21 - 27 June 2001
Issue No.539
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 21 - 27 June 2001 Issue No.539 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
In Verdi veritas!
It fills the air! It is everywhere! Over mountains and valleys, over deserts and seas, the summer blue skies are echoing the beautiful melodies of the great Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi. The world is collectively mounting a spectacularly magnificent non-ending gala with all the flourish and fanfare, worthy of Opera's immortal genius. It is therefore no surprise that the most popular choice is the grandest of all operas, unparalleled in majesty and splendour, unequalled in drama and rhythm. It is Egypt's very known "Aida".
Aida is as much Verdi's as it is ours. It was the crowning of an illustrious career which started at age 7 and ended at 87, leaving a legacy of musical pleasures and everlasting treasures. Commissioned by Khedive Ismail Pasha, ruler of Egypt, himself a great patron of the arts, "Aida" was to inaugurate the newly built Cairo Opera House in October 1871, but because of the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war the costumes and sets did not arrive on time. Verdi's Rigoletto replaced it at the inaugural. Two years later however, Christmas eve of 1869, in regal splendour Aida had its world premiere at the Cairo Opera House. It was a triumphant reception, and ever since has been playing regularly, enthralling audiences around the world.
Born into a family of farmers and tavernists, Verdi revealed signs of genius in early childhood. At age 7 he was assigned assistant organist at San Michele Church in the town of Le Ronconle, Italy, where he was born. Through a span of almost a century, Verdi continued to produce a series of masterpieces of such musical wealth that has, and will continue to delight generations of opera lovers.
He grew from a poor farm boy to becoming a legend in his own lifetime - a patriot, a senator and a beloved and honourable philanthropist. His life was as triumphant and as tragic as his operas. Fortunately he continued to write at the urging of La Scala, meeting with success after success. His strong and sombre stories grew fuller and richer. He regularly borrowed from great literature, from the likes of Victor Hugo, Friedrich Schiller, and William Shakespeare.
Guiseppe Vedri (1813 -1901)
Between 1851 and 1853 his "galley years" climaxed in a series of masterpieces, Rigoletto, II Trovatore, and La Traviata. 1871 saw the birth of Aida, his crowning glory. He retired after its resounding success in Paris in 1872. Sixteen years later, he was lured out of retirement by his friend and librettist Arrigo Boito, giving us Othello, considered by critics as his best opera. Still Aida remains the great favourite amongst opera directors, singers and audiences. The grand old gentleman was adored by all his compatriots. Shortly before his death, in Milan, officials covered the city streets with straw, so that the horses hooves would not disturb the "maestro".
At his death all Europe came to mourn the passing of a legend. 300,000 people lined the streets at the funeral procession, amongst them such names as Rossini, Donizzetti, and Puccini. Verdi once wrote "When I'm alone with my notes my heart pounds and the tears leap from my eyes, and my emotions and joy are too much to bear." Italian poet Gabriele D'Anunzio wrote the most befitting epitaph. "He wept for, and he loved everyone and everything". A simple phrase of gratitude from a deeply grateful world. While opera may not be for everyone, everyone in Italy is for opera! It may be in the air they breath or the water they drink. It may be in the genes or in the blood stream. In every centro, piazza, and trattoria, you can hear the arias, duettos, and quartettos at every doorstep, every balcony, every rooftop. Woe to he who misses a note. It is as popular as soccer, as relished as spaghetti, as revered as "la mamma".
"Opera", short for "opera in musica", or "works in music", started 400 years ago in Italy by a group of poets, musicians, and noblemen, called the "Camerata". They put ancient Greek tragedies to music, to the delight of the music loving audiences throughout the Italian peninsula. Though opera spread to other countries in Western Europe within the next 100 years, known as the Baroque period, Italian composers, singers, and conductors, remain a leading influence in the development and appreciation of the opera, throughout the world. By the nineteenth century opera had reached its peak with the great ones, Donizetti, Puccini, and Rossini, and the incomparable Giuseppe Verdi. His triumphal march of Aida has stunned audiences for the last 130 years and shall continue to do so, over and over again, this centennial year. From Riga to Rouen, or wherever you may be heading this summer, you are likely to come across a performance of Aida.
Regardless of the fact that she is an Ethiopian Princess, Aida is Egypt's very own. Since her creation in 1871 she has been a particular favourite in her native land, and is performed regularly during our opera season. If you fail to catch "Aida" anywhere around the world this summer, I urge you to head for her homeland, Egypt, the land of the Nile. There, on a balmy October night, allow yourself to be transported in true H.G. Wells fashion. Transcend both time and space, float on a barge up the lazy river, and sail to the foot of the pyramids where Pharaohs were kings, and Egypt the centre of the Universe. There you will experience in a manner more grand and more luxurious, a moment of magic beyond your wildest dreams. AS palm trees sway with the soft cool breeze, filling the air with the fragrance of perfumed jasmine, you will thrill to the magnificence and glory of ancient Egypt, as it comes alive in marching armies, resplendent in their extravagant costumes and exquisite jewels, while a full moon keeps watch up above.
Let Aida's tears blend with your own, to heal the scars, and cleanse the tortured soul. If departed spirits still roam the earth. Verdi's must be smiling at the "Festival Mondial" mounted in his memory. His widest smile however, will be reserved for our own Aida at the foot of the pyramids. You may even hear him say "This is true opera, this is true Verdi!"
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