Aida<\/em> turns 150 First performed in 1871 to mark the inauguration of the Suez Canal, this Verdi opera takes a very political turn in this new production by Dutch director Lotte de Beer staged at the Op\u00e9ra Bastille. The thwarted love story of Ethiopian slave Aida and Egyptian officer Radames, straight out of the times of the Pharaohs, is transposed here to a cocktail party held at an ethnological museum and attended by representatives of what we imagine to be a Napoleonic high society, drinking champagne amidst statues representing oppressed peoples. Needless to say, this production, filmed during a one-off performance in early February, has divided the critics, but that can be said of any daring production. Yet even those most resistant to the opera will come to enjoy it thanks to SoBARNES.<\/p>\n We do, however, remain sceptical regarding the use of human-sized puppets to represent the characters of Aida and her father, with the singers being forced to stay within their shadows. The theme of colonial conquest and its repercussions on our society is certainly topical, but the message seems a little too forced to really hit the mark. That said, what a cast! Featuring the hottest stars including Sondra Radvanovsky, Jonas Kaufmann, Ksenia Dudnikova and Ludovic T\u00e9zier, under the flawless direction of Michele Mariotti.<\/p>\n\n\t\t