Singer

Aida is a grand opera in the tradition of works like Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, but it is also a deeply personal, psychological drama. As in many of Verdi’s operas, the characters’ inner struggles collide with broader political conflicts. At the heart of Aida lies a love triangle set against the backdrop of a devastating war. I have grown weary of typical productions: all those piles of sand, colourful hieroglyphs, elephants and camels… On the other hand, I didn’t want to stage Aida in the way it’s currently done in, say, Germany, or as it was recently presented at Covent Garden, with direct references to contemporary conflicts. I wanted to offer a fresh perspective, something unusual but always within the framework of Verdi’s work and with the utmost respect for his creation.

EPSG:4326

Aida

Mariinsky II

On the eve of the Battle of Borodino
Getting ready for the battle of Borodino, militiamen are building a redoubt. The troops are being brought in. Lieutenant-Colonel Denisov, looking for Field-Marshal Kutuzov, meets Prince Andrei and tells him about his plan of a partisan campaign at the enemy’s rear. Prince Andrei, on meeting Denisov, who had once proposed to the fifteen-year-old Natasha Rostova, is carried back by both sweet and sad memories. Pierre Bezukhov arrives on the battlefield to see the battle for himself. He distracts Prince Andrei from his gloomy thoughts about Natasha’s breach of their engagement and the death of his father. “The burning of Smolensk and its abandonment formed an epoch in Prince Andrei’s life. A novel feeling of anger against the enemy have made him forget his own sorrow. He was entirely devoted to the affairs of his regiment and was considerate and kind to his men and officers.” In the regiment they called him “our prince”, they were proud of him and they loved him. Field-Marshal Kutuzov appears, warmly welcomed by all. “A wonderful, a matchless people,” he says. “The beast will be mortally wounded by all of Russia’s might, it will be driven out of our sacred land.”

Mezzo-soprano

Irina Shishkova

Events

Past events

13 - 15 Jun, 2025

Aida · Mariinsky Theatre

12 - 13 Jun, 2025

War and Peace. Part I (Peace) · Mariinsky Theatre

Future and recently performed repertoire

Amneris in Aida by Verdi

Mariinsky Theatre

Hélène Bezukhova in War and Peace. Part I (Peace) by Prokofiev

Mariinsky Theatre

About

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