Name: Aida
Start: 2012-03-27T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2012-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Teatro Regio

Admin

Organization

Singer

Bass

Carlo Malinverno

The King of Egypt

Mezzo-soprano

Mariana Pentcheva

Amneris

Soprano

Susanna Branchini

Aida

Tenor

Hector Sandoval

Radames

Baritone

Alberto Gazale

Amonasro

Marcella Polidori

A high priestess

Conductor

Antonino Fogliani

Stage director

Joseph Franconi Lee

Set designer

Mauro Carosi

Chorus master

Martino Faggiani

Costume designer

Choreographer

Marta Ferri

Walter Fraccaro

George Andguladze

Ramfis

Guanqun Yu

Cosimo Vassallo

A messenger

Teatro Regio di Parma

Orchestra

Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma

Italian

Parma

Italy

Teatro Regio

"Aida", premiered in Cairo in 1871, has become Verdi's most popular work. The highlight of the repertoire is a challenge to the musical and scenic resources of an opera house all over the world.

After Verdi's "Rigoletto" was performed at the opening ceremonies of the Suez Canal in 1869, the Cairo Opera House asked for a new work with an Egyptian plot. Verdi dealt extensively with Egyptian music and history in order to be able to give his opera an exotic touch; he even had special "Aida trumpets" made for the triumphal scene in the second act. Although the score was ready in time for the premiere at the Cairo Opera House in January 1871, the premiere had to be postponed to December 1871 because of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71.
"Aida" is a grand opera with six leading roles, full chorus and ballet. The work has recently been a favorite target of ambitious directors looking to set the plot against a contemporary backdrop. On the other hand, "Aida" is often brought to the stage as a magnificent stage opera with elaborate decorations and real elephants. "Aida" has become Verdi's most popular opera.

The Ethiopian Princess Aida is being held captive in Egypt as a slave. She falls in love with Radames, the Egyptian general. Love is under a bad star. On the one hand, Amneris, the daughter of the Egyptian king, also wants to win over Radames. On the other hand, Radames leads the Egyptian army into the war against Aida's fatherland and after the victory unknowingly brings her father with him as a prisoner. None of this changes Aida's feelings for Radames. However, he cannot return her love, since the king promises him the hand of his daughter Amneris in gratitude for the victory achieved.

Radames allows himself to be persuaded to flee by Aida and reveals to her the Egyptians' new war plans. They are caught at the last moment.
Radames is sentenced to death for high treason, Aida is immured with him, and Amneris, whose jealousy has done much to the evil, is left alone.



This production is based on a concept by Italian director Alberto Fassini, who died in March 2005; Joseph Franconi Lee worked closely with Fassini over a period of two decades and has already revived some of the master's important productions. Fassini came from Palermo and was a close collaborator of Luchino Visconti, whose productions in the field of opera ("Don Carlo", "Francesca da Rimini", "Rigoletto") Fassini rehearsed - alongside his own directing work. When Fassini died at the age of 67, he was preparing to direct Verdi's "Aida" in Parma.

Aida Verdi

Public

German

Approved

Production booklet

Further reading