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Verdi - Aida / Maazel, Chiara, Pavarotti, La Scala

starring: Paata Burchuladze, Luciano Pavarotti, Ghena Dimitrova, Maria Chiara, Nicolai Ghiaurov
directed by: Derek Bailey

Release Date December 14, 1999
CRITICISM:

1. If you know the opera very well and can handle the Italian, tough. There's no way to get Italian subtitles (on either the PAL or the NTSC version).

2. The "grand march" (musically intended to be the most magical moment of this opera) was inanely choreographed. According to the libretto, they're supposed to be bringing in "the spoils of war," as they dance to the music. Instead we have a bunch of guys dragging giant statues around the stage with ropes. The famous "Dance of the Moorish Slaves" was also ineptly done, but that has been adequately discussed by other reviewers.

3. Pavarotti does indeed have weight problems. He's so fat in this performance, it's distracting.

4. The quality ... Read More: