Amneris 'y. Etroya King of Egypt "P. Selivanov Goddess Lebedinsxaya Aga... a Erdern Rhadames Ramphis A messenger Ballet...
supported Groozinskaya, "Misses Saraboon, Regina, Vasilenko, Sergeeva, " Soozina, Messrs. Weysky and Wiener.
Aida, which was composed in 1871 for performance in Cairo as a commission from Ismail Pasha, is the opera in which Verdi really found himself and which places him among great composers. It is an immense advance upon his earlier work and discloses a new technique which was developed sixteen years later in Otello, and perfected in Falstaff written in 1893 when the composer was eighty years of age. In it Verdi is successful in creating the local colour of the east and employs genuine oriental tunes with consummate skill.
Last night's performance had some of the qualities of a dress rehearsal; the orchestra, singing, acting, dancing and stage management especially with regard to lighting betrayed signs of uncertainty and one felt that although the Russian opera now plays to full houses owing to the general accessibility of the Lyceum, the first performances definitely suffer through of sufficient stage rehearsals. Under the circumstances this cannot be helped.
The best performances of the evening were- given by Mr.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.