Arrangement from Friday 2 to Monday 5 June 2023,
3 nights
, the 3, ballet, nouvelle production
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) wrote his “Aida” at a politically highly explosive time: Germany and France were on the brink of war (Franco-Prussian War 1870/71), which is why the premiere could not take place until a year later after the scheduled date: Because both the stage sets and the costumes were stuck in the Prussian occupied Paris. The opera had been commissioned by the Egyptian Viceroy Ismail Pasha. However, not, as often wrongly assumed, for the inauguration of the Suez Canal, but for the opening of the new opera house in Cairo in 1871.Aida shows the versatility of this exceptional Italian composer in its entirety: large-scale mass scenes and choruses are juxtaposed with equally intimate, chamber-play-like scenes that reveal a soul drama that is ingenious in every detail. In this respect, the work can certainly be interpreted as a turning point in Verdi’s oeuvre, as it not only focuses on the vocal parts, but also assigns a new and leading role to the orchestra.Verdi received the 150,000 gold francs demanded for his composition, probably the highest honorarium granted to a composer to date. In addition, he demanded his own trumpets for the famous Triumphal March, the so-called Aida trumpets, which had to be commissioned as a special production. Today "Aida" is one of the most successful of the great operas of the 19th century.
Aida♪ - G. Verdi, the 4, nouvelle production, 18h
Daniele Rustioni - Damiano Michieletto
Elena Stikhina

Soprano Elena Stikhina (*1986) is one of the outstanding young artists of our time and has already caused an international sensation in her field: after winning the prestigious Operalia Singing Competition in 2016 – an award that in the past has already been the career springboard for many glorious artists of our times – performances at the Opéra de Paris, the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Dresden Semperoper soon followed. In the 2018/2019 season, Stikhina made her successful debuts in the U.S., both at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where she gave the title role in Giacomo Puccini’s ´Suor Angelica`, and as ´Tosca` at Boston Lyric Opera. In the summer of 2019, the Russian-born singer gave her much acclaimed premiere at the Salzburg Festival with the role of Medee – standing in for Sonya Yoncheva. With this, at the latest, Stikhina is about to establish herself from an outstanding young artist to one of the future big stars in the musical sky.
Elena Stikhina♪, Anita Rachvelishvili, Gregory Kunde, Alexander Köpeczi, Alexandros Stavrakakis
Staatsoper