Aida

Act One

The opera begins with the high priest, Ramfis, telling the hero Radames that Ethiopia is preparing to invade Egypt, and that the goddess Isis has chosen a commander-in-chief to lead the Egyptian army to victory over the invaders.  Ramfis leaves to tell the king about the impending war.  Radames hopes that he will be named commander so that he may ask for the hand of Aida, a slave from Ethiopia, as a prize for his victory. The Egyptian princess Amneris has her own schemes, for she is in love with Radames.  As Radames tells Amneris that he hopes to lead the Egyptian troops into war with Ethiopia, Aida cries out in terror.  Amneris begins to suspect that there is something going on between Radames and Aida.

The king enters and announces that Ethiopia's invasion has begun, led by their king, Amonasro.  He is Aida's father, and she is torn between her love for Radames and her fears for her father and her country.  This conflict deepens when the king announces that Radames will be the commander of the Egyptian army.  Amneris, the king, and the priests escort Radames into the temple, leaving Aida alone.  She sings Ritorna vincitor, asking the gods to take pity on her, and keep both her father and her lover from harm, or at least to allow her to die.

Inside the temple, the priests and priestesses invoke Phtha's aid in the upcoming war, and consecrate Radames.  He is given a sacred sword to symbolize his role as leader of Egypt's armies.

Act Two

Amneris is in her chambers.  Her slaves are dressing her for a feast to celebrate Radames' triumphant return.  She notices that Aida looks pale and worried.  Suspecting the cause, Amneris tells Aida that Radames has been killed in battle, and causes Aida to reveal her love for him.  Aida cannot hide her joy when Amneris reveals that it was a trick, and that Radames has returned in victory.  When Amneris hears of Aida's love for Radames, she insists that her rival accompany her to the celebration as her personal slave, thinking to humiliate the girl in front of her lover.

Radames appears outside the city in a triumphant procession, leading the prisoners of war.  The people of Egypt sing and dance in his honor while the priests chant in thanksgiving to the gods.  As Radames approaches the throne, Amneris crowns him with laurel, then Radames ask that the prisoners be brought before the king.   Aida recognizes her father  Amonasro among the prisoners and runs to him in tears.  The King of Ethiopia is disguised as a soldier, and the Egyptians do not know him.  They believe that Amonasro was killed in battle. 

Radames is struck by Aida's sorrow, and for his victory prize he asks that the prisoners be set free.  The high priest Ramfis fears that Ethiopia will strike again if the prisoners are set free, and counsels the King of Egypt to hold Aida and her father as hostages to prevent a new invasion.  The king is swayed by the priest's advice, and gives the hand of Amneris to Radames instead of the prize he has requested.  As Amneris is the only child of the king, this would make Radames successor to the throne, but he does not want the throne if it means losing Aida.

Act Three

Amneris and Ramfis disembark from a boat outside the Temple of Isis along the Nile River.  The priests and priestesses are consecrating the princess in preparation for her wedding to Radames.  Aida is so distraught that she plans to drown herself in the Nile, and sings O patria mia in farewell.

Amonasro tells his daughter not to lose heart, that she may one day destroy her rival and return to Ethiopia.  He speaks of a new invasion against the Egyptians, and begs Aida to save her country and ask Radames his battle plans.

Radames enters and sees Aida.  He tells her that he will be going to war with Ethiopia again, and that he will ask the Pharaoh for Aida's hand should he return victorious once again.  However, Aida is afraid that Amneris will use all her powers to stop this from happening, and begs Radames to run away with her.  When Radames agrees to her plan, she asks him what road will be safe.  Radames reveals the road that the Egyptian army will take, and Amonasro steps from his hiding place to say that his armies will be waiting for the Egyptians along that route.  Radames realizes that he has betrayed his country just as Amneris comes out of the temple with th priests and her guards.  He tells Aida and her father to flee, then turns himself over to Ramfis as a traitor.

Act Four

Amneris is torn between her hatred for Aida and her love of Radames.   She realizes that Radames is not a traitor, but is furious that he has chosen Aida over her.  She is undecided whether to allow the priests to execute him, or to plead for his life.  When the priests lead Radames to her, he tells Amneris that since he has no hope of life with Aida, he wishes to die.  Amneris reveals that Aida has escaped, but demands that he never see her again and his life will be spared.   Radames refuses to forsake Aida and marry Amneris, and so the princess allows the priests to take him away.  The priests take Radames into a temple and demand his confession, but he refuses to speak.  They sentence him to a criminal's death, sealed inside a tomb while still alive.  Although Amneris cannot bear the thought of Radames dying in this way, she is unable to stop the priests and curses them in vain.

Radames is sealed inside the tomb, but hears a cry and realizes that Aida has hidden herself there.  She could not bear the thought of him dying alone, and chose to die alongside him.  Radames is in anguish at the thought of her trapped with him, and tries to open the tomb but the stone has been mortared in place and he is unable to budge it.  The lovers die as Amneris and the priests sing a hymn of peace to the god Phtha.

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Copyright ©1999 by Patti Frawley