More Information About Aida

Website

http://www.wbopera.org

Description

Amneris, the Pharaoh's daughter, is infatuated with Radamès, the general who leads the Egyptian army against Ethiopia. She is infuriated to find out that Radamès and Aida, her slave, are secretly in love. Radamès returns victorious from battle with the spoils of war and a cache of prisoners that includes Amonasro, the Ethipian King and Aida's father, disguised as a warrior.  The Pharaoh welcomes Radamès in a splendid celebration and gives him the hand of Amneris in marriage, to Aida's despair. That night, on the banks of the Nile, Amonasro prevails upon Aida, in a fearsome confrontation, to trick Radamès into revealing the secret route of the Egyptian army. This will give the advantage to the Ethiopian troops. She meets Radamès and implores him to flee with her, but he refuses. She then gets him to reveal the secret route. Amneris has overheard the conversation and, alerting the High Priest, accuses Radamès of treason. Radamès turns himself in, as Aida and Amonastro escape into the night. Amneris offers to intercede with the priests if Radamès will promise to forsake Aida forever. Radamès refuses and he is found guilty of treason by a priestly tribunal. He is sentenced to death and sealed alive in an underground tomb, where he discovers Aida hiding, eager to share his fate. The two sing a final love duet as a remorseful Amneris cries and prays over their tomb.

About the Ticket Supplier: West Bay Opera

Performing both the familiar and the adventurous, West Bay Opera seeks to please and challenge singers and audiences with three productions per season, one each in October, February, and May. The repertoire includes standard popular works, lesser-known operas and operettas, and occasionally operas by modern composers. Some of West Bay Opera's greatest successes result from undertaking formidable artistic challenges. Past accomplishments include Bellini's rarely-performed Norma, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in the original Russian, and Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer. The principal consideration is always to give talented young opera singers an opportunity to perform challenging roles and, in turn, to give audiences the pleasure of hearing these singers on their way to fame.

Comic operas are performed in English translations, some expressly prepared for West Bay Opera. Dramatic operas are performed in the original language. All productions are accompanied by projected supertitles in English.