New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-15

Two erroneous Impressions concerning Verdrs
Aida" may well not be corrected at the be-
ginning OF a study OF that opera: Il writ
ten 20 celebrate the completion OF the SueZ Canal,
nor 10 open the Italian Opera House Cairo.
though the completion of the canal and the in
auguration OF the theatre practically contem-
poraneous with TIE conception OF the plan which
gave the world OF Verdis finest. and also most
popular operas C'Finest" and most popular"
are. OF course, not synonymousD II is diff
hcult to recall in any OF the great lyric
theatres OF the world within the last thirty-ave
years in which Aida" given than TO
enumerate score Of productions with particular
iy fine singers and imposing mise en- scene With
II Verdi ought 10 have large measure OF
gratitude from singers and impresarios as well as
the fortune which il brought him; for though
like all really fine works. II rewards effort and
money bestowed upon it with corresponding and
proportonate generosity, Il does not depend for
Its effectiveness extraordinary vocal outfit or
scenic apparel Fairly well sung and acted and re-
specially dressed, IL always wins the sympathies
and warns tho enthusiasm of audience the
world over It is seldom thought OF a conven-
tonal opera, and Vet IL is fun OF conventionalites
which do not obtrLde themselves simply because
there is much that is individual about its music
and its pictures-particularly Its pictures. Save
for the features OF its which dnerentiate II
from the music OF Nerdi's other operas and the
works OF his predecessors and contemporaries.
"Afda" is a companion OF all the operas for which
Meyerbeer set a model when he wrote his works
for the Theatre National I'm Paris-the great pas-
cant operas like lie prophetic" and "lohengrln
and ColdrAark's queen Of Sheba'' With the last
81 shares one element which brings IL into rela-
tionshp also with a number OF much younger and
less significant works; operas Ike MasctBAh >
Iris" Puccni's "Madama Butterfly" and Gior-
danos Siberia" In the score Of Aida there Is
a slight infusion of that local color which is law
ishly employed in decorating it's eNternals- Inc
pomp and paGeantry OF the drama are Egyptian
and ancient; the plays natural and artlhclal en-
and
music are Oriental possibly Egyptian ana not I'M
possibly ancient. But in everything else Aloa Is
an Italian opera. The story plays In ancient
Egvpt and It's inventor was an archeologlst deeply
versed in Egyptian antiquities, but have yer 10
hear that Marietta Bey, who wrote the scenario
of the drama ever claimed an historical touhaa''on
for II or pretended that anything IN us s'oiE Va,
characterisucaly Egyptian. Circumstances WY
fortuitous give a strong unge OF ahuquiE 80
,o.,onaUsrn TO the last scene; but II the ancient
Iryptians were more addicted than any olheI PeO
ME TO burying malefactors alive the iact y iio' -
record; and the picture as we nave IL IN me -
was not conceived by Marietta Bey' out Os 49,
nbra working hand IN hand with the ltal'Aa
translator OF the libretto. which. though oes4eI1
for an Italian performance, was ofiS'i'S4's
IN French prose. in. ~, she
The Italian Theatre in Cairo was built py lile
t1hedive Ismai Pacha and opened in November -ooS
!, IS extremely likely that the thought OF the Aa-
vantage which would accrue TO the mouse oou'o -
ne opened with a piece by me 6Ieapes' O' .
ualian opera composers had entered the h1ii4u -
,ba EShediye or his advisers; but II does MOI seem
10 have occurred 10 them in time 10 insure such
,,,orar for the opening. Nevertheless, long BEFORE
the TRANSFORMATION OF the theatre a letler Was set
20 Verdi asking him If he would write an opera On
an Eeyptian subject, and II so on what terms ne
opportunity was a rare one and appeared 10 l4.
co,nnoser who had written Les Nepres Sicillehhes
opa mon Carlos" for Paris la Fora del Destino
tor St Petersburg. and had not honored an ItA-ia"
stage with a new work for ten years. But the sus-
eestion that he state his terms embarrassed MN.
So he wrote TO his friend MuZio (wel remembered
by the older musical people Of New fork) ana
asked him what 10 do. Muzio had acquired much
more worldly wisdom than ever came to the snare
OF the great genius, and he replied senientloasly.
Demand 1000 pounds sterling for your score. II
they ask you TO 60 and mount the piece ana direct
the rehearsals fix the sum at 5000 pounds
Verdi followed his friends advice and the khedive
accepted the terms. AT first the opera people In
Cairo thought they wanted only the score which
carried with the right Of performance, but soon
they concluded that they wanted also the presence
of the composer. and made him. ia vain. munihcent
offers OF money. distinctions and titles. His real
reason going prepare The opera and direct
the first performance a dread Of the voyage.
To friend he wrote that he feared that if he went
10 Cairo they would make a mummy OF him. Under
the terms Of the agreement the Khedive sent him
10000 francs and deposited the balance Of
10000 francs in bank TO be paid over TO the COM
poser delivery Of the score
The story OF AIDA came from MarleIe Bey.
who was then director of the Egyptian Museum
at Boulak Auguste Edouard Marietta a
Frenchman who. while an attacie OF the Louvre.
IN 1850. had gone on scientific expedition 10 Egypt
for the French government and had discovered the
Temple Of Scraps Memphis. Of which Strabo
makes mention. II was an enormous structure OF
granite and alabaster containing within its en-
closure the sarcophagi Of the bulls OF Apis from
the nineteenth dynasty 10 tho time Of the Roman
supremacy" After his return 70 Paris he APP
rirafF of he E.uNr-
fian Museum IN the Louvre. and after some fur
ther years Of service ne went 10 Egypt again where
he received the title of Bey and appointment as
director Il The museum a. Boulak. Bayard Taylor
visited him in 1851 and 1874, and wrote account
of his explorations and the marvellous collection
OF antiquities which he had in his
Marietta wrote the plot OF Aida which was sent
10 Verdi. and excited his liyeest interest.
Camille du Lode who had had a hand in making
the books OF Les Nepres Sicilennes' and Don
Carlos land who is also the librettist OF Reyers
''Salammb6'D. went TO Nerdis home in italy and
under the eye OF the composer wrote out the drama
IN French prose. IL he who gave the world
the information that the idea Of the double sceife
IN the last conceived by Verdi who ne
says. took large share In the work" The
drama. thus completed translated into Italian
verse by Antonio Ghislanzoni who at the time
editor OF the "Gazetta Musicale journal
published ia Milan. In his early life Ghislanzonl
was a barytone singer. lie devoted friend
ana admrer OF Yerdis 10 whom he paid glowing
tribute IN his book entitled "Reminiscences Ar
tistiche" He died some fifteen or sixteen years
ago and some OF his last verses were TRANSACTIONS
of Tennyson's poems. 9
The Khedive expected hear his opera by the
end OF 1870. bat there extraordinary dis
turbance Of the plan the being nothing less
than the war between France and Germany. The
scenery and costumes. which had been made after
designs by Freach artists were shut up in Paris
Al length. December a, 1871. the opera had its
irst performance at Cairo. Considering the SEN