tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8551261045977896784.post106741582296679657..comments2024-03-17T05:15:02.895-04:00Comments on Operation Opera: Oh, Radames... you're such a male.Dr. Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18150662643983127706noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8551261045977896784.post-74770579969727025502011-10-17T12:57:04.546-04:002011-10-17T12:57:04.546-04:00Okay, so Radames isn't the smartest guy in Egy...Okay, so Radames isn't the smartest guy in Egypt. But it seems to me that the three principles involved, with a little common sense and out-of-the-box thinking, could have resolved things very nicely.<br /><br />We know that:<br />1) Radames loves Aida, passionately, and she loves him back.<br />2) Amneris loves Radames, passionately; he does not love Amneris, though he doesn't seem to <i>dislike</i> her.<br /><br />Amneris surely understands she'll never have Radames's love as long as Aida is alive. But if she orders Aida's execution, she'll earn Radames's hatred, which is generally considered to be an undesirable trait in someone you want in your wedding bed. So it should be clear that the best she can hope for is half a loaf. So she should get everyone in a room and discuss things reasonably.<br /><br />Here's her proposition: Radames marries Amneris, setting himself up to be the prince consort (or pharaoh consort, or whatever) when Amneris becomes queen. He should agree that, as her husband, he will do his best to *ahem* please her. Which really seems to be all she wants, since I think we've established that she doesn't want him for his blinding intellect.<br /><br />If Radames agrees to this, Amneris will allow him certain visitation rights with the little hussy in the slave quarters. Say one night a week, or one night a month - we can negotiate the terms. This is common (in every sense of the word) and universally-accepted behavior among royalty; just ask the current Prince of Wales.<br /><br />Aida gets three things out of this: 1) regular quality time with her big guy, 2) continued comfortable employment as the future queen's favorite slave (you can bet she doesn't spend the days picking cotton), and 3) a whole skin.<br /><br />Nobody gets everything they really want here. But it's certainly better for all concerned than how things actually play out in the opera, where <i>nobody</i> gets <i>anything</i> they want.<br /><br />And if Amneris is <i>really</i> smart, once the arrangement has been set up, she'll give Aida an assistant. <br /><br />One who looks like Fabio.Bernie Gilberthttp://nailsonblackboards.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com