The Triumphal March from Aida
Opera for Kids and Modern Interpretations!
Hello, Music Class friends! Today we’re going to dive into “Triumphal March from Aida" from The Dolphin Collection this summer.
- Aida is one of the world’s most popular operas, written by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Pretty cool that your kid is listening to opera, right? If you don't usually listen to opera, it can be really hard to understand (literally, most operas are not written in English) and dull if you aren't familiar enough with the style to appreciate it. We can turn our kids into “opera people” by exposing them to “Triumphal March from Aida” and other examples when they’re little, so the genre doesn't sound so unintelligible when they’re big!
- Aida is set in ancient Egypt and tells the complicated love story between Egyptian general Radames and Ethiopian princess Aida while their two countries are at war. Princess Aida is enslaved to an Egyptian princess named Amneris, who is also in love with Radames. The love triangle sparks chaos and beautiful music. As the name suggests, the “Triumphal March” is played when Radames returns victorious from battle - marching triumphantly! It's a scene of immense internal conflict for our princess Aida, whose love, Radames, just won a battle against her home country.
- The opera is characterized by extravagant sets and a huge chorus of performers. Here’s a clip from The Metropolitan Opera where you can really get a feel for the beautiful set design and number of people on stage! If you are watching with your kids, ask them if they can recognize the melody from The Dolphin Collection! It's also fun to point out all of the trumpet players, outfits, swords, and the two LIVE HORSES!
- Here is another example of a huge, extravagant set and choir of performers. This is from the Arena di Verona Roman Amphitheater in Italy.
Leontyne Price debuted the role of Aida at The Met. She was the first African American to become an internationally famous opera singer, won 13 Grammys, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Talk about a superstar! (Check out her bio by The Met with photos of her many roles.) Here she is singing "O Patria Mia" from Aida. Even if you can't understand the Italian, you can still appreciate her voice and stage presence!
Leontyne wrote a children's book version of Aida (that is out of print but can be found secondhand). Walt Disney bought the rights to her book with the intention of turning it into a motion picture... but Sir Elton John said he wanted to make a musical instead.
- And that is how we got Aida the Broadway Musical! Disney wanted Elton John and Tim Rice for the job because they had just had incredible success writing the music for The Lion King. The musical had its pre-Broadway debut in Atlanta at the Alliance Theater in 1998. It ended up winning four Tony Awards, including Best Original Score. Check out the video below for a glimpse into what can happen when these elaborate sets malfunction!
- Finally, please enjoy a clip of the Broadway Aida featuring Heather Headley (Aida) and Adam Pascal (Radames). If you're watching with your kids, just a quick heads-up: there's a kiss at the 40-second mark!