The Khedivial (Royal) Opera House in Cairo
Opera as an art form fits well into the
music comprehension of Middle Eastern
countries, Egypt in particular. In
pharaonic history we find references to
dramatic performance accompanied with
musical patterns or to poetry. Temple
walls depict an abundance of ceremonies
indicating the profound interest in
music, singing and dancing.
Ancient Egypt already knew several
musical instruments. One of them is the
harp the oldest of which were known in
Egypt between 3000 and 2000 BC. Another
ancient instrument, whose history is
elusive, is the lute which was most
probably the precursor of modern
occidental instruments such as the
mandolin and the oriental oud.
In 1869, Khedive Ismail gave
instructions to build an opera house to
celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal.
It was called Khedivial (Royal) Opera
House and was meant as a lasting and
outstanding symbol of the arts of drama
and music. Designed by Italian
architects Avoscani and Rossi and
constructed by foreign specialists with
vast experience in theatre building, the
opera was completed within six months
only.
The Khedive commissioned a performance
that should reflect ancient Egyptian
history and French archaeologist Auguste
Mariette Bey, in the Khedive’s service,
wrote a plot which eventually served the
respected Italian librettist Antonio
Ghislanzoni as a basis for his libretto.
Giuseppe Verdi was appointed to compose
the music. The result was the famous
opera, Aida, with its heroic quality,
powerful dramatic scenes and its
passionate music.
Contrary to general belief, Aida was not
commissioned for the inauguration of
either Opera House or Suez Canal. In
fact, the Opera House opened with
Rigoletto, an earlier masterpiece by
Verdi. Aida was first performed in 1871.
The Khedivial Opera House was the first
on the African continent to perform
world famous operas and symphonic
masterpieces.
Tragically, in the early morning of
October 28th 1971, the great Royal Opera
House was completely destroyed by a
fire.
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