Aida

The opera, centred on the story of love between the Egyptian warrior Radames and Aida, the enslaved daughter of Amonasro, King of Ethiopia, enthrals audiences due to its spectacular scenery and crowd scenes, as well as intimate personal drama. Aida has to decide between being loyal to her country or dedicating herself to a man who is one of the oppressors of her nation. The dilemma of choosing between love and duty is also faced by Radames, who ultimately betrays his homeland because of Aida. Giuseppe Verdi based his opera on a brief scenario written by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette to commission from the Viceroy of Egypt, with the aim to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal. Intrigued by the concept, the composer paid great attention to every detail of the work. He even travelled to Egypt so as to further his knowledge of the country and its culture. Back in Milan, Verdi had specially made for his opera “Aida trumpets”, modelled on Ancient Egyptian instruments, which he would employ in the “Triumphal March”, perhaps the most famous ensemble scene there is.

The current State Opera production, premiered in 1994, is the title longest performed in the present repertoire of the company and one of its most popular shows. It also met with a tremendous response during two State Opera Prague tours of Japan.