#AIDA OPERA FULL#

In my heart I was nursing - Isis this day The woman whose dearly wish'd for presenceĬould have power to kindle in thee such rapture! Thine were a throne next the sun to stand.ĪMN. Would that thy bright skies once more beholding,īreathing the soft airs of thy native land Queenly thou reignest o'er me transcendent, Tell thee, for thee I battled, for thee I conquered! To thee returned, Aida, my brow entwined with laurel. I the chosen leader - mine glorious victory. The dread commandment I to the King shall take. Yes, it is rumored that the Ethiop dares once Temples and palaces of Memphis, and the Pyramids. At the back a grand gate, from which may be seen the To the right and left a Colonnade with statues and flowering The action takes place at Memphis and at Thebes during the reign of theĪCT I SCENE I Hall in the palace of the King at Memphis. Tenor Priests, Priestesses, Ministers, Captains, Soldiers,įunctionaries, Slaves, Ethiopian Prisoners, Egyptian Bass Amonasro, King of Ethiopia (Aida's Father).

Soprano Radames, Captain of the Egyptian Guards. Bass Amneris, Daughter of the King of Egypt. However, Verdi was unhappy that the Cairo audience had consisted mainly of politicians and invited bigwigs (rather than the general public), and so considered Aida’s first performance in Milan, which took place a few months later, to be the opera’s real premiere. Within a few years, Aida was being performed in opera houses all over the world, and today, it remains the 11th most frequently performed opera worldwide.CHARACTERS King of Egypt. The premiere, however, had to be delayed – the 1870–71 siege of Paris meant that the scenery and costumes (designed by Mariette himself) were trapped in the French capital, so Verdi’s Rigoletto had to be performed instead!Īida eventually premiered in Cairo later in 1871, and was critically acclaimed. With everything in place, Verdi set to work and just four months later, the music was complete. Verdi was fascinated by the idea, but was adamant that the libretto should be in Italian, so hired a journalist to translate du Locle’s draft libretto. He accepted, and as he began to search for a subject, French librettist Camille du Locle suggested a story set in Ancient Egypt itself, sending Verdi a synopsis written by the famous Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. In 1870, Verdi received a prestigious commission from the Khedive of Egypt – to compose a new opera for the opening of the Khedivial Opera House. And at the end, the music seems to fade out – the orchestra and chorus become more and more distant as the lovers die entombed together. Instead of a big, bold overture, Verdi chooses a hushed prelude – the violins open with Aida’s theme played almost as a whisper. Listen out especially for the opening and close of the piece. Hear it below sung by our own Aida – soprano Alexandra Zabala, plus other extracts. With heart-breaking repetitions of the words ‘mai piu’ (never more), the aria becomes increasingly dreamlike, leading to an ethereal, floated top C. A yearning lament for the homeland she will never see again (her father has just lost his kingdom and been taken captive), the soprano line is accompanied by a wistful oboe melody. However, Aida also features music of great delicacy, such as Aida’s Act III aria ‘ O patria mia’.

#AIDA OPERA FULL#

The march uses a martial, war-like rhythm and layers brass upon brass as the melodic line rises, getting steadily louder until the full chorus enters, creating a magnificent wall of sound. Within the opera, it marks Radamès’ victorious return from battle in Act II.

Aida’s ‘big hit’ is the Triumphal March, which you’re sure to recognise.

Aida opera