The Aftermath
Though he still had his hands in further mountings of Aida, as well revising Don Carlos and Simon Boccanegra and writing a Messa da Requiem, it appeared Verdi had permanently retired from composing for the stage. But a slow mending of the rift between him and Italian opera?s young lions of the next generation had occurred over the span of many years, most notably with Arrigo Boito, and this seemed to have brought about a rejuvenation of his creative spirit (in fact Boito?s intimate, Franco Faccio, had conducted Aida?s Italian premiere). Ever so slowly and tactfully goaded by Giulio Ricordi, Verdi was tempted by his love of Shakespeare into producing Otello, then Falstaff, after a 16-year silence (Boito would serve as librettist for both works, but not after having been tested with a dry run, revising sections of Simon Boccanegra in 1881). And ironically, the last music to flow from his pen probably galled the composer to no end (as his letters seem to indicate) ? ballet music for the French premiere of Otello in 1894.
Teresa Stolz continued to sing Aida for a number of subsequent productions, as well as the soprano role in Verdi?s Requiem. A close relationship developed between her and Verdi, likely romantic as several letters of Giuseppina Strepponi seem to suggest. Though fearing she may be abandoned, Verdi?s wife tolerated the arrangement, and the threesome often traveled together as revivals of Aida made the circuit (though after the Naples premiere, rumors of the affair began to surface publicly). Verdi?s growing distaste for her fiancé, Mariani, may have contributed to the end of their engagement. Soon a frequent guest at Sant? Agata (which began with her coachings for Aida), Stolz looked into buying a house in the vicinity of Busseto, under the guise of being closer to a sister living nearby. And when Verdi died in 1901, the soprano was at his side (Giuseppina had predeceased him by three years).
Camille du Locle continued as director of the Opéra-Comique until 1876, and also has a role in bringing Bizet?s Carmen to the stage one year earlier, creating a fissure in his relationship with co-director Adolphe de Leuven and scandalizing his Parisian public. He was forced to resign due to financial difficulties and was replaced by the failed Théâtre Lyrique?s producer Léon Carvalho. Du Locle?s financial situation also disrupted his relationship with Verdi, who had entrusted the impresario to collect the first third of his Aida fee from the Parisian Rothschild bank. He had instructed du Locle to give 2,000 francs to the French war relief effort, but the transfer of the remaining 48,000 was impeded by Prussian war. That amount turned into a loan, which after several years du Locle was remiss in paying back. By 1876, legal action ensued, and the matter was finally settled, though it was a few more years before their friendship would be mended. Du Locle was also responsible for the French translations of Aida, Il forza del destino, Simon Boccanegra and the Messa da Requiem.
The Khedive also fell on hard times due to his ambitious spending. Having unexpectedly assumed power after the death of his elder brother, Ismail was ill-prepared to rule and tended to treat Egypt as his own personal property. Besides his role in finishing the Suez Canal and building the Cairo Opera House, the Khedive expanded the western edge of the city, using newly cosmopolitan Paris as a model. He envisioned a break with the Ottoman Empire, with Egypt as an independent monarchy in the Western style. Though Ismail was politically close to the leaders of both England and France, his country?s eventual bankruptcy caused concern, especially for those financially invested in the Canal, and an Anglo-French alliance took control of Egypt?s finances and government, forcing the Khedive from power in 1879.
Although Ismail would eventually elevate his loyal employee Auguste Mariette to the honor of pasha, the Egyptologist?s only compensation for the story of Aida was his regular salary. Perhaps that was for the best, as the tale may not have been entirely original as once claimed ? Egypt?s long history is littered with conflicts with their Ethiopian neighbors, particularly in the pre-Homeric age of Jacob and Joshua to which the piece is often associated (and the pharaoh?s name in the opera is intentionally absent in order to enhance this ambiguity). There are several operatic models that could have inspired Mariette, with its obvious elements of Classical tragedy. Most notable of these is Metastasio?s Nittiti, also set in ancient Egypt with similarly named characters and also featuring a love triangle. Mariette certainly knew this work, as the text had been set by 32 composers, including Giovanni Paisiello and Stefano Pavesi, since its debut in 1756. Then there is another claim that brother Edouard came up with the tale while visiting Auguste in 1866, then called La fiancée du nil. To this end, one of Edouard?s sons later put forth this theory in search of royalties long past due, but to little avail ? in spite of Aida?s enormous popularity and its reliability as a perennial cash cow, the Mariette family would not see one sou.
Courtesy of Minnesota Opera
