Sonja Frisell's Last Aida May 2023 Was 20th Season, 262nd Performance

Summary: Sonja Frisell's last Aida staging in May 2023 marked the 20th season and the 262nd performance of her 1988-1989 Met Opera season-debuting production.

Sonja Frisell's new production of Verdi's Aida made its Met Opera debut Thursday, Dec. 8, 1988, in the opera's 924th Met Opera performance of Verdi's ancient Egypt-themed opera: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter April 27, 2023

Sonja Frisell's last Aida staging in May 2023 marked the 20th season and the 262nd performance of the production that debuted in the 1988-1989 Met Opera season.

British stage director Sonja Frisell (Sonja Bettie Frisell-Schröder; born Aug. 5, 1937) made her Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 2, 1981, in the opera company's 32nd performance of L'Italiana in Algeri by 19th-century Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868). She debuted as stage director for the second revival of the staging debuted in the 1973-1974 season by French director and costume and set designer Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (Feb. 19, 1932-Aug. 11, 1988). The French director and costume and set designer had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 10, 1973, in the new production.

Seven seasons (1981-1982 to 1987-1988) elapsed between the second revival and Sonja Frisell's next venture at the Metropolitan Opera. In the 1988-1989 season, she returned to the opera company to debut her new production of Aida by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). Frisell's staging debuted Thursday, Dec. 8, 1988, in the opera company's 924th performance of Verdi's ancient Egypt-themed opera. In its debut season, Frisell's Aida production received 14 performances.

The first revival of Frisell's Aida staging took place in the 1989-1990 season. The first revival received 16 performances.

The production's second revival was held in the 1991-1992 season. The second revival received 15 performances.

The third revival of Frisell's Aida production occurred in the 1993-1994 season. The third revival received 13 performances.

The fourth and fifth revivals took place over two successive seasons, 1995-1996 and 1996-1997. The fourth revival received 20 performances. Eleven performances were offered for the fifth revival.

The sixth, seventh and eighth revivals were held in three successive seasons, 1998-1999 through 2000-2001. The sixth revival received 21 performances. The seventh and eighth revivals received 12 and six performances, respectively.

After a season's absence, Frisell's Aida staging returned in the 2002-2003 season. The ninth revival received 15 performances.

After another season's absence, Frisell's Aida staging reappeared on the roster for two successive seasons, 2004-2005 through 2005-2006. The tenth revival comprised 14 performances. Thirteen performances were offered for the 11th revival.

After a season's absence, Frisell's Aida production returned for its 12th revival in the 2007-2008 season. The 12th revival received 10 performances.

Absent from the 2008-2009 season, the production reappeared in the 2009-2010 season. The 13th revival offered 12 performances.

After skipping the 2010-2011 season, Frisell's Aida production returned for two successive seasons, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. The 14th revival received seven performances. The 15th revival gave 10 performances.

Absent from the 2013-2014 season, the production was revived for the 2014-2015 season. The 16th revival held 16 performances.

Not performed in the 2015-2016 season, Frisell's Aida staging returned for the 2016-2017 season. The 17th revival received 14 performance.

After a season's absence, the production reappeared in the 2018-2019 season. The 18th revival received 14 performances.

Three seasons (2019-2020 through 2021-2022) elapsed between the 18th and 19th revivals. The 19th revival took place in the 2022-2023 season. The 19th revival received 15 performances, which were scheduled as winter and spring performances. The 19th revival opened Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, and closed Thursday, May 18, 2023.

According to the Metropolitan Opera's Nov. 21, 2022, press release, the "monumental production" made its "final Met run" in the 2022-2023 season. "When Aida returns to the Met stage in future seasons, it will be in a new production directed by Michael Mayer and designed by Christine Jones. Their version was originally scheduled to open the 2020–21 season but was postponed due to the pandemic," according to the press release.

As of the end of the 2022-2023 season, Sonja Frisell's Met Opera portfolio contains her stage directorship of the second revival of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's production of L'Italiana in Algeri and her own staging of Verdi's Aida. Frisell's Aida staging contributed 20 seasons and 262 performances to Met Opera's Aida repertoire of 1,191 performances.

Gianni Quaranta, set designer; Dada Saligeri, costume designer; Gil Wechsler, lighting designer; and Alexei Ratmansky, choreographer: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter April 27, 2023

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Sonja Frisell's new production of Verdi's Aida made its Met Opera debut Thursday, Dec. 8, 1988, in the opera's 924th Met Opera performance of Verdi's ancient Egypt-themed opera: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter April 27, 2023, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1651021105388302337

Gianni Quaranta, set designer; Dada Saligeri, costume designer; Gil Wechsler, lighting designer; and Alexei Ratmansky, choreographer: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter April 27, 2023, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1651593064471724032

For further information:

"Debut: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 235540 New Production L'Italiana in Algeri {5} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/10/1973. (Debut: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Review). Metropolitan Opera House. November 10, 1973 Matinee. New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=235540

"Debuts: Sesto Bruscantini, Sonja Frisell." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 263490 L'Italiana in Algeri {32} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/2/1981. (Debuts: Sesto Bruscantini, Sonja Frisell). Metropolitan Opera House. February 2, 1981.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=5270

Marriner, Derdriu. "Aida Acts III and IV Aired April 2, 1932, as 23rd Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 20, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/12/aida-acts-iii-and-iv-aired-april-2-1932.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Aida Is the April 15, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, April 10, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/04/aida-is-april-15-2017-metropolitan.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Aida Is the May 4, 2019, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, April 29, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/04/aida-is-may-4-2019-metropolitan-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Kathleen Howard Sang Amneris With Enrico Caruso in Verdi Festival." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 26, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/07/kathleen-howard-sang-amneris-with.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2022-2023 Season Has 24 Saturday Matinee Opera Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/11/met-operas-2022-2023-season-has-24.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Verdi’s Aida Is May 13, 2023, Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 8, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/05/verdis-aida-is-may-13-2023-saturday.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Join us at the opera house tonight, April 27, for the return of Sonja Frisell’s monumental staging of Verdi’s Aida -- one of the largest in the Met repertory! Maestro Paolo Carignani conducts. On stage through May 18: http://bit.ly/3NTRKhD." Twitter. April 27, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1651593064471724032

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "This season, the Met bids farewell to Sonja Frisell’s monumental production of Verdi’s Aida, which returns to the stage this Thursday, April 27. On stage April 27–May 18: http://bit.ly/3NTRKhD. Pictured: Original set model photos from 1987. Images provided by Met Archives." Twitter. April 27, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1651021105388302337

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Aida.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 5270 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Aida {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/12/1886.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=5270

“New Production: Aida.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 294740 New Production Aida {924} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/8/1988.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=294740

"New Production: L'Italiana in Algeri." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 235540 New Production L'Italiana in Algeri {5} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/10/1973. (Debut: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Review). Metropolitan Opera House November 10, 1973 Matinee New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=235540