this: the opera Aida (sometimes spelled Aïda, , from Arabic: عايدة 1) an Arabic female name meaning "visitor" or "returning") is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette (although there are scholars who argue that the scenario was really written by Temistocle Solera). It was first performed at the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo on December 24, 1871 conducted by Giovanni Bottesini.

Production history

Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write the opera for performance in January 1871, paying him 150,000 francs, but the premiere was delayed because of the Franco-Prussian War. Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, nor that of the Khedivial Opera House (which opened with Verdi's Rigoletto) in the same year. Verdi had been asked to compose an ode for the opening of the Canal, but declined on the grounds that he did not write "occasional pieces."

Performance history

thumb|left|300px|Poster for a 1908 production in Cleveland, Ohio. Verdi originally chose not to write an overture for the opera, but merely a brief orchestral prelude. He then composed an overture of the "potpourri" variety to replace the original prelude. However, in the end he decided not to have the overture performed because of its - his own words - 'pretentious insipidity'.

Aida met with great acclaim when it finally opened in Cairo on 24 December 1871. However, although Verdi did not attend, he was most dissatisfied with the fact that the audience consisted of invited dignitaries, politicians and critics, but no members of the general public. He therefore considered the Italian (and European) premiere, to be held at La Scala, Milan on 8 February the following year, and in which he was heavily involved at every stage, to be its real premiere.

He had also written the role of Aida for the voice of Teresa Stolz, who sang it for the first time at the Milan premiere. The Milan Amneris, Maria Waldmann, was his favourite in the role and she repeated it a number of times at his request. Verdi had also asked Angelo Mariani (Teresa Stolz's fiancé at the time) to conduct the Cairo premiere, but he declined, so Giovanni Bottesini filled the gap.

Further premieres followed in many locations throughout the world: Buenos Aires: 4 October 1873Opera Gems; New York: 26 November 1873, Academy of Music; Berlin: 20 April 1874; Vienna: 29 April 1874; Madrid: 12 December 1874; Budapest: 10 April 1875; St Petersburg: 1 December 1875; Prague: 11 December 1875; Paris: 22 April 1876; London: 22 June 1876, Royal Opera House, Covent GardenHolden, Amanda (ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001, page 983. ISBN 0-140-29312-4; Melbourne: 6 September 1877, Royal Theatre. It continues to be a staple of the standard operatic repertoire and appears as number 16 on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America. There are many recordings, and it is one of the most popular operas.