Russian opera singer to perform in Baku

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater will stage Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" on March 14.

The theater invited the leading soloist of Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theater Nikolay Erokhin to play the role of Ramzes.

The role of Aida will be performed by the Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Afag Abbasova.

The opera singers will share the same stage with the leading soloists of the Opera and Ballet Theater, People's Artists Ali Asgarov, Akram Poladov and Gulnaz Ismayilova, Honored Artists Sabina Vahabzadeh, Jahangir Gurbanov and others.

The opera will be conducted by the chief conductor of the Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, People's Artist of Belarus  Vyacheslav Volich.

Verdi wrote his Egyptian opera Aida in response to a commission from the Khedive of Egypt for the opening of the new Cairo Opera House, after rejecting requests for an anthem to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal a year earlier. The first performance was conducted by the famous double-bass player Bottesini.

Synopsis. Aida, an Ethiopian princess, is captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. A military commander, Radames, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the Pharaoh. To complicate the story further, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh’s daughter Amneris, although he does not return the feeling.