The Sunday opera is off to Egypt via the Los Angeles Opera this week (11/13 3:00 p.m.) and their production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida.”
James Conlon conducts a cast that is lead by Latonia Moore as Aida, Melody Moore as Amneris, and Russell Thomas as Radames.
Also in the cast are George Gagnidze as Amonasro, Morris Robinson as Ramfis, and Alaysha Fox as the Priestess.
After the opera, we’ll turn to a work by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis who is probably best known for his score for the film “Zorba the Greek.”
Here, his Sinfonie No. 3 is thematically connected to “Aida” in that the 18th century poem by Dionysius Solomos on which it is based is a response to a sovereign country being invaded by outside forces.
The symphony’s four movements are filled with the lament of an “insane mother” who grieves for her two sons who were killed in the altercation.
Els Bolkestein is the soprano in this recording, and she is joined by the Berlin Radio Chorus and the Berlin Comic Opera Orchestra conducted by Heiz Rogner.
