Aida to return to the pyramids
Egypt, Local, 7/5/2002

Aida, the opera on Egyptian themes written by Giuseppe Verdi, will return to the Giza Pyramids after a two-year hiatus.

Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni announced on June 22 that the internationally-renowned opera will be preformed at the Pyramids in October.

Aida, considered one of Verdi's greatest works, is set during the time of the Pharaohs.

It is a classic love story of a couple caught in the turbulence of conflict. With Egypt and Ethiopia at war, the commander of the Egyptian army, Radames, falls in love with Aida, the daughter of the Ethiopian king, setting the stage for a tragic ending.

The backdrop of the three pyramids is sure to infuse the tale with a memorable atmosphere. The performance will run for four days from October 10 to 13, and will be directed by Abdul Moneim Kamel.

First preformed on December 24, 1871 at the Cairo Opera House, Aida has continued to hold opera fans enthralled for generations. Sung in Italian, the performance builds throughout the four-act drama, culminating in a splendid tragic ending.

The history of the opera is a transfixing as the performance itself. In celebration of the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the Khedive of Egypt invited the royalty and aristocracy of Europe to witness Egypt's modernization.

In order to entertain the European elite, Ismail Pasha commissioned the opera to show the world that Egypt was a cultured nation.

The decision to use ancient Egypt as the setting was a deliberate effort by the Pasha to demonstrate Egypt's glorious pharaonic past.

Verdi is considered the greatest 19th century Italian composer of opera. Born into a poor family in 1813. At 18 he went to Milan, where he wrote his first opera in 1839.

The talented composer quickly established himself as a successful producer.

Following Aida, Verdi did not compose another opera for 14 years.

The fall parliamentary election and last year's September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States forced the government to move the opera from its pyramid location.

The Ministry of Culture is hoping to attract thousands of foreign tourists and opera fans to the fall performances this year. The ministry has sold the marketing rights to private promoters and has set aside the majority of the seats for tourists.

Ticket prices will range between $150 and $400 for tourists and $30 to $90 for Egyptians.

Around 5,000 seats will be available for each performance, 4,000 for tourists.

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