Aida & the ayatollahs

A Revival at the Paris Opera

This fall, the Paris Opera revived a production of Aida originally staged at the 2017 Salzburg Festival. The production was created by Shirin Neshat, an Iranian visual artist, photographer, and film director, marking her opera directorial debut. The revival coincided with soprano Anna Netrebko's first performances in the title role, conducted by Riccardo Muti.

Artistic Approach and Staging

Neshat's lack of prior opera directing experience was evident in the production, which heavily incorporated film elements. Black-and-white footage of migrants, mostly women dressed somberly by the sea, was used, though these sequences sometimes felt incidental rather than integral to the opera’s narrative.

While Muti preferred traditional staging, Neshat’s approach limited the principals to a static, stand-and-sing style, which some found outdated. The Salzburg version was revived in 2022 with reported changes, and the Paris revival gave Neshat a chance to expand her vision.

Thematic Interpretation

As a vocal advocate for women’s rights, Neshat emphasized parallels between the opera’s priests—with their flowing, ayatollah-style beards—and the hardline theocrats from her estranged homeland. This parallel heightened the perception of violence within the opera’s story.

“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: Shirin Neshat's opera debut at the Paris Opera blends traditional direction with symbolic film and political themes, highlighting oppression through strong visual metaphors.

The New Criterion — 2025-11-06