Aida

Melodramma in four acts
Music by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario by François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette reworked by Camille du Locle 
Premiere: Cairo, Khedival Opera House, 24 december 1871

Production of the Rome Opera House

Set in a pseudo-historic vision of Ancient Egypt, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida depicts a dramatic clash between Aida and Amneris, haughty princesses battling for the valiant warrior Radames’s love.

Aida had been commissioned for the inauguration of the Suez Canal, hence its reputation for cinemascopic dimensions – elephants included. The first Monaco performance in 1884 had to suffer cuts in the mass scenes due to the size of the Salle Garnier. In 2025, this poses problems no longer since Davide Livermore and his team can work in the expanse of the Grimaldi Forum where they have already proven an amazing creativity in using modern technology for breathtaking scenery.

At closer examination, however, her numerous arias, duets and trios reveal Aida’s intimate chamber musical side, which dominates most of the opera’s acts. Verdi’s writing for the voice and the colourful orchestral part are at their best when depicting what were often called “female weapons”: charm and seduction, slander, deception, and – once defeated – self-destruction and ruining of the cherished object.

In such situations, beautiful and refined singing counts. Enjoy a stellar cast, which shows you both sides of this magnificent opera: its grandeur, and its fragility!

Synopsis

Act I

The Ethiopian princess Aida is being held captive in Egypt, although no one knows of her royal origins. Also kept secret is the love between Aida and Ramadès, the young Egyptian military commander. 
The high priest announces that the Ethiopians have attacked Egypt again and informs Radamès that Isis has named him to lead the Egyptian forces. Amneris, the pharaoh's daughter, is also in love with Radamès and hopes that if the young general returns victorious, he will marry her. Radamès, however, nourishes the hope that if he wins a victory, he will be able to marry his secret love, Aida, who herself is confronted with the choice of whose victory she should pray for: her lover's or that of her father and her homeland?

Act II

Aida's father attacks Egypt in order to free his daughter, but suffers a defeat. Radamès returns home victorious with Aida's father among the captured soldiers. The pharaoh announces that he will reward Radamès by granting any request of his. The general asks for the Ethiopian prisoners to be set free, but the high priest obstructs this. The pharaoh offers his daughter, and his throne, to Radamès. 

Act III

Under cover of night, Aida awaits Radamès, who had invited her to a secret meeting on the bank of the Nile. The princess feels her situation to be hopeless: her beloved is getting ready to marry the pharaoh's daughter, and she cannot return home. Suddenly, her father appears and pressures her mercilessly: he knows that her lover is the enemy's general, and he orders her to lead Radamès into committing treason. 
Trusting Aida, Radamès betrays secret military information, at which point Amonasro rushes out and reveals to Radamès that he is the king of Ethiopia. 
The jealous Amneris also bursts forth with her entourage, but before she can have the treasonous general arrested, Radamès succeeds in ensuring the escape of both Aida and her father.

Act IV

The despairing Amneris tries to save the life of the man she loves and who has been condemned to death because of her, but Radamès has no wish to live without Aida. The death sentence is carried out, and Radamès is sealed alive in a crypt. In the silent tomb, Aida emerges from her hiding place in order to die together with her love.

Program and cast

Production Team

Conductor | Massimo Zanetti

Director | Davide Livermore

Sets | Giò Forma

Costumes | Gianluca Falaschi

Lighting design | Antonio Castro

Videos | D-Wok

Choreography | Davide Livermore & Carlo Massari

Choirmaster | Stefano Visconti

Assistant director | Chiara Osella

Assistant costumes | Giuditta Verderio

Repetitor | Kira Parfeevets

Cast

The King | Antonio Di Matteo

Amneris | Marie-Nicole Lemieux

Aida | Anna Pirozzi

Radamès | Arsen Soghomonyan

Ramfis | Erwin Schrott

Amonasro | Artur Rucinski

Voice of the Priestess | Galia Bakalov

A messenger | Vincenzo di Nocera

Choir of the OPÉRA DE MONTE-CARLO
ORCHESTRE PHILHARMONIQUE DE MONTE-CARLO