12 Tremendous Composers 12 Composers    

Lesson 32: Aida – Gloria All'egitto

by Giuseppe Verdi

Performer: European Archive

Directions

Study the musical selection for one week.

Over the week:

• Listen to the music daily.
• Read the synopsis.
• Review the vocabulary terms.
• Read about the composer.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

'Gloria all'egitto' (Translation: Glory to Egypt) from the opera 'Aida' is the next featured composition by Giuseppe Verdi. In Aida, the Egyptians take the Ethiopian princess, Aida, captive. Not knowing Aida's true identity as a princess, the Egyptians force her into slavery. When Aida's father, king of Ethiopia, learns of her fate, he declares war on Egypt. Aida meets the Egyptian warrior, Radamès, and they fall in love. Because of the war, their love is forbidden and must remain secret. Aida and Radamès attempt to flee to be together, but they are caught. As punishment, Radamès is sealed in a tomb to perish. He's shocked to find Aida has hidden herself inside the tomb. Now they can be together at last, even if only in death. In Gloria all'egitto (Glory to Egypt), Radamès has triumphed in battle over the Ethiopians and returns to town victorious.

Vocabulary

Betrothed: Promised to marry.
Tomb: A small building or vault for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and when to hold multiple corpses, a door.

Composer

1. Now a good friend is always a good friend, so it is pleasing to tell that Barezzi sent Giuseppe Verdi to Milan, the lovely city of Lombardy, to study. And here a curious thing happened. He was refused a scholarship at the Conservatory of Milan; the reason given was that the authorities considered him to show no special talent for music. But this made no difference to the boy. He believed in his talent and kept at work to perfect it. Here is a picture of Verdi as a young man.

2. So, as the years went by, Giuseppe Verdi kept on learning more and more, doing his work well and always preparing himself for better things. Then one day he was ready to begin to compose the operas that made him famous.
3. Some time when you read the full list of Verdi's operas you will learn that he wrote thirty. The first was performed in 1839, when he was twenty-six years old, and the last in 1893, when he was eighty. You will not need to remember the titles of them all, but you must know the names of the great ones, for one day you will see and hear them performed. Here is an older Verdi acting as a conductor.

4. Here are Verdi's principal operas: Ernani, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Sicilian Vespers, Othello, Aida, Masked Ball, and Falstaff.
5. Did you know that of one of Giuseppe Verdi's is set in America? The 'Masked Ball' is set in Boston, Massachusetts. One of the characters was the Governor of Boston, a humorous matter to us, for there never was any such official. (Note: In America, typically states have governors and cities have mayors.)
6. Another famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi, the scene of which is set in a foreign country, is Aida. It was written for the Khedive of Egypt, and first performed in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, in 1871, when the composer was fifty-eight years old. Here is a depiction of a scene from Aida.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Composition Information

• Recite the name of the composer and the composition.

Activity 2: Study the Music Timeline

Examine the music timeline to answer the following questions.

• What is the year of birth of the lesson composer?
• What is the year of death of the featured composer?
• How old was the composer upon death?
• Which composer (if any) directly precedes the studied composer by date of birth?
• Which composer (if any) directly succeeds the lesson composer by date of birth?
• Which other timeline composers were alive at the same time as the studied composer?

Activity 3: Map the Music

• In Aida, the Egyptians and the Ethiopians go to war.
• Find the countries of Egypt and Ethiopia on the map of the African continent.

• Find the Egyptian capital of Cairo on the map of Egypt.
• On the banks of which famous Egyptian river does Cairo reside?

Activity 4: Write a One-Page Paper About Giuseppe Verdi

Read these facts about Giuseppe Verdi and write a one-page story out of them, using your own words.

• Giuseppe Verdi was born in Roncole, Italy, October 10, 1813.
• He began to learn the Spinet when he was seven years old.
• The Spinet is an early form of the piano.
• Among the great composers who were alive when Verdi was a little boy were: Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz and Schumann.
• He became organist at Roncole when he was ten years old (1823).
• He went to school in Busseto and lived with a cobbler.
• After a time he studied in Milan.
• But not at the famous Milan Conservatory, for he was told there that he had no special talent for music.
• Verdi wrote thirty operas.
• The first was performed in 1839, when he was twenty-six years old.
• One of his operas has its scene set in Boston, Mass.
• Another is about Egypt, and the scene is set in Memphis and Thebes, in the time of the Pharaohs.
• Verdi founded, for aged musicians, the Casa di Riposo (House of Rest).
• Besides the thirty operas Verdi wrote a string quartet, The Manzoni Requiem, and a National Hymn.
• For a period of sixteen years Verdi wrote no operas. Then he produced his two great works, Othello and Falstaff.
• He died at St. Agatha, January 27, 1901.

Review

Question 1

Where did Barezzi send Giuseppe Verdi to for music lessons?

1 / 9

Answer 1

Barezzi sent Verdi to the large city of Milan for music lessons.

1 / 9

Question 2

What setback did Giuseppe Verdi suffer in Milan with his studies?

2 / 9

Answer 2

Verdi was refused a scholarship at the Conservatory of Milan as the authorities didn't believe Verdi had any special talent for music.

2 / 9

Question 3

Did Giuseppe Verdi give up after his rejection from the Conservatory of Milan?

3 / 9

Answer 3

No, Verdi did not give up. He believed in his talent and worked hard to perfect it.

3 / 9

Question 4

How many operas, in all, did Giuseppe Verdi compose?

4 / 9

Answer 4

Verdi composed 30 operas in all.

4 / 9

Question 5

Can you name one of Giuseppe Verdi's operas?

5 / 9

Answer 5

Verdi composed La Traviata, Aida, Ernani, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, Sicilian Vespers, Othello, Masked Ball, and Falstaff and many others.

5 / 9

Question 6

In which American city is the Masked Ball set?

6 / 9

Answer 6

The Masked Ball is set in Boston, Massachusetts.

6 / 9

Question 7

Where was Aida set and in which city was it first performed?

7 / 9

Answer 7

Aida was set in Egypt and it was first performed in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt.

7 / 9

Question 8

On which continent is Egypt located?

8 / 9

Answer 8

Egypt is located on the continent of Africa.

8 / 9

Question 9

What is the capital of Egypt?

9 / 9

Answer 9

Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

9 / 9

❮ ❯

1. Where did Barezzi send Giuseppe Verdi to for music lessons? Barezzi sent Verdi to the large city of Milan for music lessons.
2. What setback did Giuseppe Verdi suffer in Milan with his studies? Verdi was refused a scholarship at the Conservatory of Milan as the authorities didn't believe Verdi had any special talent for music.
3. Did Giuseppe Verdi give up after his rejection from the Conservatory of Milan? No, Verdi did not give up. He believed in his talent and worked hard to perfect it.
4. How many operas, in all, did Giuseppe Verdi compose? Verdi composed 30 operas in all.
5. Can you name one of Giuseppe Verdi's operas? Verdi composed La Traviata, Aida, Ernani, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, Sicilian Vespers, Othello, Masked Ball, and Falstaff and many others.
6. In which American city is the Masked Ball set? The Masked Ball is set in Boston, Massachusetts.
7. Where was Aida set and in which city was it first performed? Aida was set in Egypt and it was first performed in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt.
8. On which continent is Egypt located? Egypt is located on the continent of Africa.
9. What is the capital of Egypt? Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

References

Tapper, Thomas. Giuseppe Verdi - The Story of the Little Boy who Loved the Hand Organ. Philadelphia, PA. Theodore Presser Co., 1919.

'Aida.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.