Rating: 
Summary: Just a fact.
Review: The 1980 videotaping date on this opera is incorrect. I believe it was taped 1989 or 1990. Since moving I have no idea where it is, but do know that it was not 1980 for sure.
Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Brava Aprile !
Review: This 1989 Metropolitan production conducted by James Levine is visually stunning with its massive sets by Gianni Quaranta, in a palette of cream, gold and brown.
Domingo's Rhadames is robust and masculine, and his performance is well acted and heartfelt, and Aprile Millo, beautiful in ebon makeup and with her marvelous profile, looks every inch the Ethiopian princess taken slave; her sound is rich, full of emotion, and with wonderful pianissimos. For me, her "O patria mia" is the highlight of this opera, and she shines in every scene she is in.I have a special fondness for Act One, Scene two, the "Temple of Vulcan", with "Nume, custode e vindice" one of the loveliest of the opera's melodies. Here it gets a stately treatment, and though it does not come close to the musical power of the Domingo/Ghiaurov/Muti CD, it is still good listening. Act Two, Scene Two, the Victory March, has some well behaved horses, a simple but pleasant ballet choreographed by Rodney Griffin with attractive dancers, and the entrance of the great Sherrill Milnes. Though well past his prime vocally, he looks fabulous, and is believable as the conquered King Amonasro. The cast is rounded out by Dolora Zajick as Amneris, Dimitri Kavrakos as the Egyptian King, and Paata Burchuladze as Ramfis. Though the stage direction is on occasion a little static, and the singing not always quite up to par, this is one of Verdi's grandest operas, and makes for very enjoyable viewing, and every minute spent with Aprile, is time well spent.
The subtitles are legible and helpful, and it comes with a small booklet with the synopsis in English and French; total running time is 158 minutes.
Rating: 
Summary: Wornt out voices, and new ones too
Review: This Aida is not the best choice, but surely is not the worst. Placido dont sung very good, i am not sure if he was singing at all. "Celeste Aida" was a collection of shouts that lasted what they could, but was obvious that Placido cant sing this kind of roles anymore. Aprille was a good Aida, tough lacking of the carisma, Dolora was a perfect Amneris, with a beatifull dark colour and powerfull voice. Sherril Milnes was horrible, i hate to hear beatifull voices fade away, but what can I do... Paata Burchulazde was great, with a power and a stage presence that make Ramfis a very interesting character. I really love Paata singing this kind of roles. My favourite scene was the duet between Radames and Ramfis, when Ramfis gives the young hero the sacred sword. The chorus is great too.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: This Aida is with Placido Domingo, Aprile Millo, Dolora Zajjick recorded in 1989 at the Met with James Levine. The performance is fantastic and the recording quality and video is superb. The label is Deutsche Grammophon and this is the way DVD's are supposed to look and sound. The quality is light years ahead of Pioneer and Sony classical. Get it while you can....
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest DVDs of Aida
Review: This DVD is one of the best of the opera Aida. Maestro James Levine is an energetic, powerful conductor as always. Placido Domingo stars in his signature role: Radames. His powerful, dramatic tenor voice is perfect for the role of Radames. His "Celeste Aida!" is beautifully sung. Aprile Millo portrays the Ethiopian slave Aida, the star of the opera. She is not the best Aida, but she does the job. her grief stricken aria in Act 1 "Ritorna vincitor!" is her first best aria; her second is in Act 3, "O patria mia." Mezzo-Soprano Dolora Zajick is a wonderful addition to the cast as the Princess Amneris. Sherrill Milnes has no traces of his past vocal problems in this DVD. His powerful baritone voice makes for a commanding Amonasro. The other stars like: Paata Burchuladze as the High Priest Ramfis, and Dimitri Kavrakos as The King of Egypt are also wonderful additions to the cast.
Rating:
Summary: Top Notch Aida
Review: This is a great Aida, both for the sumptuous sets as well as the first rate singers. All the principles are excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Altogether Quite a Disappointment
Review: This is quite a disappointment: 1) filmed in 1989, Domingo had well past his prime, hugely different from his own Manon Lescaur , or his Hofmannn with The Royal Opera. It's not just his voice, but also the way he sang: there isn't any freshness to say the least. He nonetheless deserves 4 stars, if not 5; 2) Domingo voice at this age doesn't, nor does any other voice here, mix well with Aprile's ( I'm not comparing her with Schwarzkopf or even with Nuccia Focile); 3) stage settings are unnecessarily dull. For the first part the chorus singers were just human properties standing there virtually without any action/movement even when they sang. A sharp contrast to Careras' Carmen with Baltsa; 4) photography is poor, not much better than B/W. Very often singer(s) were about 1/10 of the size of the screen, or else close-ups of the singer to cover only half his chest, without his hands and then shot at an awkward angle etc. Lighting is so poor that often the texture and colour of some of the facial expressions, costumes and properties are indistinguishable. 5) More is desrirable of the balance between the orchestra with the vocal. I miss Vienna Philharmonic, say those under the baton of Furtwangler e.g. Don Giovanni. 6) Dolora sang beautifully but the Egyptian king was not too gratifying... Even though Aida is one of my favourite operas, I don't feel like going back to it, at least not for quite sometime.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Aida!
Review: This is the best production with best cast I've seen either on video or in person. Granted, Price was the best Aida but the cast was not always up to her standard and not alot of good video of her available. Millo really shocked me! I certainly didn't expect her to sing or act this well. Thought she was truly exceptional! Domingo, Zajick, and Milnes were also spectacular. Delora owns her role and Domingo makes Pavarotti pale in comparison. The sets and costumes are the best I've seen both in person and on video. One strange thing, the colors on the costumes are so much brighter in person than on the LD or tape. I saw it at The Met with a really inferior cast except for Delora who was the only one who could sing and did she ever! The production still knocked me out! This is the best video of this opera and I highly recommend it! It's truly grand opera!
Rating:
Summary: A true spectacle!
Review: This production is surely the most lavish AIDA ever recorded, should be the cornerstone of any DVD opera collection. From my high horse, I can only fault the soft video image in 4:3 (only 'cause the newer, particularly the European productions are in 16:9 HD & 5.1 audio) and an above average PCM stereo audio mix - that's just quibbling. DO NOT HESITATE _ BUY!!!
Rating:
Summary: Almost completely perfect!
Review: Truly a wonderful performance. I'm not going to repeat all the great things everyone has already said about these people, though I completely agree. The only problem is that Sherill Milnes, despite his superb interpretation and acting, is vocally past his prime. However, his acting and the overall production more than make up for that.
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