For those who love opera or have heard anything about it before, chances are you've come across or heard of Aida before. Whether you love it or hate it, Aida demands respect of its listeners for several reasons. It is important to know a little bit about it before you commit to seeing it in person or via DVD or video because operas can often be very confusing if one has no idea what the general story is about or who is going to do what. Knowing as much as you can about several aspects of Aida will better help you appreciate its beauty and worth as you watch it for the first time.

Overview

Aida is an opera that is played in both French and Italian, and was originally conducted by Guiseppe Verdi. This opera is done in four acts. The plot was written by Mariette Bey, and has been written in the two languages; French by Camille de Locle and Italian by Antonio Ghislanzoni. It was originally produced in Cairo, Egypt in 1871 on December 24 and has become a classical opera that has been performed all over the world, in places like New York (1873), Milan (1872), Paris (1876), London (1876) and Caruso (1904).

Characters/Setting

Aida by Verdi is an opera set in Ancient Egypt in the cities of Thebes and Memphis. It is set in the time of the epoch of the Pharaohs, and has a very specific Egyptian plot and themes to help the audience better get a feel for the time period and setting.

All of the characters of Aida by Verdi are of different vocal tones to keep harmony and beauty in the voices of the characters. The King of Egypt and Ramphis the High Priest are both bass voices. Tenors include the Messenger and Rhadames the Captain of the Guard. The main character Aida, who is an Ethiopian slave in the opera is the only major character with a soprano voice. There is one baritone, Amonasro who is King of Ethiopia and the father of Aida, and one contralto, Amneris, daughter of the King of Egypt. There are also several smaller roles including other Ethiopian slaves, Egyptians, soldiers, priests, and prisoners. All of these characters are vitally important to the story and the sound of the opera, and great care is usually taken to cast it.

General Plot

The plot of Aida by Verdi is actually quite simple, which is usually the case in grand operas where the voices and music overpowers the plot anyway. Aida and Radames, and Egyptian General, are in love, but secretly because Aida is an Ethopian slave and captive. The opera offers several different mechanics of plot and events that eventually lead to Radames is sentenced to death, with the medium of death being entombed alive. Aida, desperate to be with him in life or death, puts herself in the tomb before he gets there to die with him. The opera is considered to be a tragedy, and the plot is very interesting, to say the least.