Aida "Opera Masterpiece" Dazzles World for 150 Yrs

Taarek Refaat

On the banks of the Nile, near the temples of Isis and Memphis, Aida's opera dazzled the world for a century and a half with a tale from ancient Egypt.

The operatic Canon by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian novelist Antonio Ghislanzoni is pided into four acts. Aida is one of the most popular operas, being performed alone at the Metropolitan Opera in New York more than 1100 times.

[caption id="attachment_70966" align="aligncenter" width="647"] Verdi conducting Aida in Paris 1880[/caption]

Ghislanzoni's plot is often attributed to the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, however, some refer it opera composer Temistocle Solera.

The operetta narrates a forbidden love tale between the Commander of the Egyptian Army Radamis and the Ethiopian Princess Aida during wartime between the two countries.

When Aida's father King of Ethiopia Amonasro asked her to spy on Radamis, she rejected and preferred to die faithful to her lover. The opera mirrors the inner conflict between chasing one's affections versus civic duties, elevating the idea of unconditional devotion.

[caption id="attachment_70968" align="aligncenter" width="624"] One of Aida's performance in 1930[/caption]

The opera, which is set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt was initially commissioned by the Khepe Ismail Pasha for the inauguration of the Suez canal. However, due to delays, it was premiered for the first time at Khepial Opera House in 1871.

The successful libretto has been regularly conducted abroad, particularly in the United States and Europe. It was also presented in Egypt at the Cairo Opera House and the Giza plateau.

[caption id="attachment_70974" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Opera Aida 1937[/caption]

Accordingly, Egypt will organize this October an extravagant event for the libretto at the 18th dynasty Hatshepsut's mortuary temple in Luxor.

World-renowned Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv will lead the orchestra in a performance that is set to attract more than 5,000 attendees including presidents, diplomates, and politicians from all over the globe.

The show will be exhibited on October 26-28 to promote arts and tourism in Egypt. The two performances will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Suez Canal’s inauguration.

[caption id="attachment_70977" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Opera Aida Luxor conductor Oksana Lyvniv[/caption]

In the meantime, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have been working vigorously to restore Egypt’s archeological sites to boost tourism, One of the most important sectors of national income in the country (Tourism represented 11.9% of GDP in 2019).

Aida has been adapted for motion pictures in 1953, staring Lois Maxwell and Sophia Loren. Besides, the story was also used as the basis for the 1998 music by Elton John.

[caption id="attachment_70978" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Belgian Mickael Spadaccini and Korean Sae-Kyung Rim will star the shows[/caption]