Aida is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, first performed in Cairo in December 1871. It was commissioned by the Khedive of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, and was based on a scenario by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. The story is set in ancient Egypt and concerns Aida, an Ethiopian princess held as a slave, and Radamès, an Egyptian general, whose love is torn between loyalty to their countries. Its Triumphal March, often staged with a huge cast, is one of the best-known pieces of opera. After its Italian premiere in Milan in 1872, the work became a mainstay of the repertoire.
Before and after
- from 4 September 1870 to 10 July 1940French Third Republic
- 30 September 1870Birth of Jean-Baptiste Perrin
- 22 October 1870Birth of Ivan Bunin
- 5 December 1870Death of Alexandre Dumas
- 1871Aida
- 1871Publication of Through the Looking-Glass
- from 1 January 1871 to 9 November 1918German Empire
- 1871The Internationale
- from 28 January 1871 to 28 July 1914Belle Époque
More in Art, literature & culture
- 5 May 1821Founding of The Guardian
- 7 April 1837Publication of The Little Mermaid
- 21 February 1848Publication of The Communist Manifesto
- 18 September 1851Founding of The New York Times
- c. 1860sImpressionism
- 19 March 1882Construction of Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.