| Page Views: 5,630 Last Visit to Ulm: September, 2005 | Opera in Ulm by Nemorino - last update: Feb 19, 2007 |
This is Ulm: the world's tallest church steeple rising like a fata morgana from a sea of mediocre post-war architecture.
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In September 2005 I went to Ulm to see their premiere of the opera Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). It was an ambitious production, set in 19th century Egypt under British rule, with a puppet king (shades of "The King and I") dominated by the British colonial administrator. The stage set was an authentic-looking colonial hotel, intact in the first act, full of bullet holes in the second act and severely damaged by artillery fire in the third and fourth. The staging was resolutely anti-war, which I always like, because Aida is actually a quite militaristic opera, and I think it is the duty of any stage director to counteract this.
What didn't work so well in the Ulm production was that Verdi's eerie ancient-Egyptian priests' music was sung by a chorus of chubby British colonials, presumably Anglicans, wearing khaki shorts and wide-brimmed hats. Incongruous, to say the least.
Also I found the ending rather lame. I mean come on guys, having two people get stuck in an elevator just does not have the same dramatic impact as having them sealed into a tomb with bricks and mortar. |
In 1962 Ulm was the fifth stop on a seventeen-day canoe trip that I took with some German friends down the Danube River to Vienna. We camped at an official campsite on the riverbank, as I recall, and spent part of one day exploring the city. |
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Nemorino's Ulm Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 9 - Photos: 23 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 Comments for Nemorino about Ulm | | | | |
csordila Tue Jun 2, 2009 13:26 UTC
Just reflecting to your Pisa comment I have to mention, among your useful tips, I have not found the leaning Tower of Ulm - der Metzgerturm. Many thanks for your visit on my Italian pages. Laszlo | jumpingnorman Sun Apr 5, 2009 20:18 UTC
The Danube has such a rich history and it also passes through Ulm where Einstein was born! | risse73 Tue Mar 3, 2009 21:32 UTC
Don, thanks for visiting my Frederick page. Didn't know it can be reached via the MARC train. Anyway, loved your Ulm tips esp. the ones related to opera, the theater and library as well as Einstein. Didn't know Einstein is a Pisces. Cheers! | craic Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:36 UTC
I am interested in Ulm because I used it in a poem - without ever visiting. And also Kakapo2 comes from here. |
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