Aida sometimes spelled
Aïda, is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in four acts by
Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
to an Italian
librettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by
Antonio GhislanzoniAntonio Ghislanzoni was an Italian journalist, poet, and novelist who wrote librettos for Verdi, among other composers, of which the best known are Aida and the revised version of La forza del destino....
, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist
Auguste MarietteFrançois Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
.
Aida was first performed at the
Khedivial Opera HouseThe Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
in
CairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 24 December 1871, conducted by
Giovanni BottesiniGiovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
.
Origin
Isma'il PashaIsma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
,
KhediveThe term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, commissioned Verdi to write the opera for performance in January 1871, paying him 150,000 francs, but the premiere was delayed because of the
Franco-Prussian WarThe Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. One scholar has argued that the scenario was written by
Temistocle SoleraTemistocle Solera was an Italian opera composer and librettist.He was born at Ferrara. He received his education at the Imperial College in Vienna and at the University of Pavia. Throughout his life he actively participated in anti-Austrian resistance. At one point, he was incarcerated for his...
and not by Auguste Mariette.
MetastasioPietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
's libretto
Nitteti (1756) was a major source of the plot.
Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
in 1869, nor that of the Khedivial Opera House (which opened with Verdi's
RigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
) in the same year. (Verdi had been asked to compose an ode for the opening of the Canal, but declined on the grounds that he did not write "occasional pieces".)
Aida (aˈiːda) sometimes spelled
Aïda, is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in four acts by
Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
to an Italian
librettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by
Antonio GhislanzoniAntonio Ghislanzoni was an Italian journalist, poet, and novelist who wrote librettos for Verdi, among other composers, of which the best known are Aida and the revised version of La forza del destino....
, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist
Auguste MarietteFrançois Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
.
Aida was first performed at the
Khedivial Opera HouseThe Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
in
CairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 24 December 1871, conducted by
Giovanni BottesiniGiovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
.
Origin
Isma'il PashaIsma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
,
KhediveThe term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, commissioned Verdi to write the opera for performance in January 1871, paying him 150,000 francs,
but the premiere was delayed because of the
Franco-Prussian WarThe Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. One scholar has argued that the scenario was written by
Temistocle SoleraTemistocle Solera was an Italian opera composer and librettist.He was born at Ferrara. He received his education at the Imperial College in Vienna and at the University of Pavia. Throughout his life he actively participated in anti-Austrian resistance. At one point, he was incarcerated for his...
and not by Auguste Mariette.
[Phillips-Matz, p. ?]MetastasioPietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
's libretto
Nitteti (1756) was a major source of the plot.
[Oxford Music on Line]
Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
in 1869, nor that of the Khedivial Opera House (which opened with Verdi's
RigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
) in the same year. (Verdi had been asked to compose an ode for the opening of the Canal, but declined on the grounds that he did not write "occasional pieces".)
Aida (aˈiːda) sometimes spelled
Aïda, is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in four acts by
Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
to an Italian
librettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by
Antonio GhislanzoniAntonio Ghislanzoni was an Italian journalist, poet, and novelist who wrote librettos for Verdi, among other composers, of which the best known are Aida and the revised version of La forza del destino....
, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist
Auguste MarietteFrançois Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
.
Aida was first performed at the
Khedivial Opera HouseThe Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
in
CairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 24 December 1871, conducted by
Giovanni BottesiniGiovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
.
Origin
Isma'il PashaIsma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
,
KhediveThe term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, commissioned Verdi to write the opera for performance in January 1871, paying him 150,000 francs,
but the premiere was delayed because of the
Franco-Prussian WarThe Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. One scholar has argued that the scenario was written by
Temistocle SoleraTemistocle Solera was an Italian opera composer and librettist.He was born at Ferrara. He received his education at the Imperial College in Vienna and at the University of Pavia. Throughout his life he actively participated in anti-Austrian resistance. At one point, he was incarcerated for his...
and not by Auguste Mariette.
[Phillips-Matz, p. ?]MetastasioPietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
's libretto
Nitteti (1756) was a major source of the plot.
[Oxford Music on Line]
Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
in 1869, nor that of the Khedivial Opera House (which opened with Verdi's
RigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
) in the same year. (Verdi had been asked to compose an ode for the opening of the Canal, but declined on the grounds that he did not write "occasional pieces".)
[Budden, Vol. 3, pp. 163–187]
Cairo premiere and initial success in Italy
Verdi originally chose not to write an overture for the opera, but merely a brief orchestral prelude. He then composed an overture of the "
potpourriPotpourri or Pot-Pourri is a kind of musical form structured as ABCDEF..., the same as medley or, sometimes, fantasia. It is often used in light, easy-going and popular types of music....
" variety to replace the original prelude. However, in the end he decided not to have the overture performed because of its – his own words – "pretentious insipidity". This overture, not normally used today, was given a rare broadcast performance by
Arturo ToscaniniArturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
and the
NBC Symphony OrchestraThe NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company especially for conductor Arturo Toscanini...
on 30 March 1940, which was never commercially issued.
[http://books.google.com/books?id=wBD_ujAW520C&pg=PA218&lpg=PA218&dq=Toscanini,+Verdi+Aida,+Mortimer+Frank&source=bl&ots=L7TQk2UxdW&sig=9KOEnaR64HfGcwo7ZYjMl-NskWM&hl=en&ei=h9yCS7S6OtCWtgefiZX-Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CBgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=&f=falseMorton H. Frank, Arturo Toscanini: The NBC Years, p. 28. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 2002 ISBN 1574670697 on books.google.com]]
Aida met with great acclaim when it finally opened in Cairo on 24 December 1871. The costumes, accessories and stages for the premiere were designed by
Auguste MarietteFrançois Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
. Although Verdi did not attend the premiere in Cairo, he was most dissatisfied with the fact that the audience consisted of invited dignitaries, politicians and critics, but no members of the general public. He therefore considered the Italian (and European) premiere, held at
La ScalaLa Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
,
MilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
on 8 February 1872, and in which he was heavily involved at every stage, to be its
real premiere.
Verdi had also written the role of Aida for the voice of
Teresa StolzTeresa Stolz was a Bohemian soprano, long resident in Italy, who was associated with significant premieres of the works of Giuseppe Verdi, and may have been his mistress...
, who sang it for the first time at the Milan premiere. Verdi had asked her fiancé,
Angelo MarianiAngelo Mariani was an Italian opera conductor and composer. His work as a conductor drew praise from Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gioachino Rossini and Richard Wagner, and he was a longtime personal friend of Verdi's, although they became estranged towards the end of Mariani's life...
, to conduct the Cairo premiere, but he declined, so
Giovanni BottesiniGiovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
filled the gap.
[Baltimore Opera Company] The Milan Amneris,
Maria WaldmannMaria Waldmann was an Austrian mezzo-soprano who had a noted association with Giuseppe Verdi.She was born in Vienna in 1844 and studied with Francesco Lamperti. She dedicated herself to the Italian mezzo-soprano repertoire. She was heard with Teresa Stolz in September 1869 in a production of Don...
, was his favourite in the role and she repeated it a number of times at his request.
[Verdi’s Falstaff in Letters and Contemporary Reviews]
Aida was received with great enthusiasm at its Milan premiere. The opera was soon mounted at major opera houses throughout Italy, including the Teatro Regio di Parma (20 April 1872), the
Teatro di San CarloThe Real Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest continuously active such venue in Europe.Founded by the Bourbon Charles VII of Naples of the Spanish branch of the dynasty, the theatre was inaugurated on 4 November 1737 — the king's name day — with a performance...
(30 March 1873),
La FeniceTeatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
(11 June 1873), the Teatro Regio di Torino (26 December 1874), the
Teatro Comunale di BolognaThe Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy, and is one of the most important opera venues in Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season....
(30 September 1877, with
Giuseppina PasquaGiuseppina Pasqua was an Italian opera singer who performed throughout Italy and Europe from the late 1860s through the early 1900s. She began her career as a soprano when she was only 13, but later retrained her voice as a mezzo-soprano...
as Amneris and Franco Novara as the King), and the
Teatro CostanziThe Teatro dell'Opera di Roma is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat Costanzi Theatre, it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements...
(8 October 1881, with
Theresia SingerTheresia Singer was an operatic soprano.Singer trained in Vienna and in Italy. During the 1870-1871 season, she sang in the Court Opera of Vienna, before travelling to Italy. In 1873 she debuted at Milan's La Scala as the title role of Verdi's Aida and as Marguerite in Gounod's Faust...
as Aida and
Giulia NovelliGiulia Novelli was an Italian operatic mezzo-soprano. She was married to the famous Spanish dramatic tenor Francisco Viñas ....
as Amneris) among others.
Performances
Details of important national and other premieres of
Aida follow:
- The Americas: 4 October 1873, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (most likely the original Teatro Colón prior to the present one or Teatro Opera
The Teatro Opera is a prominent cinema and theatre house in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Overview:The Opera Theatre was developed in 1871 by Antonio Petalardo, a local businessman who foresaw a need for popular theatre catering to the city's booming population in subsequent years...
)
- United States: 26 November 1873, Academy of Music in New York City, with Ostava Torriani in the title role, Annie Louise Cary
Annie Louise Cary was an American singer.-Origins and education:She was born in Wayne, Maine, the daughter of Nelson Howard Cary and his wife, Maria Stockbridge. After an early education in the common schools, she attended the female seminary at Gorham, Maine, and graduated in 1862...
as Amneris, Italo CampaniniItalo Campanini was a leading Italian operatic tenor, whose career reached its height in London in the 1870s and in New York in the 1880s and 1890s...
as Radames, Victor MaurelVictor Maurel was a French operatic baritone who enjoyed an international reputation as a great singing-actor.-Biography:...
as Amonasro, and Evasio Scolara as the King
- Germany: 20 April 1874, Berlin State Opera
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is a German opera company. Its permanent home is the opera house on the Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, which also hosts the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra.-Early years:...
, with Mathilde MallingerMathilde Mallinger was a famous Croatian lyric soprano opera singer.-Biography:Born as Mathilde Lichtenegger in Zagreb, the daughter of composer and teacher Vatroslav Lichtenegger, she studied singing with Giovanni Battista Gordigiani at the Prague Conservatory and with Richard Loewy in Vienna...
as Aida, Albert NiemannAlbert Wilhelm Karl Niemann was a leading German tenor opera singer especially associated with the operas of Richard Wagner...
as Radames, and Franz BetzFranz Betz was a German bass-baritone opera singer who sang at the Berlin State Opera from 1859 to 1897. He was particularly known for his performances in operas by Richard Wagner and created the role of Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.-Biography:Franz Betz was born in Mainz and...
as Amonasro
- Spain: 12 December 1874, Teatro Real
The Teatro Real or simply El Real , is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain.-History:...
- Austria: 29 April 1874, Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, with Amalie MaternaAmalie Materna was an Austrian operatic soprano. While possessing a famously powerful voice, Materna also maintained a youthful bright vocal timbre throughout her career which spanned for three decades...
as Amneris
- Hungary: 10 April 1875, Hungarian State Opera House
The Hungarian State Opera House is a neo-Renaissance opera house located in central Budapest, on Andrássy út. It is home to the Budapest Opera Ball, a society event dating back to 1886.-History:...
, Budapest
- Poland: 23 November 1875, Great Theatre and Polish National Opera, Warsaw. With Polish translation Aida was performed for the first time 9 June 1877.
- France: 22 April 1876, Théâtre-Lyrique Italien
Over time, there have been several buildings and several theatrical companies named the "Théâtre-Italien" or the "Comédie-Italienne" in Paris. Following the times, the theatre has shown both plays and operas...
, Salle VentadourThe Salle Ventadour, a former Parisian theatre in the rue Neuve-Ventadour, now the rue Méhul , was built between 1826 and 1829 for the Opéra-Comique, to designs by Jacques-Marie Huvé, a prominent architect...
, Paris, with almost the same cast as the Milan premiere
- Russia: 1 December 1875, Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
, Saint Petersburg
- Bohemia: 11 December 1875, New Czech Theatre, Prague
- United Kingdom: 22 June 1876, Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden, with Adelina PattiAdelina Patti was a highly acclaimed 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851 and gave her last performance before an audience in 1914...
as Aida, Ernesto NicoliniErnesto Nicolini was a French operatic tenor, particularly associated with the French and Italian repertories....
as Radames, and Francesco GrazianiFrancesco "Ciccio" Graziani is an Italy football manager and former player.-Playing career:Graziani was born in Subiaco, in the province of Rome....
as Amonasro
- Monaco: 13 May 1877, National Theatre, Monte Carlo
- Australia: 6 September 1877, Royal Theatre, Melbourne
[Eric Irvin, Dictionary of the Australian Theatre 1788–1914]
- Munich: 1877, Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
, with Josephine SchefskyJosephine Schefsky was an opera singer who had an active career during the latter half of the 19th century. Possessing a powerful voice with a wide vocal range, she tackled roles from both the soprano and mezzo-soprano repertoires...
as Amneris
- Stockholm: 1880, Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
, with Selma EkSelma Ek was a Swedish operatic soprano who had an active international career from the 1870s through the 1890s. Like Lilli Lehmann and Lillian Nordica, she was one of those universally talented singers of the late 19th Century who was able to master roles from the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic...
in the title role
- Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
, Paris: 15 October 1881, with Gabrielle Krauss as Aida, Rosine BlochRosine Bloch was a French operatic mezzo-soprano of Jewish descent who had a successful stage career in Europe between 1865 and 1891. She not only possessed a beautiful, warm, and lyrical voice but was also a remarkably beautiful woman physically...
as Amnéris, Henri Sellier as Radames, Georges-François Menu as the King, and Auguste Boudouresque as Ramphis.
- Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, New York: 12 November 1886, conducted by Anton SeidlAnton Seidl was a Hungarian conductor.-Biography:He was born at Pest, Hungary. He began the study of music at a very early age, and when only seven years old could pick out at the piano melodies which he had heard at the theatre...
, with Therese Herbert-Förster (the wife of Victor HerbertVictor August Herbert was an Irish-born, German-raised American composer, cellist and conductor. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is best known for composing many successful operettas that premiered on Broadway from the 1890s to World War I...
) in the title role, Carl Zobel as Radames, Marianne BrandtMarianne Brandt , German painter, sculptor, photographer and designer who studied at the Bauhaus school and became head of the metal workshop in 1928. Today, Brandt's designs for household objects such as lamps, ashtrays and teapots are considered the harbinger of modern industrial...
as Amneris, Adolf RobinsonAdolf Robinson was an Austrian baritone who had a major opera career during the second half of the 19th century. His extensive stage repertoire contained numerous Wagnerian roles such as Wotan in The Ring Cycle and Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg...
as Amonasro, Emil Fischer as Ramfis, and Georg Sieglitz as the King.
- Rio de Janeiro: 30 June 1886, Theatro Lyrico Fluminense
The Theatro Lyrico Fluminense was one of the main theatres in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the mid-19th century and was for many years the primary theatre for opera performances in that city....
. During rehearsals at the Theatro Lyrico there was an ongoing quarrel between the performers of the Italian touring opera company and the local inept conductor, with the result that substitute conductors were rejected by the audience. Arturo ToscaniniArturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
, at the time a 19-year-old cellist who was assistant chorus master, was persuaded to take up the baton for the performance. Toscanini conducted the entire opera from memory, with great success. This would be the start of a promising career.[)]
- New York 1949. Complete concert version of the opera, the first to be televised (on the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television network), conducted by Toscanini with Herva NelliHerva Nelli was an Italian-born operatic soprano.-Biography:Named after the French socialist Gustave Hervé, she was born in Florence, where she attended a convent school...
as Aida and Richard TuckerRichard Tucker was an American operatic tenor.-Early life:Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. His father, Shmul Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first...
as Rhadames. Due to the length of the opera, it was divided into two telecasts, preserved on kinescopeKinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
s, and later released on home video by RCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and Testament. The audio portion of the broadcast, including some remakes in June 1954, was released on LP and CD by RCA Victor.
20th and 21st centuries
Aida continues to be a staple of the standard operatic repertoire and appears as number 13 on the
OperabaseOperabase is an on-line database of opera performances, opera houses and companies, performers themselves as well as their agents. Operabase, found at operabase.com, is owned and operated by Operabase Ltd, a company located in Luton, England. The site started in 1996 as the hobby of Mike Gibb,...
list of the most-performed operas worldwide.
As of 2007, the Metropolitan Opera alone has given more than 1,100 performances of the opera, making it the second most frequently performed work by the company behind
La bohèmeLa bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
.
Roles
| Role |
Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...
|
Premiere cast,
24 December 1871[Budden, p. 160]
Cairo
(ConductorConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
: Giovanni BottesiniGiovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
) |
European premiere
8 February 1872[AmadeusOnline]
La Scala, Milan
(Conductor: Franco FaccioFranco Faccio was an Italian composer and conductor.-Biography:Born in Verona, Faccio became known as a conductor of Verdi's music. He studied music at the Milan Conservatory where he was a pupil of Stefano Ronchetti-Monteviti...
) |
| Aida, an Ethiopian princess |
soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
|
Antonietta Anastasi-Pozzoni |
Teresa Stolz Teresa Stolz was a Bohemian soprano, long resident in Italy, who was associated with significant premieres of the works of Giuseppe Verdi, and may have been his mistress...
|
| The King of Egypt |
bass A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
|
Tommaso Costa |
Paride Pavoleri |
| Amneris, daughter of the King |
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
|
Eleonora Grossi |
Maria Waldmann Maria Waldmann was an Austrian mezzo-soprano who had a noted association with Giuseppe Verdi.She was born in Vienna in 1844 and studied with Francesco Lamperti. She dedicated herself to the Italian mezzo-soprano repertoire. She was heard with Teresa Stolz in September 1869 in a production of Don...
|
| Radames, Captain of the Guard |
tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
|
Pietro Mongini |
Giuseppe Fancelli |
| Amonasro, King of Ethiopia |
baritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
|
Francesco Steller |
Francesco Pandolfini |
| Ramfis, high Priest |
bass |
Paolo Medini |
Ormando Maini |
| A messenger |
tenor |
Luigi Stecchi-Bottardi |
Luigi Vistarini |
Voice of the High Priestess[The High Priestess's name was Termuthis in early documentation.] |
soprano |
Marietta Allievi |
|
| Priests, priestesses, ministers, captains, soldiers, officials, Ethiopians, slaves and prisoners, Egyptians, animals and chorus |
Setting
The opera does not specify a very precise time period and so it is difficult to place it more accurately than the
Old KingdomOld Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
. For the first production, Mariette went to great efforts to make the sets and costumes authentic.
[Weisgall, The New York Times]
Given the consistent artistic styles through the 3000 year history of ancient Egypt, a given production does not particularly need to choose a specific time period within the larger frame of ancient Egyptian history.
Synopsis
Overview: Aida, an Ethiopian princess, is captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. A military commander, Radames, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the
PharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
. To complicate the story further, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh's daughter Amneris, although he does not return her feelings.
Act 1
Scene 1: A hall in the King's palace; through the rear gate the pyramids and temples of Memphis
Ramfis, the high priest of Egypt, tells Radames, the young warrior, that war with the Ethiopians seems inevitable, and Radames expresses the hope that he can be chosen as the Egyptian commander. (Ramfis, Radames :
Si, corre voce I'Etiope ardisca / "Yes, it is rumored that Ethiopia dares once again to threaten our power").
Radames dreams both of gaining victory on the battle field and of Aida, the Ethiopian slave, with whom he is secretly in love (Radames:
Se quel guerrier io fossi!...Celeste AidaCeleste Aida is the romanza in the opera Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi. It is sung by Radamès, the young Egyptian warrior who wishes to be chosen as a Commander of the Egyptian army...
/ "Heavenly Aida"). Aida, who is also secretly in love with Radames, is the captured daughter of the Ethiopian King Amonasro, but her Egyptian captors are unaware of her true identity. Her father has invaded Egypt to deliver her from servitude.
Amneris, the daughter of the Egyptian King enters the hall. She too loves Radames, but fears that his heart belongs to somebody else (Radames, Amneris:
Quale insolita gioia nel tuo sguardo / "In your looks I trace a joy unwonted").
Then Aida appears and, when Radames sees her, Amneris notices that he looks disturbed. She suspects that Aida could be her rival, but she is able to hide her jealousy and approaches her (Amneris, Aida, Radames:
Vieni, o diletta, appressati / "Come, O delight, come closer").
The King enters, along with the High Priest, Ramfis, and the whole palace court. A messenger announces that the Ethiopians, led by King Amonasro, are marching towards
ThebesThebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
. The King declares war and also proclaims Radames to be the man chosen by the goddess Isis as leader of the army (The King, Messenger, Radames, Aida, Amneris, chorus:
Alta cagion v'aduna / "Oh fate o'er Egypt looming"). Upon receiving the mandate from the King, Radames proceeds to the temple of Vulcan to take up the sacred arms (The King, Radames, Aida, Amneris, chorus:
Su! del Nilo al sacro lido / "On! Of Nilus' sacred river, guard the shores").
Alone in the hall, Aida is torn between her love for her father, her country, and Radames. (Aida:
Ritorna vincitor / "Return a conqueror").
Scene 2: Inside the Temple of Vulcan
Solemn ceremonies and dances by the priestesses take place (High Priestess, chorus, Radames:
Possente Ftha...Tu che dal nulla / "O mighty Ptah.") followed by the installation of Radames to the office of commander-in-chief. (High Priestess, chorus, Radames:
Immenso Ftha .. Mortal, diletto ai Numi / "O mighty one, guard and protect!"). All present in the temple pray for the victory of Egypt and protection for their warriors (
Nume, custode e vindice/ "Hear us, O guardian deity").
Act 2
Scene 1: The chamber of Amneris
Dances and music to celebrate Radames' victory take place (Chorus, Amneris:
Chi mai fra gli inni e i plausi / "Our songs his glory praising"'). However, Amneris is still in doubt about Radames' love and wonders whether Aida is in love with the young warrior. She tries to forget her doubt, entertaining her worried heart with the dance of Moorish slaves (Chorus, Amneris:
Vieni: sul crin ti piovano / "Come bind your flowing tresses").
When Aida enters the chamber, Amneris asks everyone to leave. By falsely telling Aida that Radames has died in the battle, she tricks her into professing her love for him. In grief, and shocked by the news, Aida confesses that her heart belongs to Radames eternally (Amneris, Aida:
Fu la sorte dell' armi a' tuoi funesta / "The battle's outcome was cruel for your people...").
This confession fires Amneris with rage, and she plans on taking revenge on Aida. Ignoring Aida's pleadings, (Amneris, Aida, chorus:
Su! del Nilo al sacro lido / "Up! at the sacred shores of the Nile") Amneris leaves her alone in the chamber.
Scene 2: The grand gate of the city of Thebes
Radames returns victorious and the troops
marchA triumphal march is a musical form generally reflecting a triumph, victory or great joy.Many composers have written a triumphal march, with maybe the best known one being by Italian opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi for his 1871 grand opera, Aida, where, in the second act, Radames leads the Egyptian...
into the city (Chorus, Ramfis:
Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside / "Glory to Egypt, to Isis!"). The Egyptian king decrees that on this day the triumphant Radames may have anything he wishes. The Ethiopian captives are rounded up and Amonasro appears among them. Aida immediately rushes to her father, but their true identities are still unknown to the Egyptians, save for the fact that they are father and daughter. Amonasro declares that the Ethiopian king (he himself) has been slain in battle. Aida, Amonasro and the captured Ethiopians plead with the Egyptian King for mercy, but the Egyptians call for their death (Aida, Amneris, Radames, The King, Amonasro, chorus:
Che veggo! .. Egli? .. Mio padre! .. Anch'io pugnai / "What do I see?.. Is it he? My father?").
As his reward from the King, Radames pleads with him to spare the lives of the prisoners and to set them free. Gratefully, the King of Egypt declares Radames to be his successor and to be his daughter's betrothed (Aida, Amneris, Radames, The King, Amonasro, chorus:
O Re: pei sacri Numi! .. Gloria all'Egitto / "O King, by the sacred gods..."). Aida and Amonasro remain as hostages to ensure that the Ethiopians do not avenge their defeat.
Act 3
On the banks of the Nile, near the Temple of Isis
Prayers are said (Chorus, Ramfis, Amneris:
O tu che sei d'Osiride / "O thou who to Osiris art...") on the eve of Amneris and Radames' wedding in the Temple of Isis. Outside, Aida waits to meet with Radames as they had planned (Aida:
Qui Radames verra .. O patria mia / "Oh, my dear country!").
Amonasro appears and forces Aida to agree to find out the location of the Egyptian army from Radames (Aida, Amonasro:
Ciel, mio padre! .. Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate / "Once again shalt thou gaze."). When he arrives, Amonasro hides behind a rock and listens to their conversation.
Radames affirms that Aida is the person he will marry (
Pur ti riveggo, mio dolce Aida .. Nel fiero anelito;
Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti .. La, tra foreste vergini / "I see you again, my sweet Aida!"), and Aida convinces him to flee to the desert with her.
In order to make their escape easier, Radames proposes that they use a safe route without any fear of discovery and he also reveals the location where his army has chosen to attack. Upon hearing this, Amonasro comes out of hiding and reveals his identity. Radames feels dishonored. At the same time Amneris and Ramfis leave the temple and, seeing Radames with their enemy, call the guards. Amonasro and Aida try to convince Radames to escape with them, but he refuses and surrenders to the imperial guards.
Act 4
Scene 1: A hall in the Temple of Justice. To one side is the door leading to Radames' prison cell
Amneris (
L'aborrita rivale a me sfuggia / "My hated rival has escaped me") desires to save Radames. She calls for the guard to bring him to her.
She asks Radames to deny the accusations, but Radames refuses. Certain that, as punishment, he will be condemned to death, Amneris implores him to defend himself, but Radames firmly refuses. He is relieved to know Aida is still alive and hopes she has reached her own country (Amneris, Radames:
Gia i Sacerdoti adunasi / "Already the priests are assembling"). His decision hurts Amneris.
Radames' trial takes place offstage; he does not reply to Ramfis' accusations and is condemned to death, while Amneris, who remains onstage, pleads with the priests to show him mercy. As he is sentenced to be buried alive, Amneris curses the priests while Radames is taken away (Judgment scene, Amneris, Ramfis, and chorus:
Ahime! .. morir mi sento / "Alas... I feel death").
Scene 2: The lower portion of the stage shows the vault in the Temple of Vulcan; the upper portion represents the temple itself
Radames has been taken into the lower floor of the temple and sealed up in a dark vault. Thinking that he is alone and hoping that Aida is in a safer place, he hears a sigh and then sees Aida. She has hidden herself in the vault in order to die with Radames. (Radames and Aida:
La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse. / "The fatal stone now closes over me.") They accept their terrible fate (Radames:
Morir! Si pura e bella / "To die! So pure and lovely!") and bid farewell to earth and its sorrows.
[The original draft included a speech by Aida (excised from the final version) that explained her presence beneath the Temple: "My heart knew your sentence. For three days I have waited here." The line most familiar to audiences translates as: "My heart forewarned me of your condemnation. In this tomb that was opened for you I entered secretly. Here, away from human sight, in your arms I wish to die."] Above the vault in the temple of Vulcan, Amneris weeps and prays to the goddess
IsisIsis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
. In the vault below, Aida dies in Radames' arms. (Chorus, Aida, Radames, Amneris:
Immenso Ftha / "Almighty Ptah.")
Adaptations
The opera has been adapted for motion pictures on several occasions, most notably in
a 1953 productionAida is a 1953 Italian film version of the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verdi. It was directed by Clemente Fracassi and produced by Gregor Rabinovitch and Federico Teti. The screenplay was adapted by Fracassi, Carlo Castelli, Anna Gobbi and Giorgio Salviucci from the libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni...
which starred
Lois MaxwellLois Maxwell was a Canadian actress.Maxwell began her film career in the late 1940s, and won a Golden Globe Award for the New Actress of the Year for her performance in That Hagen Girl...
and
Sophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
, and a 1987 Swedish production. In both cases, the lead actors lip-synched to recordings by actual opera singers. The opera's story, but not its music, was used as the basis for a 1998
musical of the same nameAida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical....
written by
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and
Tim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
.
External links