Verdi took 150000 francs to write an opera about a civilisation he disliked—and then refused to let its overture be heard.
A studio recording of Verdi’s Aida, made in 1989. Contains all vocal and orchestral numbers across four acts. Omits Verdi’s rejected overture. No source material describes performers, conductor, recording venue, or engineering choices.
Aida was commissioned by the Egyptian government—not Verdi’s idea—to celebrate the Suez Canal’s opening.
2:34
Paid Disinterest
Verdi accepted 150000 francs despite calling Ancient Egyptian civilisation 'a civilization I have never been able to admire'.
4:20
The Overture He Killed
Verdi wrote—but then scrapped—a 'potpourri' overture, calling it 'pretentious silliness'.
5:40
From Egyptology to Italian Verse
The libretto began as French prose by Camille du Locle, based on Auguste Mariette’s scenario, and became Italian verse by Antonio Ghislanzoni.
Running order44
01
Aida: Preludio3:42
02
Aida: Atto I. “Si, corre voce che l'Etiope ardisca”1:35
03
Aida: Atto I. “Se quel guerrier io fossi!”1:01
04
Aida: Atto I. “Celeste Aida”3:31
05
Aida: Atto I. “Quale insolita gioia nel tuo sguardo!”3:12
06
Aida: Atto I. “Vieni, o diletta, appressati”2:46
07
Aida: Atto I. “Alta cagion, v'aduna”3:02
08
Aida: Atto I. “Su! del Nilo al sacro lido”2:51
09
Aida: Atto I. “Ritorna vincitor!”6:34
10
Aida: Atto I. “Possente Fthà... Tu che dal nulla hai tratto”3:10
11
Aida: Atto I. “Immenso Fthà!“3:04
12
Aida: Atto I. “Nume custode e vindice”3:48
13
Aida: Atto II. “Chi mai fra gl'inni e i plausi”2:51
14
Aida: Atto II. Danza di schiavi mori1:25
15
Aida: Atto II. “Vieni, sul crin ti piovano”1:32
16
Aida: Atto II. “Fu la sorte dell'armi a' tuoi funesta”5:22
17
Aida: Atto II. “Pietà ti prenda del mio dolor”1:51
18
Aida: Atto II. “Su! del Nilo al sacro lido... Numi, pietà del mio martir”2:31
19
Aida: Atto II. “Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside”3:09
20
Aida: Atto II. Marcia trionfale1:37
21
Aida: Atto II. Ballabile4:11
22
Aida: Atto II. “Vieni, o guerriero vindice”2:08
23
Aida: Atto II. “Salvator della patria”2:11
24
Aida: Atto II. “Che veggo! Egli? Mio padre! … Anch'io pugnai … Ma tu, Re, tu signore possente”3:21
25
Aida: Atto II. “Il dolor che in quel volto favella …”2:10
26
Aida: Atto II. “O Re, pei sacri Numi … Gloria all'Egitto”5:05
01
Aida: Atto III. “O tu che sei d'Osiride”2:07
02
Aida: Atto III. “Vieni d'lside al Tempio”2:00
03
Aida: Atto III. “Qui Radamès verrà!”1:40
04
Aida: Atto III. “O patria mia”5:05
05
Aida: Atto III. “Ciel! mio padre!”1:11
06
Aida: Atto III. “Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate”6:53
07
Aida: Atto III. “Pur ti riveggo, mia dolce Aida“1:29
08
Aida: Atto III. “Nel fiero anelito di nuova guerra”1:47
09
Aida: Atto III. “Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti … Là, tra foreste vergini”6:34
10
Aida: Atto III. “Ma dimmi; per qual via”3:21
11
Aida: Atto IV. “L'aborrita rivale a me sfuggia”2:46
12
Aida: Atto IV. “Già i sacerdoti adunansi”6:26
13
Aida: Atto IV. “Ohimè! morir mi sento!”2:16
14
Aida: Atto IV. “Spirto del Nume”4:57
15
Aida: Atto IV. “A lui vivo, la tomba!... Sacerdoti: compiste un delitto!”3:21
16
Aida: Atto IV. “La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse”4:22
17
Aida: Atto IV. “Vedi? Di morte l'angelo... Immenso Fthà”1:31
18
Aida: Atto IV. “O terra, addio”4:30
Worth your time?
Yes. Hear the whole thing.
3.5/ 5
What works
full score
Italian libretto
four-act structure
What does not
rehearsal practice
performer biography
recording context
Hear it if
students of opera history
listeners needing a complete score
Skip it if
those seeking Verdi's personal supervision or 19th-century performance practice
The written brief1 min read
What the record is and where it came from
This is a 1989 commercial recording of Verdi’s Aida, a four-act opera commissioned in 1869 by the Egyptian government for the Cairo opera house built to mark the Suez Canal’s opening. It premiered in Cairo in 1871.
How it sounds, and how it was made
The record is a studio recording of Verdi’s opera Aida, made in 1989. It uses a full orchestra and chorus. No details about microphones, room acoustics, tempos, or instrumental balance are given in the source material.
What lands
It lands as a functional, complete traversal of the opera’s sung and orchestral passages across four acts. Every listed track matches Verdi’s published structure and Italian text. No cuts or interpolations are indicated in the source material.
What does not
It does not include Verdi’s rejected ‘potpourri’ overture. That piece was broadcast once in 1940 and never commercially issued. Nothing in the sources confirms its presence here.
The ideas inside it
It contains Verdi’s response to a commission from the Egyptian government: music for a libretto adapted from a French prose scenario by du Locle and Mariette, versified by Ghislanzoni. It reflects his ambivalence—accepting 150000 francs while disliking Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
Who should hear it, and who should not
People who want a full, uncut version of Verdi’s score should hear it. People seeking evidence of Verdi’s rehearsal standards in Milan or Naples, or insight into Teresa Stolz’s or Maria Waldmann’s interpretations, should not—it offers no such documentation.
Is it worth your time
Yes—if you want to hear Verdi’s score as written, without the overture he rejected. No—if you expect insight into how it sounded in Cairo in 1871 or Milan in 1872. The sources say nothing about this recording’s performers, conductor, label, venue, or production choices.