Elton John, Tim Rice - Aida (2000 Original Broadway Cast)
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Artist: Elton John, Tim RiceBrand: AIDA
Edition: Music CD
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 2000-06-06
Music Label: Walt Disney Records
Soundtracks:
- Act One: Every Story Is A Love Story
- Act One: Fortune Favors The Brave
- Act One: The Past Is Another Land
- Act One: Another Pyramid
- Act One: How I Know You
- Act One: My Strongest Suit
- Act One: Enchantment Passing Through
- Act One: My Strongest Suit (Reprise)
- Act One: Dance Of The Robe
- Act One: Not Me
- Act One: Elaborate Lives
- Act One: The Gods Love Nubia
- Act Two: A Step Too Far
- Act Two: Easy As Life
- Act Two: Like A Father, Like Son
- Act Two: Radames' Letter
- Act Two: How I Know You (Reprise)
- Act Two: Written In The Stars
- Act Two: I Know The Truth
- Act Two: Elaborate Lives (Reprise)
- Act Two: Enchantment Passing Through (Reprise)
- Act Two: Every Story Is A Love Story (Reprise)
Free Music Notes for Aida (2000 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: A FAMOUS OPERA TURNED INTO A ROCKING MUSICAL
Hit: 5 Stars
Elton John and Tim Rice had their first collaboration in the musical theatre with the adaptation of the famous Disney's cartoon, "The Lion King" in 1997. For their next joint project, they chose a much more demanding subject matter. Following the example of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, who used Verdi's "Madame Butterfly" and turned into a hugely successful "Miss Saigon" in the late 80-is, Rice and John decided to follow the suite. This time, it was Puccini's legendary opera "Aida" that was used as a basic story. And although "Aida" probably won't be at the very top of the 20th century's best musicals list, it is nevertheless a very good show and this is a wonderful recording.
The story is set in the ancient Egypt. The main character, Aida, is a daughter of the king of Nubia, Egypt's southern neighbour and a long-time enemy. After Radames, the captain of the Egyptian army, conquers Nubia, Aida is taken with the other Nubian women as a slave to Egypt. Her strong attitude instantly captures Radames' attention, so instead of sending her to work at the copper mines, he gives Aida as a present to his bride-to-be, Amneris, who is the daughter of the old and dying pharaoh. Radames' father, the Prime Minister Zoser, who is secretly poisoning the pharaoh, wants his son married with Amneris as soon as possible, so that he could rule Egypt, with Radames and Amneris as his puppets. Amneris soon finds a faithful companion in Aida, who seems to understand the insecurities of a young throne heiress. At the same time, Radames and Aida unintentionally confide their hopes and dreams to one another, and it is evident that a love between the two is about to be born. Aida, however, submits to the pleads of her people to guide them. She implores Radames to help them and so he gives them all his possessions and declares his love for Aida. She falls to his embrace, unable to fight her feelings any longer. Soon after that, Aida's father, the king of Nubia is captured. A plan for his escape is made that will take place during Radames' and Amneris' wedding. In that way, to save her father and her nation, Aida must betray the man she loves. Radames informs Aida that he's calling off the wedding. She knows this would ruin her father's escape and tells him he must go through with it. Radames agrees, on condition that she escapes to freedom on a boat he will provide. The heartbroken lovers part, but Amneris has overheard their entire conversation and faces the fact that her upcoming marriage is a sham. At the same time, Radames rejects his father's warnings about the consequences his relationship with Aida will have for Zoser's political plans, but Radmes no longer shares his father's ambitions. News of Aida's father escape disrupts Amneris' wedding. Radames learns the truth of Aida's identity when he arrives at the docks just as she's about to board his boat with her father. Radames makes possible for Aida's father to escape and then he and Aida are arrested for treason. At the ensuring trial, Pharaoh sentences both Aida and Radames to be buried alive. Amneris rises to her role as future Pharaoh by convincing her father to let the lovers die in the same tomb, an act of mercy for the two people she has come to love. Facing death, Aida looks to Radames for strength. Radames swears he will search for a hundred lifetimes to find her again. At the present time, in the Egyptian wing of a museum, where the story begins, a man and a woman are strangely drawn to one another. They are the reincarnations of Aida and Radames, finding in each other a new beginning. So the story has a happy ending after all.
"Aida" opened at Broadway in the year 2000 and closed in the fall of the last year. Its simple and yet captivating love story found its way to the audiences, just like the score on this cast recording will do the same to the listeners. Overall, it is evident that the score was written by Elton John, since it has the typical rock, r'n'b and gospel sound, which made him famous. The songs range from the powerful and loud numbers to the touching ballads. One has to bear in mind that the recording here has all of the songs minus the small dialogue parts, so what we have on this recording is almost the whole show sung-through. Some of my favourites here are: "Fortune favours the brave", an exceptionally strong number sung by Radames and the male chorus; "Another pyramid", an elaboration of Zoser's political plans, with a strong orchestral lead, "My strongest suit", Amneris' ode to her physical appearance; "Dance of the robe", because of its echoing drums, "Elaborate lives", Radames' re-examination of his life, "The Gods love Nubia", a strong chorus hymn sung by Aida and her people; "Like father, like son", a sharp exchange of arguments between Radames and his father and a strikingly sad duet between the two lovers, called "Written in the stars". The rest is quite plausible as well. One of things that I like about this show is the fact that Tim Rice wrote the lyrics. I think he is one of the best lyricists of the modern musical theatre, as it is proven by his earlier work with Andrew Lloyd Webber, i.e., "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat"; "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita". His way of writing is very witty and he just knows to handle the words well.
The cast in question here is very powerful. Heather Headley gives a strong lead. Her Aida is fierce during the whole recording, yet at a precise moment appropriately melancholic and somewhat indecisive. I like her range and admire the amount of emotions she gave to her character. Adam Pascal, known to most for his big performance in Jonathan Larson's "Rent", gives an equally good performance here. His rocky voice suits his big numbers, but at the same time can become very warm in the ballads. Adam was a wonderful discovery for me and I've been getting his other recordings since. His voice and rendition are more than welcome to the musical theatre, proved by the fact that he was called for the closing performance of Aida, in the fall of 2004. Amneris is a tricky character to portray, since at the beginning of the show she is happily in love, but towards the end she realizes she's been living an illusion and ends up at the throne, but alone. Sherie Rene Scott was a good choice, because her voice is strong, but it also has that much needed gentle touch that for the most part is in the contrast with Headley's powerful vocal. The supporting cast was also well picked and the chorus parts are amazing.
The CD comes with the booklet containing lyrics and the production photos. The sound is excellent. This cast recording should be found in the collections of all the serious modern musical theatre fans.
Aida (2000 Original Broadway Cast) Poster
No Description AvailableNo Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: AIDA
Title: ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST
Street Release Date: 06/06/2000
Genre: CAST RECORDINGS
For his second Broadway musical (and first time out writing a full show directly for the stage), Elton John certainly set his sights high by turning to one of the grandest of all operas as a source. His continued collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice has produced a work far closer to the agreeable pop style and formula of the team's Disney musical, The Lion King, than to the majesty and tragic passion of Verdi's opera. But the compelling tale of conflicting loyalties and star-crossed lovers--retooled in part by acclaimed playwright David Henry Hwang--inspires some of John's signature melodic felicity, as in "Elaborate Lives" and "Every Story Is a Love Story." And the original cast recording marks a dramatic leap forward from 1999's dreary mishmash studio concept album, thanks to the heat generated by Heather Headley and Rent star Adam Pascal as the forbidden lovers. Sherie René Scott can turn on a dime from a parodic stance ("My Strongest Suit") to sad resignation ("I Know the Truth"), while the three get to blend in the ensemble "A Step Too Far"--a pop counterpart to the intensity of operatic ensemble. The score touches on reggae and gospel, and on all-out rock balladry (where it's fun to hear Pascal clearly imitating John's characteristic vocal inflections), but it's most touching in the more reflective moments given to Headley's dignified Nubian princess. --Thomas May
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