Verdi conceived Aida as an opera that would have no equal. It has grandiose choral scenes and rousing rhythmic marches, gorgeous arias and romantic duets all brought harmoniously together, and their effect is further enhanced by the exotic flavour of the music. The famous triumphal march with its blaring fanfares and stirring choruses is one of the musical and dramatic highpoints of grand Italian opera.
Director Graham Vick and stage designer Paul Brown were keen to make use of Lake Constance in Aida, not just as a grand backdrop but as an integral part of the production. With ships and platforms, parts of the stage set that emerge from under the water, and entry points for the performers which are both on and under the water - the stage set for Aida will come into being during the performance itself before the eyes of the audience.
Bregenz is well located to explore Lake Constance and the surrounding area. In 1931, Count Lennart Bernadotte was given the overgrown 45-hectare island of Mainau in Lake Constance by his father and he set about transforming it into a paradise of flowers and plants. The Cathedral and Library of the Abbey of St Gallen are two of the finest 18th-century buildings in Switzerland. The town is the centre of the Swiss Cotton and embroidery industry. Vorarlberg is a mountainous area, famous for dairy products and fine architecture, in which Antony Gormley will be installing his Horizon Field in the late summer of 2010.
Performance Details
Aida
Bregenz provides an exhilarating setting for Verdi’s great musical drama. Aida is one of Verdi’s great tragic heroines and her story takes place against a backgound of triumphs and processions. Her personal conflict of duty to her father and her love for his enemy plays out on a human scale and is made more intense when set against the might of a great empire.
Aida in Bregenz
Price: £650 per person sharing a twin room
Single Supplement: £175
Deposit: £300 per person
Price Includes: We are offering flights from London to Zurich, 2nd class rail transfer, 3 nights bed and breakfast accommodation at the Hotel Mercure City in Bregenz.
Category 2 performance tickets from : £90
