Opera: Aida

Back to the University Concert Hall, Limerick this evening, and back to the Castletroy Park Hotel to eat. Well, it was certainly less busy this time - and that didn't seem to improve matters. Service was as slow as I remember from before the change of ownership, and although we had exactly what we had last time, the food didn't taste anything like as good. I got the impression that it had been left sitting. Tomorrow night (well, tonight at this rate!) we're planning a change - thinking of Ristorante del Arte, at the Crescent Shopping Centre. It's not as close, but it is good, and we will be out and about earlier tomorrow, with errands to run. And we can shop! ;-)

We parked as close as possible to the concert hall entrance - important, given that it had been raining for most of the day and there were flood warnings. Indeed, it was raining heavily enough as we went in that I had to stop briefly across from the entrance to let my mother off, before finding a space to park. Collected our tickets (including those for the next opera, which I booked at the same time - mustn't forget them!) and then it was time to take our seats.

Like all operas showing here, this production of Aida was directed by Ellen Kent and featured the Chisinau National Opera and National Philharmonic Orchestra. And had spectacular costumes, and, as someone described at the interval, "tacked-on" dances that looked amateurish, the dancers not experienced enough. And included kids, sometimes dancing, sometimes just as decoration. They were probably local.

Well yes, the dancing does look "tacked-on". But it's entertaining, and fits the story (Aida is the Ethiopian slave to an Egyptian princess - both fall for the leader of the army, fighting the invading Ethiopian hordes. He loves Aida, but the princess offers power. Doesn't end happily for anyone). And you can't fault the singing. Aida, of course, is full of great set pieces, with large choruses and great arias. And the standing ovation at the end was well deserved. Even if the "amazing fire effects" weren't really. But I believe that more amazing effects were offered at certain venues.

And at the interval, I bought tickets for their production of La Boheme (my favourite opera), in March. Now all we have to do is keep those safe for five months or so! Also bought a couple of tickets for the Christmas Raffle - prize, a €1000 voucher to the concert hall. That'd take a while to use up!

And so, roll on the same company's production of Nabucco, tonight. Hope it stops raining.. Right, need my beauty sleep.