Organization

Conductor

Patrick Fournillier

Stage director

Roberto Laganà Manoli

Set designer

Costume designer

Chorus master

Mirosław Janowski

Choreographer

Emil Wesołowski

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Anna Lubańska

Amneris

Soprano

Oksana Nosatova

Aida

Tenor

Milen Bozhkov

Radames

Bass

Iurie Maimescu

Ramfis

Baritone

Nikoloz Lagvilava

Amonasro

Aleksandra Orlowska

A high priestess

Szymon Kobyliński

The King of Egypt

Monika Ledzion-Porczyńska

Stepan Drobit

Katarzyna Trylnik

Khatuna Chokhonelidze

Hovhannes Ayvazyan

Piotr Maciejowski

A messenger

Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa

Orchestra

Orchestra of the Polish National Opera

Others

Chorus of the Polish National Opera

Ballet

Polish National Ballet

Italian

Warsaw

Poland

Moniuszko Auditorium

Aida Verdi

Public

Polish

Approved

In 1870, Giuseppe Verdi received a proposal to compose an opera for the new building of the Italian Opera in Cairo, erected at the initiative of Ismail Pasha, the viceroy of Egypt. At first, the composer refused to write a work and was not even convinced by the huge fee. Perhaps, however, a series of unpleasant events for the creator and the reading of the summary of the opera's script provided to him by Du Locle made him finally decide to undertake its creation.

As a result, accepting a rather unusual commission, which was Aida , Verdi had to compromise with himself, deviating from the rules he set for himself, which he used to follow when creating his operas to date. And maybe that is why the disaster of the Masquerade Ball , whose premiere in Naples did not take place due to the composer's refusal to agree to the changes resulting from censorship, the cold reception by critics and the audience of the first version of The Force of Destiny, and the publication of the famous Oda to Italian art by Arrig Boito, in which the the poet "underestimated" the composer's oeuvre - they contributed to the creation of this great opera, unique in comparison to other works by Verdi.

Paradoxically despising the grand opéra formula , Verdi wanted to create a work of great format with a very spectacular character, which would attract crowds of viewers. The author of the four-page libretto was the famous French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette-Bey, but Antonio Ghislanzoni undertook the creation of its final verse form.

As a result, a moving musical story was created about the love between a slave at the Pharaoh's court - Aida and the Egyptian commander Radamès, who, driven by feeling, betrays his nation and Gods, and thus becomes a tragic hero similar to the works of Sophocles. Love in conflict with the priestly raison d'état also leads to Aida's tragedy, which bears the consequences of the choices of a beloved man.

Verdi's performance, which premiered in Cairo on December 24, 1871, and less than seven weeks later in La Scala in Milan, began a triumphant procession through the opera houses of the world. The eye-catching spectacle still attracts the audience with extraordinary music, decorations reflecting the fairy-tale of the ancient world, delightful duets, especially the wonderful final duo of Aida and Radamès, and numerous group scenes with the accompaniment of the choir and extras. And to think that this great work, quite unusual for Verdi's work, was composed and instrumented in just four months.

According to the Italian musicologist and music critic Massim Mila , Aida is an opera that is extremely difficult for directors and set designers to capture in a contemporary perspective, without losing the spectacular character of the work. Certainly, this performance is an ideal proposition for fans of classic opera productions.

English

Aida by Verdi, From (2022/2022), Directed by Roberto Laganà Manoli,, Conductor Patrick Fournillier, Moniuszko Auditorium, Warsaw, Poland

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues