And lo it came to pass. In AD30, the roman good and great gathered their stone, drew in the empires greatest architects, stonemasons and master woodsmen, recruited the largest army of prisoners, misfits and reprobates within a 100 mile radius and constructed one of mans greatest achievements, the
Arena di Verona.
This object of beauty was constructed as an arena for battle, a stage of gladiatorial victory and a grave for the weak .... and two thousand years later, for the Franco Zaferelli designed production of Verdi's Aida.
The seats were still the same stone carved ovens as seated on by the crowds to watch slayings, but having plumped for the expensive seating with cushions (designed by Smith, c1963) , only nine rows from the front, the 210 minutes of operatic genius were considerably more comfortable than for the 10, 000 others whose cheeks were almost certainly baked following 18 straight hours of 35 degree heat on the arena steps before sun-down.
The stage set was unbelievable and of such enormity, you have to have seen it to believe that you can recreate a golden pyramid some 150 feet up inside the arena. The egyptian cats, sphynxes and other animals I didn't quite recognise were equally large and awe inspiring, especially with the sun setting behind them. Despite being outdoors and a very wide space, I heard the performers sing their perfect notes as if they were next to me.
With the heat so intense, the opera didn't start until 9.30 and finished at around 1am, and with a few breaks to pop down and treat your special other to some champagne, the evening passed by pretty quickly. Many people were spotted listening intently to the music with their eyes closed, mouths open and some even dribbling and I was left wondering if Verdi couldn't have made his masterpiece just a touch shorter.
That said, the score is a magnificent 9. The surroundings, the stage, the stars, the music and all of the performers were outstanding and I would recommend that you experience this at least once in your life.
