Aida & the ayatollahs - The New Criterion

Aida and the Ayatollahs

Revival at the Paris Opera

This fall, the Paris Opera revived Aida using a 2017 Salzburg Festival production, surprising many who remembered it. The staging, originally directed by Iranian visual artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat, marked her first foray into opera direction. It had initially been conceived for Anna Netrebko’s debut as Aida, conducted by Riccardo Muti.

Neshat’s Artistic Vision

Although new to opera, Neshat brought cinematic sensitivity to the stage. Her use of black‑and‑white film sequences depicting migrants—mostly women by the sea in dark clothing—added emotional texture, though sometimes feeling detached from the drama.

Musical and Dramatic Balance

While Muti’s conducting restrained radical reinterpretation, Neshat’s conservative direction occasionally left singers in static positions, limiting visual dynamism. The production was later revived in Salzburg in 2022, reportedly with some adjustments.

Paris Revival and Thematic Depth

In Paris, Neshat, known for her advocacy of women’s rights, had greater freedom to refine her perspective. She drew bolder parallels between Verdi’s priestly figures—portrayed with ayatollah-like beards—and the authoritarian clergy of Iran, making the opera’s scenes of brutality more immediate and resonant.

Parallels between the opera’s priests—decked out with flowing, ayatollah-style beards—and the hardline theocrats of her estranged country made the opera’s violence more pronounced.

Author’s Summary

Neshat’s reimagined Aida at the Paris Opera fused cinematic imagery and political symbolism, elevating Verdi’s classic into a reflection on power, faith, and exile.

The New Criterion — 2025-11-06