray version of Aida with Violeta Urmana as Aida and Johan Botha as Radames conducted by Gatti. This 2009 Metropolitan full HD production uses the same magnificent sets from their 1989 production of Aida. The sets are gorgeous as well as the costumes and the production involves a casts of hundreds including real live horses.Cast: The cast is absolutely magnificent in every way. Urmana has a wonderfully beautiful soprano voice and Zajick is a powerful and dramatic mezzo. Botha's bright and powerful tenor voice sounds beautiful. All the others are very good as well.Sound: The sound is natural and balanced with no body mics used. Excellent. The stereo separation is perfect.Conclusion: This is an Aida for the ages. Absolutely spectacular. Fantastico!

I love Aida, and this production is as usual a thing of beauty. Blu-ray operas are the best. But the camera angles from the pit, looking up the nostrils of the performers, are awful. And the ceiling shots, forget about those too. They are so bad I probably will not buy the Blu-ray of Turandot, for fear of more of the same. I miss Brian Large!

Grat singing. Singers never reflected at theirs faces and acting movements what was going on. Except for the tenor,the others sang looking at the floor maybe looking for something lost. I think that there is a great differencebetween singing and screaming and shouting high notes.

All-in-all a superb recording - excellent staging, featured soloists, chorus, orchestra, conducting, and sets. We saw Aida with Pavarotti at the Met a few years ago. Same sets, as I recall. This production is the next best thing to being there and seeing and hearing Aida live.

Great period costumes and backdrop. Quality of performance top notch

Brilliant in 3-D. A fantastic staging of one of the all time greats in opera.

The best production of this Opera I have ever seen, the sets are amazing, and give the work an added extra.

A big production -- very good singing

A very fine performance

C'est une bonne representation, mais sans plus. Des bonnes chanteurs, une mise en scéne classique. Un très beau spectacle. Pour les fans de Violeta Urmana.

I have seen only one better production of this Verdi masterpiece, better only because it had real animals in the Grand March. It would be hard to better this outstanding performance which I highly recommend.