Aida
Sign in to saveAida (or Aïda, ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted by Giovanni Bottesini. Today the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world. At New York's Metropolitan Opera alone, Aida has been sung more than 1,100 times since 1886. Ghislanzoni's scheme follows a scenario often attributed to the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariet
AI overview
Aida is a tragic opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi in 1871, set in ancient Egypt and featuring music and a libretto that have made it one of the most frequently performed operas in the world. The work matters because it holds a central place in the operatic canon and continues to be staged thousands of times annually across major opera houses globally, making it one of the most enduring and beloved works in the genre.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Opera.name
- Aida
- Opera.composer
- Giuseppe Verdi
- Opera.image
- Giuseppe Verdi, c. 1872 Aida vocal score cover - Restoration.jpg
- Opera.image_upright
- 1.3
- Opera.caption
- Cover of a very early vocal score,
- Opera.librettist
- Antonio Ghislanzoni
- Opera.language
- Italian
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Elements of the opera's genesis and sources
- Performance history
- Cairo premiere and initial success in Italy
- Other 19th-century performances
- 20th century and beyond
- Roles
- Instrumentation
- Setting
- Synopsis
- Act 1
- Act 2
- Act 3
- Act 4
- Adaptations
- Recordings
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
Aida (or Aïda, ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted by Giovanni Bottesini. Today the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world. At New York's Metropolitan Opera alone, Aida has been sung more than 1,100 times since 1886. Ghislanzoni's scheme follows a scenario often attributed to the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, but Verdi biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz argues that the source is actually Temistocle Solera.
==Elements of the opera's genesis and sources== Isma'il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write an opera to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal, but Verdi declined. However, Auguste Mariette, a French Egyptologist, proposed to Khedive Pasha a plot for a celebratory opera set in ancient Egypt. Khedive Pasha referred Mariette to theatre manager Camille du Locle, who sent Mariette's story idea to Verdi. Eventually, Verdi agreed to compose an opera based on that story, for 150,000 francs.