Giuseppe Verdi composed Aida to celebrate the construction of a new opera house in Cairo, Egypt which was built to mark the opening of the Suez Canal. As his a subject, he turned to the story of an Ethiopian princess being held captive by Egyptians. One of the Egyptian generals is desperately in love with her, and she's in love with him — but so is the daughter of the Egyptian king.
Hear more about the plot and find out its ending by clicking the audio above.
Program Playlist:
Prelude
"Celeste Aida"
"Possente fthà"
"Su! del Nilo"
"All'egito"
"O patria mia"
"Pur ti riveggo"
"Gia i sacerdoti"
"O terra, addio"