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97-492: The composer was reluctant to write anything new after the success of Aida in 1871, and he retreated into retirement. It took his Milan publisher Giulio Ricordi the next ten years, first to encourage the revision of Verdi's 1857 Simon Boccanegra by introducing Boito as librettist and then to begin the arduous process of persuading and cajoling Verdi to see Boito's completed libretto for Otello in July/August 1881. However,

194-476: A 1953 production which starred Lois Maxwell as Amneris and Sophia Loren as Aida, and a 1987 Swedish production . In both cases, the lead actors lip-synched to recordings by actual opera singers. In the case of the 1953 film, Ebe Stignani sang as Amneris, while Renata Tebaldi sang as Aida. The opera's story, but not its music, was used as the basis for a 1998 musical of the same name written by Elton John and Tim Rice . The opera has been portrayed in

291-403: A 1955 performance conducted by Tullio Serafin with Maria Callas as Aida and Richard Tucker as Radamès and a 1959 performance conducted by Herbert von Karajan with Renata Tebaldi as Aida and Carlo Bergonzi as Radamès. La Scala mounted a lavish new production of Aida designed by Franco Zeffirelli for the opening night of its 2006/2007 season. The production starred Violeta Urmana in

388-403: A letter from Verdi to his publisher in which the composer makes it quite clear that Tamagno left a great deal to be desired. A long lineage of renowned baritones have sung Iago since 1887. Among them: Victor Maurel (the role's first exponent), Mattia Battistini , Mario Ancona , Antonio Scotti , Titta Ruffo , Pasquale Amato , Carlo Galeffi and Lawrence Tibbett . Leading post-war exponents of

485-483: A me sfuggia" / My hated rival has escaped me). She calls for the guard to bring him to her. She asks Radamès to deny the accusations, but Radamès, who does not wish to live without Aida, refuses. He is relieved to know Aida is still alive and hopes she has reached her own country (Amneris, Radamès: "Già i Sacerdoti adunansi" / Already the priests are assembling). Offstage, Ramfis recites the charges against Radamès and calls on him to defend himself, but he stands mute, and

582-507: A mood of gloom and depression [..and..] his letters at the time were full of complaints about the Italian theatre, Italian politics and Italian music in general [all] seen by him as sinking beneath a tide of Germanism". Because of the immense popularity of Verdi's music in Italy by the 1870s, Verdi's retirement seemed to his publisher, Giulio Ricordi , to be a waste of talent and possible profits. Thus

679-543: A never-completed Donizetti opera, Le duc d'Albe , was given in 2012 by the Vlaamse Opera from a critical edition prepared by Parker. He has written about the work involved in its preparation. For the preparation, recording, and presentation of the Opera Rara recording of Donizetti's Belisario in 2012, it has been noted that the opera was "performed in the edition by Sir Mark Elder, Roger Parker and Jürgen Selk, based on

776-507: A plot for a celebratory opera set in ancient Egypt. Khedive Pasha referred Mariette to theatre manager Camille du Locle , who sent Mariette's story idea to Verdi. Eventually, Verdi agreed to compose an opera based on that story, for 150,000 francs. Because the scenery and costumes were stuck in the French capital during the Siege of Paris (1870–71) of the ongoing Franco-Prussian War , the premiere

873-413: A plot of sorts was hatched in order to coax the composer out of retirement to write another opera. Because of the importance of the dramatic aspects of opera to the composer, Verdi was especially selective in his choice of subjects. Consequently, if he were to agree to create another opera after a decade of retirement, the libretto would need to be one that would capture his interest. During the period when

970-674: A precise time period, so it is difficult to place the opera more specifically than the Old Kingdom . For the first production, Mariette went to great efforts to make the sets and costumes authentic. Considering the consistent artistic styles throughout the 3000-year history of ancient Egypt, a given production does not particularly need to choose a specific time period within the larger frame of ancient Egyptian history. Backstory : The Egyptians have captured and enslaved Aida, an Ethiopian princess. An Egyptian military commander, Radamès, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to

1067-532: 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 . Isma'il Pasha , Khedive of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write an opera to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal , but Verdi declined. However, Auguste Mariette , a French Egyptologist , proposed to Khedive Pasha

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1164-517: A suitable story was being sought for what became Aida , Ricordi had come across Boito's partly finished libretto of his own opera Nerone , and he even suggested in a letter of February 1870 to Verdi that, with Boito's permission, he set it to music. Verdi ignored it, and so Ricordi tried again in January 1871, enclosing with his letter a copy of Boito's libretto for Boito's friend and collaborator Franco Faccio 's Amleto which had been given in 1865 and

1261-662: A toast to Otello and Desdemona. Cassio gives in. Iago sings a drinking song and continues to pour Cassio wine (Iago, Cassio, Roderigo, chorus: Inaffia l'ugola! / "Wet your throat"). Montano enters and calls for Cassio to begin his watch; he is surprised to find Cassio drunk and barely able to stand upright. Iago lies to Montano, telling him that this is how Cassio spends every evening. Roderigo laughs at Cassio's drunkenness and Cassio attacks him. Montano tells Cassio to calm down, but Cassio draws his sword and threatens to crack open Montano's head. (Montano, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo, chorus: Capitano, v'attende la fazione ai baluardi / "Captain,

1358-534: 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

1455-516: Is able to hide her jealousy and approach Aida (Amneris, Aida, Radamès: "Vieni, o diletta, appressati" / Come, O delight, come closer). The King enters, along with the High Priest, Ramfis, and the whole palace court. A messenger announces that the Ethiopians, led by King Amonasro, are marching towards Thebes . The King declares war and proclaims that Radamès is the man chosen by the goddess Isis to be

1552-401: Is condemned to death as a traitor. Amneris, who remains onstage, protests that Radamès is innocent, and pleads with the priests to show mercy. The priests sentence him to be buried alive; Amneris weeps and curses the priests as he is taken away (Judgment scene, Amneris, Ramfis, and chorus: "Ahimè! .. morir mi sento .. Radamès, è deciso il tuo fato" / Alas .. I feel death .. Radamès, your fate

1649-743: Is decided). Scene 2: The lower portion of the stage shows the vault in the Temple of Ptah; the upper portion represents the temple itself Radamès has been taken into the lower floor of the temple and sealed up in a dark vault, where he thinks that he is alone. As he hopes that Aida is in a safer place, he hears a sigh and then sees Aida. She has hidden herself in the vault in order to die with Radamès (Radamès: "La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse" / The fatal stone now closes over me). They accept their terrible fate (Radamès: "Morir! Sì pura e bella" / To die! So pure and lovely!) and bid farewell to Earth and its sorrows (duet "Invan! Tutto è finito ... O terra addio"). Above

1746-463: Is for him to send me the finished poem". Meanwhile, Boito began work on the libretto in spite of illness and, by late October/early November had sent a copy of the work so far. After appealing to Giuseppina, Ricordi was told that the Verdis would be coming to Milan and that he would meet privately with Boito. However, she noted in her letter of 7 November: "Between ourselves, what Boito has so far written of

1843-517: Is outraged that Otello has appointed Cassio to be the captain of the navy, a position that Iago hoped to have. The people of Cyprus celebrate the safe return of Otello and his men by lighting a bonfire and drinking (Chorus: Fuoco di gioia! / "Fire of joy"). Iago proposes a toast to Otello and his wife, while Cassio praises Desdemona (Iago, Cassio, Chorus, Roderigo: Roderigo, beviam! / "Roderigo, let's drink!"). Iago offers Cassio more wine, but Cassio says he has had enough. Iago pressures him and offers

1940-461: Is still in doubt about Radamès' love and wonders whether Aida is in love with him. She tries to forget her doubt, entertaining her worried heart with the dance of Moorish slaves (Chorus, Amneris: "Vieni: sul crin ti piovano" / Come bind your flowing tresses). When Aida enters the chamber, Amneris asks everyone to leave. By falsely telling Aida that Radamès has died in the battle, she tricks her into professing her love for him. In grief, and shocked by

2037-665: Is the captured daughter of the Ethiopian King Amonasro, but her Egyptian captors are unaware of her true identity. Her father has invaded Egypt to deliver her from servitude. Amneris, the daughter of the Egyptian King, enters the hall. She too loves Radamès, but fears that his heart belongs to someone else (Radamès, Amneris: "Quale insolita gioia nel tuo sguardo" / In your looks I trace an unwonted joy). Aida appears and, when Radamès sees her, Amneris notices that he looks disturbed. She suspects that Aida could be her rival, but

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2134-748: Is wounded, he becomes enraged. Desdemona enters, and, upon seeing that his bride's rest has been disturbed, Otello declares that Cassio is no longer Captain. (Otello, Iago, Cassio, Montano: Abbasso le spade / "Down with your swords".) He tells Iago to patrol the town to restore quiet, calls for help for Montano and orders everyone to return to their houses. The Cypriots leave Otello alone with Desdemona. Together Otello and Desdemona recall why they fell in love. Otello, in an ecstasy of joy, invites death, fearing that he will never know such happiness again. Desdemona prays that their love will remain unchanged. They kiss, overcome with love for each other. (Otello, Desdemona: Già nella notte densa s'estingue ogni clamor /"Now in

2231-516: The King of Egypt . To complicate the story further, the King's daughter Amneris is in love with Radamès, although he does not return her feelings. Scene 1: A hall in the King's palace; through the rear gate the pyramids and temples of Memphis are visible Ramfis, the high priest of Egypt, tells Radamès, the young warrior, that war with the Ethiopians seems inevitable, and Radamès hopes that he will be chosen as

2328-618: The Teatro Regio di Torino (26 December 1874), the Teatro Comunale di Bologna (30 September 1877, with Giuseppina Pasqua as Amneris and Franco Novara as the King), and the Teatro Costanzi (8 October 1881, with Theresia Singer as Aida and Giulia Novelli as Amneris) among others. Details of important national and other premières of Aida follow: A complete concert version of the opera

2425-500: The University of London , first at Goldsmiths' College , and then at King's College London from which he obtained his PhD in 1981. In 1982, he moved to Cornell University in upstate New York , where he was assistant professor and then associate professor. Returning to England to become a lecturer in music (later professor) and fellow of St Hugh's College, Oxford , in 1999 he became professor of music at Cambridge University , where he

2522-476: The librettist Arrigo Boito (whom Ricordi claimed to be a great fan of the play also). Ricordi told the story to Giuseppe Adami , a librettist for three of Puccini 's operas: The idea of a new opera arose during a dinner among friends, when I turned the conversation, by chance, on Shakespeare and on Boito. At the mention of Othello I saw Verdi fix his eyes on me, with suspicion, but with interest. He had certainly understood; he had certainly reacted. I believed

2619-534: The 1870s progressed. Knowing of his interest in the soprano Adelina Patti , Ricordi tried to entice him into writing an opera for her, but Verdi's refusal resulted in another approach via a letter to the composer's wife Giuseppina , who was to present the idea at an opportune time. But she confessed defeat yet again. Clara Maffei also tried, unsuccessfully, in March 1878 to interest Verdi, who replied: "For what reason should I write? What would I succeed in doing?" While he

2716-503: The 18th saying "I have just consigned to [Ricordi] the last acts of Otello ! Poor Othello!... He won't come back here any more!!!" The librettist replied: "The Moor will come back no more to knock on the door of the Palazzo Doria [Verdi's Genoa residence], but you will go to meet the Moor at La Scala. Otello exists. The great dream has become reality". As the Italian public became aware that

2813-470: The 2001 Italian animated film Aida of the Trees ( Aida degli alberi ). The characters are seen as anthropomorphic creatures between the fictional kingdoms of Alborea and Petra as the star-crossed lovers must find a way to unify their worlds while facing off against the evil high priest Ramfis. Roger Parker Roger Parker (born London United Kingdom , 2 August 1951) is an English musicologist who

2910-666: The 2010 edition by Ottavio Sbragia ." For that event, Parker coordinated and presented an afternoon-long public symposium on the opera. In a similar fashion, when Donizetti's Les Martyrs was presented by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in London in November 2014, Roger Parker was part of an introductory panel which also included Dr Flora Willson (who prepared the critical edition) and author and Donizetti biographer Jonathan Keates . He received

3007-531: The African seems to please him, and is very well done." At this point the opera was being referred to as Iago rather than Otello , due to the tradition—"an unwritten law of the theatre"—that any new opera would have a new title rather than that of one still in the repertoire, in this case by Rossini . The process of writing the first drafts of the libretto and the years of their revision, with Verdi all along not promising anything, dragged on. As Walker charts it,

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3104-556: The Cairo première, but he declined, so Giovanni Bottesini filled the gap. The Milan Amneris , Maria Waldmann , was his favourite in the role and she repeated it a number of times at his request. Aida was received with great enthusiasm at its Milan première. The opera was soon mounted at major opera houses throughout Italy, including the Teatro Regio di Parma (20 April 1872), the Teatro di San Carlo (30 March 1873), La Fenice (11 June 1873),

3201-555: The Donizetti Society's list of works completed by Parker alone, such as Lucrezia Borgia (1998) and Adelia . Additionally, along with Dotto, he has co-authored the critical edition of Lucia di Lammermoor which was presented at the Royal Opera House , London in 2003. Roger Parker is also credited as editor of the critical edition of Puccini 's opera, Manon Lescaut published by Ricordi in 2013. A major revival of

3298-457: The Egyptian commander (Ramfis, Radamès: "Sì, corre voce l'Etiope ardisca" / Yes, it is rumored that Ethiopia dares once again to threaten our power). Radamès dreams both of gaining victory on the battlefield and of Aida, an Ethiopian slave, with whom he is secretly in love (Radamès: " Se quel guerrier io fossi! ... Celeste Aida " / Heavenly Aida). Aida, who is also secretly in love with Radamès,

3395-625: The Egyptians. Amonasro deceptively proclaims to the Egyptians that the Ethiopian king (referring to himself) has been slain in battle. Aida, Amonasro, and the captured Ethiopians plead with the Egyptian King for mercy, but Ramfis and the Egyptian priests call for their death (Aida, Amneris, Radamès, The King, Amonasro, chorus: "Che veggo! .. Egli? .. Mio padre! .. Anch'io pugnai .. Struggi, o Re, queste ciurme feroci" / What do I see?.. Is it he? My father? .. Destroy, O King, these ferocious creatures). Claiming

3492-561: The King, Aida and Amonasro remain as hostages to ensure that the Ethiopians do not avenge their defeat. On the banks of the Nile, near the Temple of Isis Prayers are said (Chorus, High Priestess, Ramfis, Amneris: "O tu che sei d'Osiride" / O thou who to Osiris art) on the eve of Amneris and Radamès' wedding in the Temple of Isis. Outside, Aida waits to meet with Radamès as they had planned (Aida: "Qui Radamès verra .. O patria mia" / Oh, my dear country!). Amonasro appears and orders Aida to find out

3589-497: The Moor—in chocolate—on the top. In order to keep information about the composition within the group, this gesture may have been the cause for the name given to the project for many years, "chocolate", as in Boito's letter of 1864 noting that "the manufacture of chocolate was going ahead". Early the following year, Verdi began to compose and on 20 March 1884, in a letter from Boito to Ricordi,

3686-571: The Turkish fleet has been destroyed, and the Cypriots cheer (Otello, chorus: Esultate! L'orgoglio musulmano sepolto è in mar / "Rejoice! The Muslim’s pride is buried in the sea"). Iago offers to help the young Venetian gentleman Roderigo in his seduction of Otello's wife, Desdemona – Iago envies Otello his success and longs to destroy the Moor (Iago, Roderigo: Roderigo, ebben che pensi? / "Well, Roderigo, what are you thinking?"). Among his grievances, Iago

3783-498: The background the quayside and sea. It is evening. Lightning, thunder, gale force winds. On a stormy evening, the people of Cyprus anxiously await the arrival of the new governor, Otello, from a naval battle with the Turks (Chorus, Montano, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo : Una vela! / "A sail!"). For a moment it seems as if Otello's ship will founder, to the delight of Otello's treacherous ensign, Iago, but Otello arrives safely and announces that

3880-491: The chamber. Scene 2: The grand gate of the city of Thebes Radamès returns victorious and the troops march into the city (Chorus, Ramfis: "Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside" / Glory to Egypt, [and] to Isis!). The Egyptian king decrees that on this day the triumphant Radamès may have anything he wishes. The Ethiopian captives are led onstage in chains, Amonasro among them. Aida immediately rushes to her father, who whispers to her to conceal his true identity as King of Ethiopia from

3977-519: The completion and premiere of his opera Aida in December 1871, Verdi decided that it was time for him to end his successful career as a composer of opera, much as Rossini had done after the completion of the opera William Tell , though he was easily the most popular, and possibly the wealthiest, composer in Italy at the time. However, Verdi's sixties were not good years: as musicologist Julian Budden notes, "he seemed to have entered [those years] in

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4074-457: The composer expressed reservations about Tamagno's softer singing, though not about the power and ring of his vocalism in dramatic passages of the score. Verdi need not have worried: Otello ' s debut proved to be a resounding success. The audience's enthusiasm for Verdi was shown by the 20 curtain calls that he took at the end of the opera. Further stagings of Otello soon followed at leading theatres throughout Europe and America. The opera

4171-433: The composer must have had some effect on Verdi because, on 5 October, Verdi made the announcement: "I have finished the fourth act, and I breathe again". Scoring took another year which, from January 1886 onward, involved the librettist in re-writes and additions at Verdi's request. It was at this time that it was decided to call the opera Otello rather than Iago (as noted above). Verdi's letter to Boito in January settles

4268-511: The composer, Ricordi had also broached the idea of a collaboration with Boito for a new opera based on Shakespeare's Othello . Verdi admired the dramatic works of Shakespeare and had, throughout his career, desired to create operas based on his plays, although his one attempt at doing so, Macbeth in 1847, although initially successful, was not well received when revised for performance in Paris in 1865. Because of its relatively straightforward story,

4365-452: The dark night all noise is silenced".) A hall on the ground floor of the castle, divided by a glass partition from the garden at the back, with a balcony. Iago suggests to Cassio that he should ask Desdemona to talk to Otello about his demotion; Desdemona can influence her husband to reinstate him (Iago, Cassio: Non ti crucciar / "Do not fret"). Desdemona and Emilia can be seen walking the garden. Cassio approaches Desdemona. Watching from

4462-432: The desert with her. To facilitate their escape, Radamès suggests using a secure route free from the risk of discovery and discloses the location his army plans to attack. Upon hearing this, Amonasro emerges from hiding and reveals his true identity. Radamès, horrified, realizes he has inadvertently divulged a critical military secret to the enemy. Meanwhile, Amneris and Ramfis leave the temple, spot Radamès in conference with

4559-483: The design and construction of the sets, which were made in Paris by the Opéra 's scene painters Auguste-Alfred Rubé and Philippe Chaperon (acts 1 and 4) and Édouard Desplechin and Jean-Baptiste Lavastre (acts 2 and 3), and shipped to Cairo. Although Verdi did not attend the premiere in Cairo, he was most dissatisfied with the fact that the audience consisted of invited dignitaries, politicians and critics, but no members of

4656-438: The enemy, and summon the imperial guards. Amonasro, armed with a dagger, intends to kill Amneris and Ramfis before they can alert the guards, but Radamès disarms him. He swiftly instructs Amonasro to flee with Aida and surrenders himself to the guards, who arrest him as a traitor. Scene 1: A hall in the Temple of Justice. To one side is the door leading to Radamès' prison cell Amneris desires to save Radamès ("L'aborrita rivale

4753-574: The favour of altering these verses, etc. etc...' Verdi's response, which came right away was quite blunt: in addition to complaining of his age, his years of service, and raising other objections, he states: "The conclusion is that all this has cast a chill over this Otello , and stiffened the hand that had begun to trace out a few bars!", but, in total contrast, Boito appears to have simply decided to carry on. Albeit "somewhat disquieted", he immediately proposes "a sort of evil Credo [which] I did... for my own comfort and personal satisfaction, because I felt

4850-428: The first act and all scene vi of the third; and thus with the fourth, already sent, perhaps three-fifths of the Moor are ready". But on 1 November 1886, in a laconic communication, Verdi was able to proclaim: "DEAR BOITO, It is finished! All honour to us! (and to Him !!). Farewell. G. VERDI".( sic ) This left only a few minor tweaks to be done, with Boito providing two more lines in December and Verdi writing to him on

4947-457: The general public. He therefore considered the Italian (and European) première, held at La Scala , Milan on 8 February 1872, and a performance in which he was heavily involved at every stage, to be its real première. Verdi had also written the role of Aida for the voice of Teresa Stolz , who sang it for the first time at the Milan première. Verdi had asked her fiancé, Angelo Mariani , to conduct

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5044-455: The guard awaits you on the ramparts".) Cassio and Montano begin to duel, and Iago sends Roderigo to call the alarm. Montano is wounded and the fight is stopped only by the appearance of Otello. Otello orders Montano and Cassio to lower their swords. He then asks "honest Iago" to explain how the duel began, but Iago says he doesn't know. Otello then turns to Cassio, who is embarrassed and cannot excuse his actions. When Otello discovers that Montano

5141-538: The installation of Radamès to the office of commander-in-chief (High Priestess, chorus, Ramfis, Radamès: "Immenso Ftha .. Mortal, diletto ai Numi" / O mighty one, guard and protect!). All present in the temple pray fervently for the victory of Egypt and protection for their warriors ("Nume, custode e vindice"/ Hear us, O guardian deity). Scene 1: The chamber of Amneris Dances and music to celebrate Radamès' victory take place (Chorus, Amneris: "Chi mai fra gli inni e i plausi" / Our songs his glory praising). However, Amneris

5238-440: The leader of the army (The King, Messenger, Radamès, Aida, Amneris, Ramfis, chorus: "Alta cagion v'aduna .. Guerra, guerra, guerra!" / Oh fate o'er Egypt looming .. War, war, war!). Upon receiving this mandate from the King, Radamès proceeds to the temple of Vulcan to take up the sacred arms (The King, Radamès, Aida, Amneris, chorus: "Su! del Nilo al sacro lido" .. (reprise) "Guerra, guerra, guerra!" / On! Of Nilus' sacred river, guard

5335-479: The librettist announced that Verdi had begun with the "opening of first act and seems to be working with fervor". There then occurred an event which unsettled both Verdi and Boito, and which nearly caused the project to come to a complete stop. While attending a banquet in Naples following the successful presentation of his opera Mefistofele , Boito gave an interview to a journalist and, in trying to keep information about

5432-474: The librettist that "I will give him his manuscript intact, without a shadow of resentment, without rancor of any kind". When he heard of the newspaper report, Boito was horrified. Writing immediately to Verdi, he states: The theme and my libretto are yours by right of conquest. You alone can set Othello to music—all the dramatic creations you have given us proclaim the truth. [He continues by discussing his own preoccupation with Emperor Nero and his love for

5529-574: The location of the Egyptian army from Radamès. Aida, torn between her love for Radamès and her loyalty to her native land and to her father, reluctantly agrees. (Aida, Amonasro: "Ciel, mio padre! .. Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate" / Once again shalt thou gaze). When Radamès arrives, Amonasro hides behind a rock and listens to their conversation. Radamès affirms that he will marry Aida ("Pur ti riveggo, mia dolce Aida .. Nel fiero anelito"; "Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti .. Là, tra foreste vergini" / I see you again, my sweet Aida!), and Aida convinces him to flee to

5626-550: The matter: "I would find it hypocritical not to call it Otello . Emanuele Muzio (Verdi's long-time assistant) tells Ricordi in March that the love duet in act 1 was finished and performed. In May, Verdi "hit upon the precise form of one of the most famous entrances in all opera" – Otello's "Esultate" – in act 1. Boito modified his verses accordingly. Other minor changes and proposed revisions were wrapped up into September so that Verdi could write to Ricordi on 9 September: "Tomorrow I shall send to Casa Ricordi, completely finished, all

5723-645: The move had doomed his production to an "infamous and brutal" fate. Aida continues to be a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. It is frequently performed in the Verona Arena , and is a staple of its renowned opera festival . 3 flutes (3rd also piccolo ), 2 oboes , English horn , 2 clarinets , bass clarinet , 2 bassoons , 4 horns , 2 trumpets , 3 trombones , cimbasso , timpani , triangle , bass drum , cymbals , tam-tam , harp , strings ; on-stage banda : 6 Egyptian trumpets ("Aida trumpets"), military band, harp The libretto does not specify

5820-478: The need of doing it". On 3 May, Verdi wrote back, calming this down: "Most beautiful this Credo; most powerful and wholly Shakespearian... it would be well to leave this Otello in peace for a bit ... [and encouraging Boito to come to Sant'Agata where] "we shall be able to talk it over again, and by then with the necessary calm". Boito did visit Verdi in September for three days. "It seems impossible, but it's true all

5917-454: The news, Aida confesses that her heart belongs to Radamès eternally (Amneris, Aida: "Fu la sorte dell'armi a' tuoi funesta" / The battle's outcome was cruel for your people). This confession fires Amneris with rage, and she plans on taking revenge on Aida. Ignoring Aida's pleadings (Amneris, Aida, chorus: "Su! del Nilo al sacro lido" / Up! at the sacred shores of the Nile), Amneris leaves her alone in

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6014-463: The opera as a new vehicle for its star tenor. Currently, Plácido Domingo has appeared in more video productions of the opera than any other tenor. Also, he has recorded the complete role several times on CD and appeared in numerous stage productions of the work on both sides of the Atlantic. In his book My First Forty Years , Domingo has written about different approaches over the years towards singing

6111-995: The opera is frequently performed throughout the world, a staple of the standard repertoire. Since the three leading roles of the opera ( Otello , Desdemona and Iago ) are among Verdi's most demanding, both vocally and dramatically, some of the most illustrious singers of the past 130 years have made Otello part of their repertoire. Famous Otellos of the past have included Tamagno, the role's trumpet-voiced creator, as well as Giovanni Battista De Negri , Albert Alvarez, Francesc Viñas , Giuseppe Borgatti , Antonio Paoli , Giovanni Zenatello , Renato Zanelli , Giovanni Martinelli , Aureliano Pertile , Francesco Merli , Giacomo Lauri-Volpi , Frank Mullings , Leo Slezak , Jose Luccioni, Ramón Vinay , Mario Del Monaco , James McCracken , Jon Vickers , David Rendall , Jeffrey Lawton and Carlo Cossutta . Pre- Second World War Wagnerian tenors such as Jacques Urlus , Heinrich Knote , Alexander Kirchner, Lauritz Melchior and Franz Völker also undertook

6208-504: The opera was completed: in three comparatively short bouts of composition: the first, very brief, was at Genoa in March 1884 [five years after the first drafts of the libretto began!]; the second, the principal one, at Genoa from December 1884 to April 1885; the third at Sant' Agata from the middle of September to early October 1885. By late August 1881, it appears that the text of the finale of act 3, over which there had been some considerable discussion (with ideas exchanged between both men)

6305-507: The overture performed because of its—his own words—"pretentious silliness". This overture, never used today, was given a rare broadcast performance by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra on 30 March 1940, but was never commercially issued. Aida met with great acclaim when it finally opened in Cairo on 24 December 1871. The costumes and accessories for the première were designed by Auguste Mariette , who also oversaw

6402-673: The part (usually singing it in German). The Russian heroic tenor Ivan Yershov was a renowned pre- World War I Otello in his native country. His compatriot Arnold Azrikan achieved his greatest recognition as a dramatic tenor in Otello. For this performance he was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1946. Enrico Caruso was studying Otello when he died unexpectedly in 1921, thus thwarting the New York Metropolitan Opera company's plans to stage

6499-532: The part have included Giuseppe Valdengo, Leonard Warren , Robert Merrill , Tito Gobbi , Sherrill Milnes , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and James Morris . Many lyric sopranos have also sung the role of Desdemona since 1887, including Renata Tebaldi (1954), Leonie Rysanek (1960), Gwyneth Jones (1968), Mirella Freni (1974), Kiri Te Kanawa (1974), Margaret Price (1977), Renata Scotto (1978), Katia Ricciarelli (1985), Cheryl Studer (1993), Renée Fleming (1996) and Sonya Yoncheva (2015). For many years it

6596-507: The period of Ancient Roman history, pointing to his ongoing work on his own opera, Nerone ] ... no other subject in the world can distract me, not even Shakespeare's Othello , could distract me from my theme. [He asks the composer, given the above comments, whether he really believes that he would accept his offer. Boito begs Verdi to not to abandon Otello :] It is predestined for you. Create it. You had begun work upon it [so..] take up you pen again and write me soon: 'Dear Boito, do me

6693-431: The play Othello was selected as a likely target. Collaborations with Boito in the revision of the 1857 opera Simon Boccanegra helped to convince Verdi of Boito's ability as a librettist. Musicologist Roger Parker speculates that Verdi's final agreement to revise Boccanegra was based on a desire to "test the possibility" of working with Boito before possibly embarking on the larger project. Frank Walker expresses much

6790-492: The process of writing the first drafts of the libretto and the years of their revision, with Verdi all along not promising anything, dragged on. It wasn't until 1884, five years after the first drafts of the libretto, that composition began, with most of the work finishing in late 1885. When it finally premiered in Milan on 5 February 1887, it proved to be a resounding success, and further stagings of Otello soon followed at leading theatres throughout Europe and America. After

6887-420: The proposed Otello as quiet as possible, appears to have been misquoted by another journalist who overheard part of the conversation. The key point was that Boito, himself a composer, appeared to want to compose the music for Otello himself. When Verdi read this in a Milan newspaper, he was horrified and, in a letter to Faccio (rather than directly confronting Boito) stated that he wanted Faccio to directly tell

6984-586: The retired Verdi was composing another opera, rumors about it abounded. At the same time, many of the most illustrious conductors, singers and opera-house managers in Europe were vying for an opportunity to play a part in Otello ' s premiere, despite the fact that Faccio and La Scala, Milan, had already been selected as the conductor and the venue for the first performance. The two male protagonists had been selected, too: Italy's foremost dramatic tenor , Francesco Tamagno ,

7081-448: The reward promised by the King of Egypt, Radamès pleads with him to spare the lives of the prisoners and to set them free. The King grants Radamès' wish, and declares that he (Radamès) will be his (the King's) successor and will marry the King's daughter (Amneris). (Aida, Amneris, Radamès, Ramfis, The King, Amonasro, chorus: "O Re: pei sacri Numi! .. Gloria all'Egitto" / O King, by the sacred gods ... Glory to Egypt!). At Ramfis' suggestion to

7178-440: The role of Otello: As to the other question — that of singing roles that, according to self-proclaimed experts, we ought not to be singing — I have a little story to tell. When I decided to sing Otello, many people told me that I was crazy. Mario Del Monaco, they said, had had the proper kind of voice for the role, and my voice was nothing like his. Twenty years earlier, Del Monaco had been warned not to sing Otello because his voice

7275-1038: The room, Iago voices his nihilistic beliefs and hatred of humankind ( Credo in un Dio crudel / "I believe in a cruel God"). Otello enters the room; Iago, pretending not to notice him, says that he is deeply troubled. Cassio sees Otello from afar and goes discreetly away. Otello asks what's wrong, but Iago gives only vague answers. Finally, he hints that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Otello begins to get suspicious, but declares that he needs proof before believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful. (Iago, Otello: Ciò m'accora... Che parli? / "That worries me..." "What did you say?") Iago warns Otello against jealousy, but also advises him to be vigilant. A crowd of children, sailors, and Cypriots sing to Desdemona, praising her beauty and purity (Chorus, Iago, children, Desdemona, Otello: Dove guardi splendono raggi / "Wherever you look, brightness shines..."). They present her with gifts and wish her happiness before leaving. Aida Aida (or Aïda , Italian: [aˈiːda] )

7372-538: The same thoughts, noting that "some of the results, such as the magnificent scene in the Council Chamber and the villainous Paolo's Iago-like recitatives, foreshadow the later opera." Verdi visited Milan on 30 June 1879, and conducted his Requiem Mass in a benefit performance at La Scala. He received the great acclaim of the public, which included the La Scala orchestra playing outside his hotel. Walker assumes that it

7469-435: The same! I'm busy, writing!! ... without purpose, without worries, without thinking of what will happen next..." So Verdi wrote to Boito, with a request for a few more lines for act two, to which the librettist immediately responded: "One can't escape one's destiny, and by a law of intellectual affinity that tragedy of Shakespeare's is predestined for you". Verdi's second burst of creative energy lasted until mid-April 1885, and

7566-402: The shores .. (reprise) War, war, war!). Alone in the hall, Aida feels torn between her love for her father, her country, and Radamès (Aida: "Ritorna vincitor!" / Return a conqueror!). Scene 2: Inside the Temple of Ptah Solemn ceremonies and dances by the priestesses take place (High Priestess, chorus, Radamès: "Possente Ftha ... Tu che dal nulla" / O mighty Ptah ). This is followed by

7663-425: The time was ripe. Suggestions were made, despite initial skepticism on the part of the composer, that Boito would be interested in creating a new libretto based upon the play. Within several days, Ricordi approached Verdi with the request that he would like to visit Sant' Agata "with a friend" in September. Verdi's reaction was clearly non-committal: "I wish absolutely to avoid committing myself [...] The best thing ...

7760-562: The title role and Roberto Alagna as Radamès. Alagna subsequently made the headlines when he was booed for his rendition of "Celeste Aida" during the second performance, walked off the stage, and was dismissed from the remainder of the run. The production continued to cause controversy in 2014 when Zeffirelli protested La Scala's rental of the production to the Astana Opera House in Kazakhstan without his permission. According to Zeffirelli,

7857-613: The title role, Rose Caron as Desdemona, and Paul Taffanel conducting. It was performed in a French translation by Arrigo Boito and Camille Du Locle . Verdi composed a short ballet for the finale of Act 3 (ceremony of welcome for the Venetian ambassadors). The production was directed by Alexandre Lapissida , the costumes were designed by Charles Bianchini, and the sets, by Marcel Jambon (Act I); Amable  [ fr ] and Eugène Gardy (Act II); Eugène Carpezat (Act III); and Auguste Alfred Rubé and Philippe Chaperon (Act IV). Today,

7954-665: The vault in the temple of Ptah, Amneris weeps and prays to the goddess Isis. In the vault below, Aida dies in Radamès' arms as the priests, offstage, pray to the god Ptah. (Chorus, Aida, Radamès, Amneris: "Immenso Ftha" / Almighty Ptah). The 1952 Broadway musical My Darlin' Aida , set on a plantation in Tennessee in the first year of the American Civil War , is based on the opera and uses Verdi's music. The opera has been adapted for motion pictures on several occasions, most notably in

8051-567: The work of 19th-century Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti for the Milan publishing house Ricordi . He also acts as Repertory Consultant to the UK's specialised recording company, Opera Rara , which has commissioned performances and recordings of rare Donizetti operas such as Belisario in 2012 and Les Martyrs in 2014. Additionally, Parker has presented talks on UK radio on aspects of opera, including his talk "Verdi 200: Viva Verdi" on BBC Radio 3 on 6 January and 13 October 2013. He studied at

8148-640: Was a fellow of St John's College . Between 2005 and 2006, he was the chair of the School of Arts and Humanities. Parker became the Visiting Ernest Bloch Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley in 2002 and, in 2007, he was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton . Roger Parker's focus has been in the area of Italian opera of the nineteenth century. For ten years he

8245-480: Was attempting to get Verdi involved a new opera, in May 1879 Ricordi also tried to engage the composer in revising Simon Boccanegra . This suggestion, originally expressed ten years before but ignored, was once again shrugged off by Verdi, who sent a note saying that the 1857 score, which had been sent to the composer for review, would remain untouched "just as you sent it to me". Persisting with further attempts to convince

8342-449: Was both Ricordi and Faccio who stage managed the effects to give the composer the sense of being welcome and respected in Milan. Finally, after some plotting, Ricordi, in conjunction with Verdi's friend, the conductor Franco Faccio , subtly introduced the idea of a new opera to Verdi. During a dinner at Verdi's Milan residence during the summer of 1879, Ricordi and Faccio guided the conversation towards Shakespeare's play Othello and to

8439-450: Was common for white singers to wear dark makeup when playing Otello. The Metropolitan Opera stopped the practice in 2015. Some have argued that using dark makeup for the character is a matter of costuming, and not a true example of racist blackface . The Metropolitan decision led to calls for casting more people of color in opera. A town in Cyprus, outside the castle. An inn with a pergola, in

8536-483: Was delayed and Verdi's Rigoletto was performed instead. The first opera performed at the Khedivial Opera House , Aida eventually premiered in Cairo on Christmas Eve of 1871. Verdi originally chose to write a brief orchestral prelude instead of a full overture for the opera. He then composed an overture of the " potpourri " variety to replace the original prelude. However, in the end he decided not to have

8633-719: Was first seen in the US at the Academy of Music in New York on 16 April 1888 and in the UK on 5 July 1889 in London. At its first appearance in Vienna (14 March 1888), the title role was sung by Hermann Winkelmann , who had created the title role in Wagner 's Parsifal at Bayreuth in 1882. Otello was given its Paris premiere by the Opéra at the Palais Garnier on 12 October 1894 with Albert Saléza in

8730-417: Was followed by the usual summer break and a lack of any activity. He confesses to Boito in a letter of 10 September of that year, when he invites him to come to Sant'Agata the following Sunday, stating "since I've been here [from the end of April] (I blush to say it) I've done nothing!" It was during this time that the fourth act was pulled together. Walker speculates that Boito's visit and his conversations with

8827-868: Was founding co-editor (with Arthur Groos ) of the Cambridge Opera Journal , and he continues as General Editor of The Critical Edition of the Operas of Gaetano Donizetti published it Italy by Casa Ricordi of Milan and in the United States by the University of Chicago Press under the auspices of the Fondazione Donizetti. His co-editor is Gabriele Dotto, who led Ricordi's editorial department from 1992 to 2001. Other critical editions of Donizetti's operas on which Parker has worked include Linda di Chamounix in 2007 as well as those titles which appear on

8924-628: Was given in New York City in 1949. Conducted by Toscanini with Herva Nelli as Aida and Richard Tucker as Radamès, it was televised on the NBC television network. Due to the length of the opera, it was divided into two telecasts, preserved on kinescopes , and later released on video by RCA and Testament. The audio portion of the broadcast, including some remakes in June 1954, was released on LP and CD by RCA Victor. Other notable performances from this period include

9021-553: Was nothing like that of Ramon Vinay, who was then performing the opera all over the world. Vinay, of course, had heard that only a tenor with a piercing sound like Giovanni Martinelli's ought to sing the part. Some years earlier, Martinelli had had Antonin Trantoul, who had sung Otello at La Scala in the twenties, held up to him as a shining example; but at La Scala, those who still remembered the very first Otello, Francesco Tamagno, had found Trantoul completely unsatisfactory. But there exists

9118-428: Was previously Thurston Dart Professor of Music at King's College London . His work has centred on opera . Between 2006 and 2010, while Professor of Music at Gresham College , London, Parker presented four series of free public lectures, one example being "Verdi and Milan" in 2007 which is available on video. In addition to teaching, Parker has been active as joint editor in the preparation of critical editions of

9215-528: Was revived in February 1871. Nothing came of this approach, although Ricordi persevered in various ways, as seen by the composer's gruff response to the publisher's statement "The whole salvation of the theatre and the art is in your hands" when Verdi wrote in April 1875 that "I cannot take it as but a joke", continuing with "Oh no, never fear, composers for the theatre will never be lacking". Verdi's refusals continued as

9312-449: Was sent to Verdi, who responded in a long letter from Milan regarding his feelings about its overall structure, the role of the chorus, and other issues. Throughout 1882 and 1883 very little happened, although during the winter of 1883 Verdi and Boito met in Genoa where the Verdis spent their winters, but it prompted Ricordi for three Christmases in a row to send a cake to Verdi with the figure of

9409-422: Was to sing Otello while the esteemed French singing-actor Victor Maurel would assume the villainous baritone role of Iago. Romilda Pantaleoni , a well-known singing-actress, was assigned Desdemona's soprano part. Upon the completion of the opera, preparations for the initial performance were conducted in absolute secrecy and Verdi reserved the right to cancel the premiere up to the last minute. In particular,

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