But delays due to the Siege of Paris waylaid the plan and they ended up performing Rigoletto instead. No wonder he was commissioned to write the four-act opera to commemorate the opening of the Khedivial Opera House by Isma’il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt and granted the whopping 150,000 francs he demanded. In a remarkable career spanning six decades in the theater, Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) composed 28 operas, at least half of which are at the core of today’s repertoire. Latonia Moore (center) as Aida, with Melody Moore (left, in white) as Amneris and George Gagnidze (kneeling at right, in green uniform) as Amonasro in LA Opera’s 2022 production of “Aida” Photo: Cory Weaver/ LA Opera
Who would have thought that Elizabeth Taylor and Verdi had something in common? Apparently, both demanded an exorbitant sum to avoid doing a project on Egypt, and both were granted their asking price, thereby leaving us legendary creations - Liz with 1963’s Cleopatra, Verdi with 1871’s Aida.
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