Verdi's name was used as an acronym for Vittorio Emanuele re d'Italia (Victor Emmanuel King of Italy), reflecting his reputation as a patriot and supporter of Italian national unity.
Composition History
The story of Aida, featuring the enslaved Ethiopian princess Aida and Egyptian hero Radames, has some basis in the Hellenistic Aethiopica by Heliodorus, but was claimed as an original work by Auguste Mariette.
Recording & Production
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, originally the RTE Symphony Orchestra, was renamed in 1990 and has since established itself as an adventurous orchestra, embarking on extensive recording projects for Naxos and Marco Polo.
Composition History
Verdi's opera Aida was written for the new Cairo opera house and premiered there on Christmas Eve 1871, followed by a performance at La Scala in February 1872.
Composer Biography
Giuseppe Verdi, the composer of Aida, was born in 1813, the son of a tavern-keeper, and his early musical studies were supported by his future father-in-law, Antonio Barezzi.
Performer Biography
Rico Saccani, the conductor, won the Herbert von Karajan International Conducting Competition in 1984 and has conducted Verdi's Aida at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
Performer Biography
Maria Dragoni, the Italian soprano, won first prize in the Maria Callas Singing Competition in 1983 and has performed in major opera houses worldwide, including singing Aida at the Vienna State Opera.
