IT HAPPENED IN EGYPT

Radio Record, 8 July 1938, Page 19

IT HAPPENED IN EGYPT

VERDI’S OPERA "AIDA" WAS "WRITTEN _ TQ THE ORDERS OF THE KHEDIVE.

"THE story of "Aida" is founded on an episode in Egyptian. history discovered by the celebrated archaeologist, Mariette Bey, during research amongst™ Coptic" manuscripts.. It was. submitted to Verdi. who had just been commis-

‘sioned by the Khedive of Egypt to write an opera expressly for the new opera house at Cairo. The composer was enchanted with. it and began setting it at once, The

opera was first performed in Cairo on Christmas Eve, 1871, after. long ‘delays caused. by scénery arid" properties being held up in ‘besieged Paris;"five years later it reached Covent Garden. From the first it was one of.the most successful, and has remained. the "nost popular -of: all: Verdi’s"speras; ""Ajda,’> well. known: "among radio listeners, ends: in ‘tragedy....In most of his plots. Verdi was far from what we would call jolly. The'scores are usually glorious and’ the" stories "gloomy." S te .,dn Don Carlos," the son.of.the King of Spain’ falls’ in love’ with his young stepmother aiid" is condemned"by ‘his father.-to be buried alive. -In-. "Rigoletto" the jester: carries’ off:-hisdaugh-ter’s body in a sack;:in’"The-Korce of Destiny" Alvaro stabs his sister and leaps. over. a. precipice ;.. in, . "Luisa Miller’ the ‘protagonists poison . thetnselves ; in "The. Sicilian Vespers" "they are torn to pieces by.the:mob; ‘Violetta of "La Traviata" dies of consumption; Count Richard. of. "The Masked Ball" is assassinated at’ a fancy dress ball; the hero.of "Hernani" commits suicide; and in "Il Trovatore"’ Manrico: is: beheaded after Leonora has taken poiscn, _ To ‘complete’ the crime sheet Verdi made settings. of "Othello" and °"Macbeth," though he redeemed. his reputation with "Falstaff," one -of> music's greatest comic operas. : A complete recorded musical . ' presentation of Verdi's "Aida" will . be. heard from~ 2YA’ on’ Sunday, : July 10, a re ¢°