Aida DVD 1953 Giuseppe Verdi / Directed by Clemente Fracassi / Rome Opera ballet Corps / Starring: Sophia Loren, Renata Tebaldi, Lois Maxwell, Ebe Stignani / Qualiton DVD-616

UPC 675754932923

MADE IN EU

REGION 0 NTSC DVD (ALL REGIONS)

Audio: Italian 2.0

Total Runtime: 95 minutes

English Summary:

Sophia Loren, complete with blackface and an Afro, came to international acclaim in this fairly literal version of the Giuseppe Verdi opera. Loren (with singing dubbed by Renata Tebaldi) portrays the title character, an Ethiopian slave owned by Amneris (Lois Maxwell), the daughter of the Egyptian king. Aida's romantic heart is her weakness, as she must choose between loyalty to her conquered race and romance with Radames (Luciano della Marra), an officer of the Egyptian army. Director Clemente Fracassi gets a bit carried away with epic splendor and the opulent color format, but fans of Loren and opera novices should find the film rewarding. Despite Loren's lauded performance, the role of Aida was originally intended for Gina Lollobrigida. 

Aida (Italian: [aˈiːda]) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted by Giovanni Bottesini. Today the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world; at New York's Metropolitan Opera alone, Aida has been sung more than 1,100 times since 1886. Ghislanzoni's scheme follows a scenario often attributed to the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, but Verdi biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz argues that the source is actually Temistocle Solera.

Directed by Clemente Fracassi

Featuring Sophia Loren, Lois Maxwell, Renata Tebaldi, Ebe Stignanai, Luciano della Maria, Giuseppe Campora, Enrico Formichi, Afro Polli, Antonio Cassinelli

Roma Opera Ballet Corps

Italian State Radio Orchestra / Conducted by Giuseppe Morelli

Roles
Sophia Loren - Aida ,
Renata Tebaldi - Aida (singing voice)
Lois Maxwell - Amneris
Ebe Stignani - Amneris (singing voice)
Luciano Della Marra - Radamés |
Giuseppe Campora - Radameés (singing voice)
Afro Poli - Amonasro
Gino Bechi - Amonasro (singing voice)
Antonio Cassinelli - Ramfis
Giulio Neri - Ramfis (singing voice)