Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted by Giovanni Bottesini. Today the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world. At New York's Metropolitan Opera alone, Aida has been sung more than 1,100 times since 1886. Ghislanzoni's scheme follows a scenario often attributed to the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, but Verdi biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz argues that the source is actually Temistocle Solera.
Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" premieres in Cairo, Egypt
Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni.
Historical Significance
Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni.
Key People
Events Before
American lawman Wyatt Earp (21) weds Urilla Sutherland (20) in Lamar, Missouri, until her death in August of the same ye
American lawman Wyatt Earp (21) weds Urilla Sutherland (20) in Lamar, Missouri, until her death in August of the same year
American writer (Huckleberry Finn) Samuel Langhorne Clemens, pen name Mark Twain, (34) marries Olivia Langdon (24) in El
American writer (Huckleberry Finn) Samuel Langhorne Clemens, pen name Mark Twain, (34) marries Olivia Langdon (24) in Elmira, NY
Iowa ratifies the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing suffrage for all races and colors
Iowa ratifies the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing suffrage for all races and colors
Impressionist Painter Claude Monet (29) weds model Camille Doncieux in Paris
Impressionist Painter Claude Monet (29) weds model Camille Doncieux in Paris
The 15th Amendment to the US Constitution is adopted, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race
The Fifteenth Amendment (Amendment XV) to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government or any state from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote "on account of race, color,…
Events After
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that tim
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that time
Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in Axum in over 200 years
Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in Axum in over 200 years
German physicist and X-ray pioneer Wilhelm Röntgen (26) weds Anna Bertha Ludwig in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, until her dea
German physicist and X-ray pioneer Wilhelm Röntgen (26) weds Anna Bertha Ludwig in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, until her death in1919
New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art opens
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City.
Yellowstone becomes the world's first national park
Yellowstone National Park is a national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho.
More from the 1870s
Belgium disbands its salt tax
Belgium disbands its salt tax
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that tim
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that time
Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar
Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the…
New York City annexes the West Bronx
The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on December 24, 1871?
- Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted by Giovanni Bottesini. Today the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world.
- Why is Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" premieres in Cairo, Egypt significant?
- Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni.
- Who was involved in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" premieres in Cairo, Egypt?
- Key figures include Giuseppe Verdi (opera composer).