Aida at Giza
| when: | 10 - 12 Oct 2007 |
|---|---|
| where: | Pyramids at Giza |
What is more spectacular than watching Verdi's Aida in front of the Pyramids at Giza? The Cairo Opera House gives performances of Verdi's opera, with the triumphal march being one of the most lavish things you have ever seen.
Giuseppe Verdi wrote his antepenultimate opera for the Cairo Opera House. However, it was not - as so commonly assumed - written either for the opening of the Suez Canal, or the Cairo Opera House in 1869. Verdi did not receive the libretto until the following year and the opera was not premièred until 24 December 1871.
The rest, though, is history! His tragic working of the famous tale of star-crossed lovers - the triumphant Egyptian captain Radamès and the captured Ethiopian slave-girl, Aida - stormed the operatic world and remains one of the best-loved operas of all time. After Aida, he took himself off to self-imposed retirement before being persuaded to return to the stage for his last two operas, Otello and Falstaff 16 years later.
Radamès and Aida's problems are compounded by the fact that the Pharaoh's daughter Amneris is also in love with Radamès. Also, it just so happens that Aida's father is, in fact, the leader of the Ethiopians that Radamès has defeated. We're not giving too much away when we tell you that Amneris gets her revenge and - because Radamès will not renounce Aida - sentences him to be entombed alive. There is a brief, final moment of joy as Aida steals into the tomb to die in her lover's arms.
The Cairo Opera Company has its home in the new Cairo Opera House that opened on 10 October 1988, replacing the one for which Verdi wrote his opera, which burnt down in 1971.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Central Reservation Office |
| Email: | tickets@aidapyramids.com |
| Fax: | +20 (0) 2 736 7313 |
| Phone: | +20 (0) 2 736 7314 |
| Address: | Cairo Opera House, PO Box 1, 1567 El Borg, Gezira, Cairo, Egypt |
| Venue Information: | Pyramids at Giza |
| Full Name: | |
| Cost: | E£60 (Great Pyramid of Khufu E£100); Solar Barque Museum E£50 |
| Opening Hours: | Daily 8am-5pm |
| Address: | Giza Plateau, Giza |
| Directions: | Bus 355 or 357 from Downtown Cairo |
| Contact Details: | Pyramids at Giza |
| Phone: | +20 (0) 2 33838823 |
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Central Reservation Office |
| Email: | tickets@aidapyramids.com |
| Fax: | +20 (0) 2 736 7313 |
| Phone: | +20 (0) 2 736 7314 |
| Address: | Cairo Opera House, PO Box 1, 1567 El Borg, Gezira, Cairo, Egypt |
| Name: | Cairo Tourist Office |
| Location: | Cairo |
| Address: | Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Square, Cairo, Egypt |
| Phone: | +20 (0) 2 285 4509 or +20 (0) 2 284 1970 |
| Fax: | +20 (0) 2 285 4363 |
| Name: | Egyptian Tourist Authority |
| Location: | Egypt |
| Address: | Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Sq, Cairo, Egypt |
| Phone: | +20 (0) 2 285 4509 / +20 (0) 2 284 1970 |
| Fax: | +20 (0) 2 285 4363 |
| Name: | Ministry of Tourism |
| Location: | Egypt |
| Address: | Misr Travel Tower, Abassia Square, Cairo, Egypt |
| Email: | www.touregypt.net |
| Phone: | +20 2 284 1707 |
| Fax: | +20 2 285 9551 |
Highlights
Così fan tutte at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House, London, England
10 Feb 2010 (various dates)
Palais Garnier, Paris, France
10 Feb 2010 (various dates)
London Coliseum, London, England
11 Feb 2010 (various dates)
