More than 260 performances, sets for pharaohs and extravagant costumes: this week, the Metropolitan Opera said goodbye to the classic show “Aida”, proof of the transformation that the prestigious art institution of New York is seeking, the France-Presse agency reported on Sunday, citing Agerpres. .

This production, first performed at the Metropolitan Opera in 1988, has long been admired for its accurate staging of Verdi’s opera, the tragic love story between the Ethiopian princess Aida, captured by the Egyptians, and the Egyptian general Radames.

Directed by Briton Sonya Frisell with sets by Italian Gianni Quaranta, this performance is famous for the “triumphal march”, Aida’s most famous aria – a 15-minute theatrical tour de force with real horses, troupes of dancers and numerous processions. .

A scene that delighted audiences for the last time on Thursday, enraptured by the performances of soprano Leah Crocetto and tenor Jorge de Leon.

Aida will return to the Met in the 2024-2025 season, but in a completely redesigned production by the American Michael Mayer, with different scenery and innovative lighting effects. The role of Aida will be played by the African-American soprano Angel Blue.

“It will be very interesting to present a new production,” said Peter Gelb, director of the Metropolitan Opera, which is trying to attract new audiences without losing its regular, more conservative audiences.

Aida was first performed by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in 1871, at a time when Europe was fascinated by Egypt after the great archaeological excavations.

Oscar-winning set designer Gianni Quaranta wanted to offer a “monumental aspect” as well as a certain “form of decadence.”

“An ancient civilization was disappearing as if it had been buried by the sands of the desert, only to be rediscovered centuries later,” he told AFP.

The palette of the show will have many golden shades reminiscent of this grand, but western world.