Yes, he tells stories with historical characters, often sophisticated ones, but he is never writing to make a critical point about those histories, nor is he attentive to or concerned with historical details and accuracy. It is for us to figure it out, and to our disadvantage not to do so.Īlthough Verdi was politically prominent, a national hero for the unification and emergence of the new Italian state, he was not interested in 'political' art. None of these works, or thousands of others, is obliged to answer for its contemporary relevance.

To 'explain' and/or argue for Aida 's relevance is to do the same for the Beethoven 5th Symphony or Pathétique Sonata, da Vinci's Last Supper or Shakespeare's Hamlet. 'We are surrounded by intangible powers, (including) literary tradition.the power of that network of texts which humanity has produced.for its own sake, for humanity's own enjoyment-and which are read for pleasure, spiritual edification, broadening of knowledge or maybe just to pass the time.' The words of Umberto Eco, writing on the functions of literature (equally applicable to classical music) come to mind. Russell Thomas as Radames in LA Opera's 2022 production of 'Aida' (Photo: Cory Weaver) As such, it has come to exemplify the quintessential opera and finds itself in Western culture's Parthenon. Aida is a great work that defines itself. What makes Aida a great opera? What makes a work of art an icon? I have no better answer than: it just is. Yet it too was subject to the opprobrium and disdain of many. It has never been absent from the world stage. The hints of what was subsequently to come are readily evident.įor many, it is an iconic opera, the very emblem of opera, its popularity unassailable. He continued to innovate even in this work that appears to be a summation. But as we will see, it was not the final chapter. Had he not lived long beyond contemporary life expectancy, it might well have been his final work (and he was not to produce another opera for 15 years) and it has all of the gravitas of a final testament. With Aida, he consolidates the vast new territory pioneered in Don Carlos, and in many regards it is his most classical work, summing up and perfecting a magnum opus. Verdi progressed through his entire career with works alternating between innovations and their consolidation.

It is the composer's final encounter with grand opéra. The purposefully static, monolithic and grandiose architecture is reflected by and abets the King and High Priests, the rigid and severe authoritarian rulers. In the fourth-act judgment scene, the terrain for the confrontation with death and a Last Judgement is set. With its ritualistic structure, the temple scene in the second scene of the first act (in which absolutely nothing 'happens') and the triumphal scene with its massive architecture, the way forward to the Requiem is paved. It is noteworthy that his next work, the Requiem (1874), is fully ceremonial and static. This opera sums up so many of Verdi's innovations and developments. It is built of large granite-like architectural blocks, which remain unmoved while the personal tragedy of the protagonists, who may seem small, is played out. But at the time, Verdi, and others, thought of it as the last one: his magnum opus.Īida has been described as a 'ceremonial opera.' Its monumentality was almost inborn, as it It was commissioned for the opening of the Suez Canal. We know it was an interruption and not an ending. Verdi's monumental classical opera also marks an exclamation point in his life. Since its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 1886, it has been given there 1,175 times, second only to La Bohème. It reached ten cities-including New York, Berlin, Vienna and Buenos Aires-within two and a half years 20 cities within three years 30 within four 40 within five and 50 within ten years. Verdi's opera Aida enjoyed an almost unparalleled popular international success following its premieres in Cairo and Milan (in 18, respectively). Through their music and pathos, we experience our own lives and seek our own transcendence, the same way we do when we listen to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner. Only the message is very much that of Verdi himself, in his unmistakable voice. And yet we yearn to hear them, over and over again. Giuseppe Verdi, with his hard-nosed realism, believed that happiness was difficult to attain and, if attained, was fleeting at best. Aida: A Culminating Grand Opera, the Third of a Mature Trilogy, and a (Not So) Final Chapter

Verdi opera set during the 5th century