Opera in four acts and seven scenes.
Composer: G. Verdi.
Libretto: A. Ghislantsoni, according to O. Marietta's script.
Directed by: People's Artist of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, laureate of State Prize, Professor Firudin Safarov
Conductor: People's artist of the Republic of Karakalpakstan Aida Abdullaeva
Artist: Honored Worker of Culture of Uzbekistan Zubaidullo Batyrov
Costume Designer: Lobar Palvanova
Choirmasters: People's Artist of Uzbekistan Suleiman Shadmanov, Natalya Kupriyanova
Duration of the performance: 3 hours and 15 minutes.
It was written at the request of the Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha in 1870.
The Premiere took place in Cairo in December 1871 and was dedicated to the opening of the Suez Canal.
The first Premiere on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater named after A.Navoi took place in 1960.
The last production on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater named afterA.Navoi took place in 2016.
Plot
The war between Egypt and Ethiopia. The daughter of the Egyptian king Amneris is in love with the chief guard of Radames, who will soon lead the Egyptian army as commander. In the service of Amneris is a slave Aida, which associated with Radames by mutual feelings. No one knows that Aida is in fact the daughter of the Ethiopian king Amonasr.
Radames goes on a military campaign. Vindictive and insidious Amneris, feeling that the heart of the beloved belongs to another, with the help of cunning and deceit learns that her rival is Aida. Amneris orders Aida to forget Radames, otherwise her revenge will be cruel.
The Egyptian troops are returning with victory, among the Ethiopians taken prisoner is the unrecognized king. Aida, seeing her father, rushes to him. Radames as a reward for victory asks the Egyptian king to release captured Ethiopians.
As a result of the conversation with her father, Aida faces a choice - to save her country and prove her daughter's love and devotion to the Motherland, but to betray her lover and find out a plan for a new attack, or - to remain faithful to love, but to renounce his fatherland and dad. Radames is also in the trap - to flee with his beloved and turn out to be a traitor or to give up his love. Surrendering to the force of feelings, Radames agrees to escape and issues a military secret. This conversation is overheard by Amonasr - the king of Ethiopia and Amneris, who, in anger, calls on the high priest and guard. Aida and Amonasr are forced to flee.
Amneris promises Radames salvation and all the blessings of the world if he renounces love for Aida, but he does not need a life without love and honor.
The Egyptian court of priests sentences traitor Radames to imprisonment and death in a gloomy cave. Aida is also there together with him, who, after the death of her father, decides to share the fate of her lover. Lovers are doomed, but for the first time they are happy: they are together.
Amneris in a hopeless prayer is struck by grief.
ACTION ONE
1-st scene
The palace of the Egyptian Pharaoh. High priest Rumphis reports about the appearance of Ethiopians at the borders of Egypt. Radames yearns to appoint a commander who will lead an army against his enemies: he hopes after winning to seek freedom for his beloved Aida, an Ethiopian slave who serves the daughter of Pharaoh Amneris. But Amneris herself loves Radames. His indifference causes Amneris jealous suspicions. Pharaoh, priests and commanders come to the hall. The messenger brings news of the approach of the army of the Ethiopians. Pharaoh declares that the gods chose Radames as commander. Amneris hands him the flag of Egypt. The Courtiers diverge. Lonely Aida does not know what to pray to the gods: if they give victory to the Egyptians, then her father, the king of Ethiopia, Amonasr, will perish; if the father wins, her beloved Radames will perish...
2-ndscene
In the temple, the ceremony of lighting the sword of Radames on the altar of the gods takes place. All wish the commander a quick victory.
ACTION TWO
3-rd scene
The room of Pharaoh's daughter Amneris. She is in love with Radames, and is looking forward to his triumphal entry to Memphis. The servants try to entertain her with singing and dancing. Left, then, alone with Aida, Amneris, tormented by jealousy, begins to experience her slave: first Amneris says that Radames was killed in the war and Aida is in despair; Then Amneris claims that she was joking - Radames is alive! Aida rejoices and involuntarily betrays herself ... Amneris swears to kill the insolent slave who dared to become her rival!
4-th scene
The ceremonial entrance of Radames and his victorious troops to Memphis. Pharaoh promises to fulfill any request of Radames. Among the captives, Aida sees her father, the king of Ethiopia, who pretends to be an ordinary prisoner.
Radames asks Pharaoh for freedom for the prisoners. The priests protest, demanding that Aida and her father be held hostage. Pharaoh agrees with the priests, and he offers to Radames his daughter's hand and appoints him as his successor. Amneris rejoices, but Aida is heartbroken.
ACTION THREE
5-the scene
The temple of the goddess Isis at the Nile. Night. High priest Rumphis leads Amneris to the temple: she should pray to the goddess the whole night before the wedding with Radames!
On the deserted shore appears Aida - she should meet here with Radames. Her father Amonasr following her and comes too. He persuades Aida to find out from Radames a free path through which the Ethiopian army can enter Egypt without hindrance. Aida hardly agrees. When she comes to Radames, she inclines to flee to Ethiopia and asks him the fatal question - which way is free?
- "In the gorge of Napata", - reports Radames. And immediately there is an eavesdropping Amonasra. Radames in despair - he revealed a military secret to the enemy! Amonasr and Aida persuade Radames to flee, but Amneris and Rumphis appear ... The guard follows the fugitives, Aida and Amonasr hide, and Radames voluntarily gives himself into the hands of the high priest.
ACTION FOUR
6-th scene
Radames should appear before the court of the priests. Amneris comes to the temple to save of a loved one from the death. She asks him to give up Aida, but Radames is unshakable - he loves Aida! Angry Amneris returns Radames to prison. Priests gather for the trial of Radames; Radames is charged with treason and sentenced to death.
7-th scene
The dungeon of the temple. Radames is immured here. Before he dies, he remembers Aida. Suddenly, someone's moan is heard - it's Aida, who sneaked into the dungeon to die with her lover. Kissing Aida, catching her breath, Radames understands: exhausted, wounded during the flight, she dies. Soon he will follow her. But, doomed, they are for the first time happy: they are together.
And over their heads, collapsing in a hopeless prayer on the stone slabs of the temple, stricken with grief, Amneris lies in mourning clothes.
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