Giuseppe Verdi's Aida live from Semperoper Dresden

13 MARCH 2022: ARTE presents AIDA directed by Katharina Thalbach and conducted by Christian Thielemann live from Dresden.

Exoticism on the Nile, passion and pure emotion - that is the secret of success of Verdi's opera Aida. There are few opera titles that are more popular. Katharina Thalbach, whose directing work is characterized by creativity and unconventionality, transforms the dramatic love story into an innovative, contemporary production.

For the director Thalbach and for chief conductor Christian Thielemann, who are working together for the first time for the production of Aida, the examination of this operatic material represents an artistic premiere. Katharina Thalbach says she feels like an archaeologist with this work. She sees the realization of the great human drama about the impossibility of choosing between love, passion, loyalty and patriotic duty as a challenge.

As expected, the opera production has the finest cast: Bulgarian star soprano Krassimira Stoyanova stars in the role of Aida. She is joined by Francesco Meli as Radamès and Georg Zeppenfeld as Ramfis. Ezio Toffolutti, who has already worked with directors such as Harry Kupfer and Nikolaus Lehnhoff, designed the sets and costumes for Aida.

Conductor: Christian Thielemann
Staging: Katharina Thalbach
With: Alexandros Stavrakakis, Oksana Volkova, Krassimira Stoyanova, Francesco Meli, Georg Zeppenfeld, Quinn Kelsey, Simeon Esper, Ofeliya Pogosya
Orchestra: Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Chorus: Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
ZDF/ARTE, Unitel
Germany 2022, 180 min.

English title Giuseppe Verdi's Aida live from Semperoper Dresden
Genre Opera
Recording location Semperoper Dresden
Duration 180 min.
Production Company Unitel