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{{Short description|1871 tragic opera by Giuseppe Verdi}}
{{about|the opera}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date =October 2025}}
{{Infobox opera
| name              = Aida
| composer          = [[Giuseppe Verdi]]
| image             = Giuseppe Verdi, c. 1872 Aida vocal score cover - Restoration.jpg
| image_upright     = 1.3
| caption           = Cover of a very early vocal score, c. 1872
| librettist        = [[Antonio Ghislanzoni]]
| language          = Italian
| premiere_date     = {{Start date|1871|12|24|df=y}}
| premiere_location = {{Nowrap|[[Khedivial Opera House]] in Cairo}}
}}
'''''Aida''''' (or '''''Aïda''''', {{IPA|it|aˈiːda|lang}}) 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.<ref>{{
cite web
|title=What to Expect from Aida
|url=https://www.metopera.org/globalassets/discover/education/educator-guides/aida/aida.12-13.guide.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.metopera.org/globalassets/discover/education/educator-guides/aida/aida.12-13.guide.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live
|website=metopera.org
|publisher=Met Opera
|access-date=1 January 2021
}}</ref> Ghislanzoni's scheme follows 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]].{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|pp=570–573}}

==Elements of the opera's genesis and sources==
[[Isma'il Pasha]], [[Khedive]] of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write an opera to celebrate the opening of the [[Suez Canal]], but Verdi declined.{{sfn|Greene|1985|p=622}} However, [[Auguste Mariette]], a French [[Egyptology|Egyptologist]], proposed to Khedive Pasha a plot for a celebratory opera set in ancient Egypt.{{sfn|Greene|1985|p=622}}{{sfn|Sadie|Macy|2006|p=9}} 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.{{sfn|Greene|1985|p=622}}

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 was delayed and Verdi's ''[[Rigoletto]]'' was performed instead. The first opera performed at the [[Khedivial Opera House]], ''Aida'' eventually premiered in Cairo on 24 December 1871.{{sfn|Sadie|Macy|2006|p=9}}<ref>{{cite book|last=McCullough|first=David|title=The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914|url=https://archive.org/details/pathbetweenseas00davi|page=[https://archive.org/details/pathbetweenseas00davi/page/54/mode/2up?q=aida 54]|year=1977|place=New York|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=0-7432-6213-1|url-access=registration|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Performance history==

===Cairo premiere and initial success in Italy===
[[File:Leopoldo Metlicovitz - Aida- Act IV Scene 2.jpg|thumb|Radamès (Giuseppe Fancelli) and Aida ([[Teresa Stolz]]) in act 4, scene 2 of the 1872 [[La Scala]] European première (drawing by [[Leopoldo Metlicovitz]])]]
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 (music)|potpourri]]" variety to replace the original prelude. However, in the end he decided not to have the overture performed because of its—his own words—"pretentious silliness".{{sfn|Toscanini|2002|p=366}} 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.{{sfn|Frank|2002|p=55}}

''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 the design and construction of the sets, which were made in Paris by the [[Paris Opera|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.<ref>Auguste Mariette to Paul Draneht (General Manager of the Cairo Opera House), Paris, 28 September 1871. (Translated and annotated), {{harvnb|Busch|1978|pp=224–225}}.</ref> 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 the general public.<ref>The Cairo Opera House could only hold 850 spectators {{harv|Pitt|Hassan|1992|p=682}}.</ref> 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 (conductor)|Angelo Mariani]], to conduct the Cairo première, but he declined, so [[Giovanni Bottesini]] filled the gap. The Milan [[#Amneris|Amneris]], [[Maria Waldmann]], was his favourite in the role and she repeated it a number of times at his request.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.questia-online-library.com/read/98196653?title=Notes |title=Verdi's ''Falstaff'' in Letters and Contemporary Reviews |access-date=2009-02-25 |archive-date=2020-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322202127/http://questia-online-library.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''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 (Parma)|Teatro Regio di Parma]] (20 April 1872), the [[Teatro di San Carlo]] (30 March 1873), [[La Fenice]] (11 June 1873), the [[Teatro Regio (Turin)|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 dell'Opera di Roma|Teatro Costanzi]] (8 October 1881, with [[Theresia Singer]] as Aida and [[Giulia Novelli]] as Amneris) among others.<ref name="amadeus">{{Almanacco|match=Aida|label=Aida performance history}}</ref>

===Other 19th-century performances===
[[File:Verdi conducting Aida in Paris 1880 - Gallica - Restoration.jpg|thumb|Verdi conducting the 1880 [[Paris Opera]] premiere]]
Details of important national and other premières of ''Aida'' follow:
* Argentina: 4 October 1873, at the original [[Teatro Colón]], Buenos Aires, located at Rivadavia and Reconquista, then replaced by the [[headquarters of the Bank of the Argentine Nation]].
* United States: 26 November 1873, [[Academy of Music (New York City)|Academy of Music]] in New York City, with Ostava Torriani in the title role, [[Annie Louise Cary]] as Amneris, [[Italo Campanini]] as Radamès, [[Victor Maurel]] as Amonasro, and Evasio Scolara as the King<ref name="McCants">{{cite book|last1=McCants|first1=Clyde|title=Verdi's Aida: A Record of the Life of the Opera On and Off the Stage|date=2005|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786423286}}</ref>
* Germany: 20 April 1874, [[Berlin State Opera]], with [[Mathilde Mallinger]] as Aida, [[Albert Niemann (tenor)|Albert Niemann]] as Radamès, and [[Franz Betz]] as Amonasro{{sfn|Busch|1978|p={{page needed|date=February 2020}}}}
* Austria: 29 April 1874, [[Vienna State Opera]], with [[Amalie Materna]] as Amneris
* Hungary: 10 April 1875, [[Hungarian State Opera House]], Budapest<ref name="amadeus" />
* France: 22 April 1876, [[Comédie-Italienne|Théâtre-Lyrique Italien]], [[Salle Ventadour]], Paris, with almost the same cast as the Milan premiere,<ref name="amadeus" /> but with [[Édouard de Reszke]] making his debut as the King.{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=628}} This performance was conducted by Verdi.
* United Kingdom: 22 June 1876, [[Royal Opera House]], Covent Garden, with [[Adelina Patti]] as Aida, [[Ernesto Nicolini]] as Radamès, and [[Francesco Graziani (baritone)|Francesco Graziani]] as Amonasro{{sfn|Kimbell|2001|p=983}}
* Australia: 6 September 1877, [[Theatre Royal, Melbourne|Royal Theatre, Melbourne]]{{sfn|Irvin|1985|p={{page needed|date=October 2018}}}}
* Munich: 1877, [[Bavarian State Opera]], with [[Josephine Schefsky]] as Amneris<ref name="theatre">{{Cite web |url=http://www.theaterspielen.ch/Besetzungsliste%20Ur76.pdf |title=Biography of Josephine Schefsky at theaterspielen.ch (in German) |access-date=2009-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227081833/http://www.theaterspielen.ch/Besetzungsliste%20Ur76.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Stockholm: 16 February 1880, [[Royal Swedish Opera]] in Swedish, with [[Selma Ek]] in the title role<ref name="oper">[http://hosting.triboni.com/triboni/exec?method=com.operissimo.artist.webDisplay&id=ffcyoieagxaaaaabbhrc&xsl=webDisplay&searchStr=Selma Ek Biography at operissimo.com (in German)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111143450/http://hosting.triboni.com/triboni/exec?method=com.operissimo.artist.webDisplay&id=ffcyoieagxaaaaabbhrc&xsl=webDisplay&searchStr=Selma |date=2012-01-11 }}</ref>{{sfn|Loewenberg|1978|loc=col. 1019}}
* [[Palais Garnier]], Paris: 22 March 1880, sung in French, with [[Gabrielle Krauss]] as Aida, [[Rosine Bloch]] as Amnéris, Henri Sellier as Radamès, [[Victor Maurel]] as Amonasro, Georges-François Menu as the King, and Auguste Boudouresque as Ramphis.<ref>{{harvnb|Wolff|1962|p=27}}; {{harvnb|Phillips-Matz|1993|pp=652–653}}</ref>
* [[Metropolitan Opera]], New York: 12 November 1886, conducted by [[Anton Seidl]], with Therese Herbert-Förster (the wife of [[Victor Herbert]]) in the title role, Carl Zobel as Radamès, [[Marianne Brandt (contralto)|Marianne Brandt]] as Amneris, [[Adolf Robinson]] as Amonasro, [[Emil Fischer (bass)|Emil Fischer]] as Ramfis, and {{ill|Georg Sieglitz|de}} as the King.<ref name="amadeus" />
* Rio de Janeiro: 30 June 1886, [[Theatro D. Pedro II]]. During rehearsals, the performers of the Italian touring opera company had disagreements with the local conductor [[Leopoldo Miguez]], described as "inept". After the failure of two replacement conductors, [[Arturo Toscanini]], at the time a 19-year-old cellist who was assistant chorus master, was persuaded to conduct the performance. He conducted the opera from memory with great success.{{sfn|Tarozzi|1977|p=36}}<ref>[https://www.pittsburghopera.org/files/file/Study%20Guide%20for%20Aida%202013.pdf "Interesting bits about ''Aida''"] by Jill Leahy, via [[Pittsburgh Opera]]</ref>

===20th century and beyond===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 13773 AIDA AT MASADA 2011.jpg|thumb|A scene from the [[Israeli Opera]] production performed at [[Masada]] in 2011<ref>Collins, Liat (4 June 2011). [https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/My-Word-Conquering-Masada "Conquering Masada"]. ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]''. Retrieved 19 May 2016.</ref>]]

A complete concert version of the opera was given in New York City in 1949. Conducted by Toscanini with [[Herva Nelli]] as Aida and [[Richard Tucker (tenor)|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 [[kinescope]]s, and later released on video by [[RCA Corporation|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 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 (tenor)|Carlo Bergonzi]] as Radamès.<ref>{{OCLC|807743126}}; {{OCLC|65964014}}</ref>

[[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 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 at La Scala's rental of the production to the [[Astana Opera|Astana Opera House]] in Kazakhstan without his permission. According to Zeffirelli, the move had doomed his production to an "infamous and brutal" fate.<ref>[[Rupert Christiansen|Christiansen, Rupert]] (9 December 2006). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1536440/Zeffirellis-triumphant-Aida-at-La-Scala.html "Zeffirelli's triumphant ''Aida'' at La Scala"]. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. Retrieved 19 May 2016.</ref><ref>[[BBC News]] (11 December 2006). [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6169177.stm "Booed tenor quits La Scala's ''Aida''"]. Retrieved 19 May 2016.</ref><ref>Day, Michael (9 October 2014). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/franco-zeffirelli-takes-on-la-scala-legendary-opera-director-in-battle-with-theatre-over-sale-of-one-9826810.html "Franco Zeffirelli takes on La Scala: Legendary opera director in battle with theatre over sale of one of his 'greatest' productions to Kazakhstan"]. ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved 19 May 2016.</ref>
''Aida'' continues to be a staple of the standard operatic repertoire.<ref>[[Operabase]]. [https://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en#opera Performances during the 2008/09 to 2012/13 seasons]. Retrieved 19 May 2016.</ref> It is frequently performed in the [[Verona Arena]], and is a staple of its renowned [[Arena di Verona Festival|opera festival]].<ref name="Verona">{{cite web|url=http://www.veronaeconomia.it/2018/08/23/leggi-notizia/argomenti/economia-veronese/articolo/aida-alla-recita-14-per-lopera-festival-2018-giovedi-23-agosto-2018-ore-2045.html|title=Aida alla recita 14 per l'opera Festival 2018|publisher=Economic Veronese|language=it|date=23 August 2018|access-date=27 August 2018}}</ref>

==Roles==
{| class="wikitable"
|+{{sronly|Roles, voice types, premier cast}}
!Role
![[Voice type]]
!Premiere cast,<br />24 December 1871{{sfn|Budden|1984|p=160}}<br />Cairo<br />[[Conducting|Conductor]]: [[Giovanni Bottesini]]
!European premiere<br />8 February 1872<ref>{{Almanacco|dmy=08-02-1872|match=Aida}}</ref><br />La Scala, Milan<br />Conductor: [[Franco Faccio]]
|-
|Aida, ''an Ethiopian princess''
|[[soprano]]
|Antonietta Anastasi-Pozzoni
|[[Teresa Stolz]]
|-
|The King of Egypt
|[[bass (voice type)|bass]]
|Tommaso Costa
|Paride Pavoleri
|-
|{{anchor|Amneris}}Amneris, ''daughter of the Pharaoh''
|[[mezzo-soprano]]
|Eleonora Grossi
|[[Maria Waldmann]]
|-
|Radamès, ''Captain of the Guard''
|[[tenor]]
|Pietro Mongini
|Giuseppe Fancelli
|-
|Amonasro, ''King of Ethiopia''
|[[baritone]]
|Francesco Steller
|Francesco Pandolfini
|-
|Ramfis, ''High Priest''
|bass
|Paolo Medini
|Ormоndo Maini
|-
|A messenger
|tenor
|Luigi Stecchi-Bottardi
|Luigi Vistarini
|-
|Voice of the High Priestess<ref>The High Priestess's name was ''Termuthis'' in early documentation.</ref>
|soprano
|Marietta Allievi
|
|-
| colspan="4"|''Priests, priestesses, ministers, captains, soldiers, officials, Ethiopians, slaves and prisoners, Egyptians, animals and chorus''
|}

==Instrumentation==
3 [[Western concert flute|flutes]], 3 flûtes d'amour, (3rd also [[piccolo]]), 2 [[oboe]]s, [[English horn]], 2 [[clarinet]]s, [[bass clarinet]], 2 [[bassoon]]s, 4 [[horn (instrument)|horns]], 2 [[trumpet]]s, 3 [[trombone]]s, [[cimbasso]], [[timpani]], [[triangle (musical instrument)|triangle]], [[bass drum]], [[cymbal]]s, [[tam-tam]], [[harp]], [[string section|strings]]; on-stage [[Banda (opera)|banda]]: 6 Egyptian trumpets ("Aida trumpets"), military band, [[harp]]<ref>[https://utahopera.org/explore/2016/03/the-music-of-aida/ The music of ''Aida''], [[Utah Opera]], 7 March 2016</ref>

==Setting==
[[File:Aida poster colors fixed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Poster for a 1908 production in Cleveland, showing the triumphal scene in act 2, scene&nbsp;2]]
The libretto does not specify a precise time period, so it is difficult to place the opera more specifically than the [[Old Kingdom]].<ref name=met>{{cite web|url=http://archive.operainfo.org/broadcast/operaBackground.cgi?id=33&language=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030503145932/http://archive.operainfo.org/broadcast/operaBackground.cgi?id=33&language=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2003-05-03 |title=Aida and Ancient Egyptian History on the Met Opera website }}</ref> For the first production, Mariette went to great efforts to make the sets and costumes authentic.{{sfn|Weisgall|1999}} 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.<ref name="met" />

==Synopsis==
'''Backstory''': The Egyptians have captured and enslaved Aida, an [[Ethiopia]]n princess. An Egyptian military commander, Radamès, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the [[Pharaoh|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.

===Act 1===
''Scene 1: A hall in the King's palace''

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 the Egyptian commander by the Gods (Ramfis, Radamès: "Sì, corre voce l'Etiope ardisca" / Yes, it is rumoured 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: "[[Celeste Aida|Se quel guerrier io fossi!&nbsp;... Celeste Aida]]" / Heavenly Aida). Aida, who is also secretly in love with Radamès, 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" / What an unusual joy is in your gaze!).

Aida appears and, when Radamès sees her, Amneris notices that he looks disturbed. She suspects that Aida could be her rival, but is able to hide her jealousy and approach Aida (Amneris, Aida, Radamès: "Vieni, o diletta, appressati" / Come, O delight, come closer).
[[File:Set design by Philippe Chaperon for Act1 sc2 of Aida by Verdi 1871 Cairo - Gallica - Restored.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Set design by [[Philippe Chaperon]] for act 1, scene 2 at the Cairo première]]

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, Egypt|Thebes]]. The King declares war and proclaims that Radamès is the man chosen by the goddess [[Isis]] to be 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 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 [[Ptah]]&nbsp;... Tu che dal nulla" / O mighty [[Ptah]]). This is followed by the installation of Radamès to the office of commander-in-chief (High Priestess, chorus, Ramfis, Radamès: "Immenso Ptah.. 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).

===Act 2===
''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 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).

[[File:Set design by Edouard Despléchin for Act2 sc2 of Aida by Verdi 1871 Cairo - Gallica.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Act 2, scene 2, set design for the Cairo premiere by [[Édouard Desplechin]]]]
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 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).

{{Listen|type=music|filename=Triumphal March from Aida.ogg|title=Grand March from act 2, scene 2|description=Recorded in 2002 by the [[U.S. Marine Band]] (5:08) (The ballet music (≈ 5 mins) has been cut out, and the ending has been extended with the act 2 finale.)}}
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 the chamber.

''Scene 2: The grand gate of the city of Thebes''

Radamès returns victorious and the troops [[Triumphal march|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 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 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 the King, Aida and Amonasro remain as hostages to ensure that the Ethiopians do not avenge their defeat.

===Act 3===
{{listen|type=music|help=no|filename=Marie Rappold performing O Patria Mia from Aida.ogg|title="O patria mia"|description=Sung by [[Marie Rappold]], 1916}}
''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 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 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, realises he has inadvertently divulged a critical military secret to the enemy. Meanwhile, Amneris and Ramfis leave the temple, spot Radamès in conference with 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.

===Act 4===
[[File:Tempio di Vulcano e sotterraneo, bozzetto di Girolamo Magnani per Aida (1872) - Archivio Storico Ricordi ICON000142.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Set design for act 4 scene 2 (1872)]]
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}}
''Scene 1: A hall in the Temple of Justice. To one side is the door leading to Radamès' prison cell''

Amneris wishes to save Radamès ("L'aborrita rivale 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 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&nbsp;.. I feel death .. Radamès, your fate is decided).

{{stack|{{Listen|type=music|help=no|title="La fatal pietra"|filename=Nicola Zerola, Giuseppe Verdi, La fatal pietra (Aida).ogg|description=Opening and close of act 4, scene 2, "La fatal pietra" and "Morir! Sì pura e bella", with some cuts in the middle, sung by [[Nicola Zerola]] in 1909}}}}
''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").<ref>The original draft included a speech by Aida (excised from the final version) that explained her presence beneath the Temple: "My heart knew your sentence. For three days I have waited here." The line most familiar to audiences translates as: "My heart forewarned me of your condemnation. In this tomb that was opened for you I entered secretly. Here, away from human sight, in your arms I wish to die."</ref> Above 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).

==Adaptations==
The 1952 [[Broadway theatre|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.<ref>{{IBDB title|2348|My Darlin' Aida}}</ref>

The opera has been adapted for motion pictures on several occasions, most notably in [[Aida (1953 film)|a 1953 production]] which starred [[Lois Maxwell]] as Amneris and [[Sophia Loren]] as Aida, and a [[Aida (1987 film)|1987 Swedish production]]. In both cases, the lead actors [[lip sync|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 [[Aida (musical)|musical of the same name]] written by [[Elton John]] and [[Tim Rice]].

The opera has been portrayed in 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.

The 2022 version choreographed by the [[Royal Opera House]] (directed by [[Robert Carsen]]) set the opera in a modern, [[Soviet]]-style, [[totalitarian state]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richard |first1=Fairman |title=A totalitarian reimagining of Aida gets to the heart of Verdi's opera |url=https://www.ft.com/content/4e9f1f5d-ecb2-473c-be55-92268b959aac |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=Financial Times |date=2025-01-23}}</ref>

==Recordings==
{{Main|Aida discography{{!}}''Aida'' discography}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Budden|first=Julian|author-link=Julian Budden|year=1984|title=The Operas of Verdi, Volume 3: From Don Carlos to Falstaff|location=London|publisher=Cassell|isbn=0-304-30740-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Busch|first=Hans|year=1978|title=Verdi's Aida. The History of an Opera in Letters and Documents|location=Minneapolis|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-0-8166-0798-3|postscript=none|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/verdisaidahistor0000unse}} (hardcover); {{ISBN|978-0-8166-5715-5}} (paperback).
* {{cite book|last=Frank|first=Morton H.|title=Arturo Toscanini: The NBC Years|url=https://archive.org/details/arturotoscanini00mort|url-access=registration|location=Portland, Oregon|publisher=Amadeus Press|year=2002|isbn=1-57467-069-7}}
* {{cite book|title=Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m3S7PIxe0mwC|last=Greene|first=David Mason|publisher=Reproducing Piano Roll Fnd|year=1985|isbn=0-385-14278-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Irvin|first=Eric|year=1985|title=Dictionary of the Australian Theatre, 1788–1914|location=Sydney|publisher=Hale & Iremonger|isbn=0-86806-127-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Kimbell|first=David|year=2001|editor-last=Holden|editor-first=Amanda|editor-link=Amanda Holden (writer)|title=The New Penguin Opera Guide|location=New York|publisher=Penguin Putnam|isbn=0-14-029312-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Loewenberg|first=Alfred|year=1978|title=Annals of Opera 1597–1940|location=Totowa, New Jersey|publisher=Rowman and Littlefield|edition=3rd, revised|isbn=978-0-87471-851-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Phillips-Matz|first=Mary Jane|author-link=Mary Jane Phillips-Matz|year=1993|title=Verdi: A Biography|location=London & New York|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-313204-4}}
* {{cite book|last1=Pitt|first1=Charles|last2=Hassan|first2=Tarek H. A.|year=1992|chapter=Cairo|editor=[[Stanley Sadie]]|title=[[The New Grove Dictionary of Opera]]|volume=1|location=London|publisher=Macmillan}}
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Sadie|editor-first1=Stanley|editor-last2=Macy|editor-first2=Laura|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mt8XBGub1WsC|title=The Grove Book of Operas|edition=2nd|year=2006|place=New York|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-538711-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Tarozzi|first=Giuseppe|title=Non muore la musica – La vita e l'opera di Arturo Toscanini|publisher=Sugarco Edizioni|year=1977}}
* {{cite book|last=Toscanini|first=Arturo|author-link=Arturo Toscanini|title=The Letters of Arturo Toscanini|editor=Harvey Sachs|editor-link=Harvey Sachs|publisher=Knopf|year=2002|isbn=9780375404054}}
* {{cite news|last=Weisgall|first=Deborah|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/14/movies/art-architecture-looking-at-ancient-egypt-seeing-modern-america.html|title=Looking at Ancient Egypt, Seeing Modern America|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=14 November 1999|access-date=2 July 2011}}
* {{cite book|last=Wolff|first=Stéphane|year=1962|title=L'Opéra au Palais Garnier (1875–1962)|location=Paris|publisher=L'Entr'acte|id={{OCLC|7068320|460748195}}}} Paris: Slatkine (1983 reprint) {{ISBN|978-2-05-000214-2}}.

==Further reading==
* De Van, Gilles (trans. Gilda Roberts) (1998). ''Verdi's Theater: Creating Drama Through Music''. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press. {{ISBN|0-226-14369-4}} (hardback), {{ISBN|0-226-14370-8}} (paperback)
* Forment, Bruno (2015). "Staging Verdi in the Provinces: The ''Aida'' Scenery of Albert Dubosq", in ''Staging Verdi and Wagner'', ed. Naomi Matsumoto (pp.&nbsp;263–286). Turnhout: Brepols.
* [[Philip Gossett|Gossett, Philip]] (2006). ''Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. {{ISBN|0-226-30482-5}}
* [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t237/e176 "''Aida''"] in ''[[Oxford Music Online|The Oxford Dictionary of Music]]'', (ed.) [[Michael Kennedy (music critic)|Michael Kennedy]]. 2nd ed. rev., (Accessed 19 September 2010) {{Subscription required}}
* Martin, George Whitney (1963).'' Verdi: His Music, Life and Times.'' New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. {{ISBN|0-396-08196-7}}
* {{ill|Leo Melitz|de|lt=Melitz, Leo}}, translated by Richard Salinger (1921). ''[https://archive.org/details/operagoerscomple00meli/ The Opera Goer's Complete Guide]'', pp.&nbsp;7–9. Dodd, Mead and Company. (Source of synopsis with updating to its language)
* [[Charles Osborne (music writer)|Osborne, Charles]] (1969). ''The Complete Operas of Verdi'', New York: Da Capo Press. {{ISBN|0-306-80072-1}}
* [[Roger Parker|Parker, Roger]] (1998). "''Aida''", in [[Stanley Sadie]] (ed.), ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Opera]]'', vol. 1. London: Macmillan, 1998 {{ISBN|0-333-73432-7|1-56159-228-5}}
* Parker, Roger (2007). ''The New Grove Guide to Verdi and His Operas'', Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-531314-7}}
* [[Danièle Pistone|Pistone, Danièle]] (1995). ''Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera: From Rossini to Puccini'', Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. {{ISBN|0-931340-82-9}}
* Rous, Samual Holland (1924). ''The Victrola Book of the Opera: Stories of One Hundred and Twenty Operas with Seven-Hundred Illustrations and Descriptions of Twelve-Hundred Victor Opera Records''. Victor Talking Machine Co.
* {{Cite book|last=Simon|first=Henry W.|year=1946|title=A Treasury of Grand Opera|publisher=Simon and Schuster|location=New York|ref=none}}
* [[Francis Toye|Toye, Francis]] (1931). ''Giuseppe Verdi: His Life and Works'', New York: Knopf.
* Walker, Frank (1982). ''The Man Verdi.'' New York: Knopf, 1962, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. {{ISBN|0-226-87132-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Wells|first=John|author-link1=John C. Wells|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|chapter=''Aida''|publisher=Pearson Longman|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4058-8117-3|ref=none}}
* [[John Warrack|Warrack, John]] and West, Ewan (1992). ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'' New York: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-869164-5}}
* [[Franz Werfel|Werfel, Franz]] and [[Paul Stefan|Stefan, Paul]] (1973). ''Verdi: The Man and His Letters'', New York, Vienna House. {{ISBN|0-8443-0088-8}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikisource|Aida|''Aida''}}
* {{IMSLP|work=Aida (Verdi, Giuseppe)|cname=''Aida''}}
* [https://archive.org/details/adaoperainfourac00verd Aïda : an opera in four acts], 1900 publication, English, digitised by [[Brigham Young University|BYU]] on archive.org
* [https://opera-guide.ch/en/operas/aida/ Opera Guide], Synopsis – libretto – highlights
* [https://www.naxos.com/education/opera_libretti.asp?char=all&composer=verdi&opera=aida&libretto_file=00_Synopsis.htm "Synopsis, libretto"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128211006/https://www.naxos.com/education/opera_libretti.asp?char=ALL&composer=Verdi&opera=Aida&libretto_file=00_Synopsis.htm |date=2021-11-28 }}, [[Naxos Records]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160602203404/http://www.giuseppeverdi.it/opere/libretti/aida/index.html Complete libretto of the opera]
* [https://dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/bhr1116/ Piano reduction], [[William and Gayle Cook Music Library]], Indiana University School of Music
* [http://www.aria-database.com/cgi-bin/aria-search.pl?opera=Aida&a Aria Database list of arias]
* [http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLVEAIDA.HTM Further ''Aida'' discography]
* [https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/henderson-aida-by-antonio-ghislanzoni-music-by-giuseppe-verdi Libretto in Italian and English], Online Library of Liberty
* [https://opera-inside.com/aida-by-giuseppe-verdi/ Synopsis, commentary, music analysis, anecdotes], opera-inside.com

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