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Andreas Augustinwrites about travel in general and hotels in particular, about famous people and figures of historical magnitude.Follow his reports, books and blogs.

AIDA’S SECRETAida is one of the most important works of European opera. Two famous misconceptions: Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi composed Aida

1. for the opening of the Suez Canal. 2. for the inauguration of the Royal (Khedival) Opera House.

Both wrong!

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The AidA STory

The Royal (Khedival) Opera House, the brainchild of architects Avoscani and Rosi, was erected within a short period of six months. It was crafted mainly from wood and had a capacity of 850 persons. Inaugurated on 6 November 1869 with

Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto (from 1851), Cairo’s Opera House staged the world premiere of Aida two years later. 100 years later, in 1971, it burned down due to

an electrical upset and was reduced to ashes within a few hours.Right: The famous music critic Filippi and the first Aida announcement in Arabic.

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The AidA STory

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Aida is one of the most important works of European opera. Two famous misconceptions: Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi composed Aida

1. for the opening of the Suez Canal. 2. for the inauguration of the Royal (Khedival) Opera House.

Both wrong!What really happened was:

1869, August: The Khedival court approached Verdi to write a hymn for the opening ceremony of the canal. Verdi rejected the offer: ‘I do not compose occasional pieces!’ 1869, 6 November: Royal Opera Cairo opened with Verdi’s Rigoletto. 1870, January: Egyptologist Auguste Mariette presented Camille Du Lo-cle, secretary of the Paris Opera, with a 23-page Egyptian opera exposé. 1870, May: Verdi agreed to compose the opera for Egypt. He asked for a fee of 150,000 francs, three times more than for Don Carlos. 1870, June: Du Locle and Verdi worked on an expanded draft of the piece. They decided to name it after its heroin, Aida. 1870, 29 July: Verdi signed the contract. The opening night was set for January 1871. Music by Verdi; libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni; costumes and stage decoration made at the Paris Opera House. 1870, September: Prussian troops occupied France – work on stage decora-tion and costumes at the Paris Opera House was interrupted. 1871, January: Opening of Aida postponed to winter 1871-72. 1871, 20 September, 12.00 noon: In Milan, Italy, Verdi handed a handwritten copy of the original score of Aida to the manager of the Cairo Opera House, Paul Draneth.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901, left) refused to compose a hymn for the opening of the canal, but was eventually enchanted by the skilful exposé of a story about the Ethiopian princess (and slave) ‘Aida’ by Egyptologist Auguste Mariette (right).

The first performance took place on 24 December 1871 at the Cairo Opera House.

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1871, 24 December: The curtain rose for Aida at the Cairo Opera House. The renowned European critics Filippo Filippi and Ernest Reyer were in Cairo upon invitation of the Khedive and delivered enthusiastic comments. The opera was played 12 times that season. From now on, it became one of the most treasured memories of a winter on the Nile for generations of travellers to come.1872: At La Scala in Milan the first performance of Aida took place on 8 February. Until 1878, Aida was premiered in over 130 opera houses around the world, from Buenos Aires to Vienna. It was an unrivalled success.1912: The first open air performance of Aida, next to the Pyramids .1971: The Cairo Opera House burned down.1983: During the visit of the Egyptian President Hosni Moubarak to Japan, the Japanese government decided to grant Egypt a donation for the rebuilding of the Cairo Opera House. 1988, 10 October: 17 years after the original Royal Opera House had gone up in flames, the new Cairo Opera House was launched.

Antonietta Pozzoni was the first Aida. Verdi had heard her in Florence as Violetta (La Traviata) and recommended her for the role. Her performance was highly praised by critics. Below the charming and very European inside of the house.

The AidA STory

from our book THE MENA HOUSE TREASURY