Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi
A summary of the plot
Giuseppe Verdi was born near Busseto, Italy, in October 1813 and died in Milan in January 1901. He wrote more than 30 operas, Aida being one of the most celebrated. The book was written by Antonio Ghislanzoni, and the opera was commissioned by the Khedive of Egypt. The first production was in Cairo on 24 December 1871 and it has been an operatic standard ever since at opera houses all over the world. However, some of the most remarkable performances have been in the open air with the Pyramids as the backdrop, which would seem to be the most appropriate setting of all.
Act 1, Scene 1. The Palace of the Pharaoh of Egypt, Memphis
Rhadames, a warrior, is delighted to learn that he has been chosen to lead the army against the Ethiopian enemy, because he hopes that he will thus be able to win Aida, a slave girl, as his prize for victory in battle. However, the king’s daughter, Amneris, has set her mark on Rhadames, and his coldness towards her confirms her suspicions that he loves someone else. When the king and his court enter, with Aida in attendance, everyone rejoices at the news of Rhadames’s command, with one exception. Aida is the daughter of the…