World premiere: 24 December 1871, Khedivial Opera House, Cairo
Premiere at the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre: 19 November 1875, Imperial Italian Opera Company
Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 1 April 1877, Imperial Russian Opera Company (performed in Russian, translated by Grigory Lishin)
Premiere of this production: 7 February 2025
Running time: 3 hours 45 minutes
The performance has one interval
Aida is a grand opera in the tradition of works like Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, but it is also a deeply personal, psychological drama. As in many of Verdi’s operas, the characters’ inner struggles collide with broader political conflicts. At the heart of Aida lies a love triangle set against the backdrop of a devastating war. I have grown weary of typical productions: all those piles of sand, colourful hieroglyphs, elephants and camels… On the other hand, I didn’t want to stage Aida in the way it’s currently done in, say, Germany, or as it was recently presented at Covent Garden, with direct references to contemporary conflicts. I wanted to offer a fresh perspective, something unusual but always within the framework of Verdi’s work and with the utmost respect for his creation.
In the long history of Egypt we discovered a fascinating period when the country was conquered by Sudan, resulting in the emergence of black pharaohs. It was only later that rulers of Greek origin ascended to the Egyptian throne. Our production focuses on this specific historical period, spanning eighty years. Our Pharaoh is black, the entire scenography is black, with a rich variety of beautiful black hues. This concept of a black radiance was inspired by archaeological discoveries: numerous statues of pharaohs carved from black volcanic stone. The stage will appear as if covered in volcanic dust and sand, with crystalline “glass shards” shimmering throughout, referencing the use of sand in glassmaking.
I know the opera intimately, note for note, word for word, every nuance, every dynamic marking in the score. What fascinates me most is the way it shifts between personal drama and international politics. To preserve the momentum of these events, we have reduced the number of intervals. The sets are mounted on wheels, enabling swift changes, much like in a film. Our costumes are not direct replicas of ancient Egyptian designs; rather, they offer our interpretation of ancient Egyptian iconography. There will be no blackface. Soldiers in the Triumphal March will wear golden masks, and the protagonist’s makeup will be olive-toned.
Aida was first staged in a relatively small theatre in Cairo. Later, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was performed in European theatres, also not particularly large. But it was conceived as a grand opera, without inherent limitations. We have one hundred and forty choristers! Three hundred people participate in the finale of Act II – it’s a triumphal march, a celebration of victory! You can’t limit such a scene to a small procession. I drew inspiration for this scene from the 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow’s Red Square. I was deeply moved by that spectacle, by the Soviet soldiers casting down Nazi banners. Triumph always signifies victory for one side and defeat for the other.
We are utilising all the technical capabilities of the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage, and we hope that the audience will embrace this production. Giancarlo del Monaco, Stage Director
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