AIDA on TV

All around the Mittlere Brücke in Basel there`s a bustle and commotion, a kind of energetic and expectant motion taking place. Left and right of the Rhine, large trucks carrying the names of national and international television stations are parked in close proximity the the river and to hotel "Drei Könige". It`s not even Fasnacht, but there`s something in the air: that something is Swiss television`s production of "Aida on the Rhine", which will be broadcast live. Tomorrow night, television sets all over Switzerland will be tuned in to Verdi`s opera in its Swiss setting. And guess who`s right in the middle of it? YOUR Basel Symphony Orchestra, playing from the ballroom of hotel Drei Könige, weeping along with Aida, triumphing with Radames, accompanying a cast- not of thousands- but of hundreds, in this epochal production.Try to imagine: camera and audio, costume and makeup teams, a full symphony orchestra, a backstage orchestra, a chorus reinforced with its extra members, one conductor and three subconductors, a chorus director, two regisseurs, the many soloists of the opera, extras, and the technical backup to support and enable a production which is taking place in several different settings at once. It is- I promise you- absolutely amazing and a feat of technical mastery whose equal we will not see again for a long time to come.

Besides the sheer mass of it, there are two other, for me, interesting aspects of this production: the first is that we musicians, although providing the musical framework upon which the drama is being unrolled, are completely removed from basically all the scenes where the singing is taking place. Every tone that is sung or played is being transmitted from one place to the other by microphone or loudspeaker. When Radames sings his aria "celeste Aida" from a boat crossing the Rhine, he only has audio contact with Gabriel Feltz, our wonderful conductor. Maestro Feltz has a monitor in front of him where he can follow the action, but I don`t think that either of them have visual contact with each other. And, in spite of "flying blind" as it were- it works. Not only does it work, but the quality is highly satisfying. This is not just a spectacle for the masses- it is what musical professionalism is about.

The second aspect that I find fascinating is that, during the whole production, while hundreds of people are working in the hotel to produce this very special "Aida", the hotel is continuing with its day-to-day activities. The personnel of the Drei Könige" continues to welcome guests, mix drinks, serve tea and cakes, make up rooms and all the while to be relaxed, charming and hospitable. In spite of a TV team rehearsing in the foyer, bar, on the terrace and in a suite, their show must also and does go on. This, too, is professionalism on its highest level and deserves to be mentioned and praised.

Tonight is the dress rehearsal in preparation for the Big Night- will the orchestra be tuned and ready at eight o`clock on the dot? Will we be able to keep the tempi attuned to the soloists and be synchronised in every scene? Will the weather hold? Although there are provisions made for an "Aida" in the rain, a starry sky and a clear view of the river would be ideal. Looking out from the windows of the ballroom onto the Rhine, illuminated by floodlights, I still couldn`t grasp the whole magnitude of the situation. Tomorrow night we will see the whole story in its context. Well, at least you will, if you have a TV. I`ll be sitting in the ballroom  with my colleagues playing for you. You can recognise me easily-I play the viola and will be wearing black.