About this edition
Verdi's Aïda stands as one of the supreme achievements of nineteenth-century Italian opera — a grand four-act drama of love, loyalty, and political intrigue set against the monumental backdrop of ancient Egypt. Commissioned for the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo and premiered there on December 24, 1871, the work fuses Verdi's mature dramatic language with sweeping ceremonial spectacle, intimate lyrical writing, and some of the most celebrated orchestral set pieces in the repertoire, including the Triumphal March, the Nile Scene, and the haunting final tomb duet.
This score reproduces the authoritative full orchestral edition published by G. Ricordi & C. of Milan, bearing plate number 113954 and dated to circa 1913. Ricordi, Verdi's lifelong publisher and the custodian of his musical legacy, issued definitive engravings of his operas under the composer's direct supervision and that of his closest collaborators. The Ricordi house editions remain the foundational sources for performance and scholarly study of Verdi's works, prized for their textual reliability, clear engraving, and faithful transmission of the composer's intentions.
About this edition:
- Complete full orchestral score (conductor's score) of all four acts
- Reproduced from the historic Ricordi edition, Milan, plate 113954 (c. 1913)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches, printed for clear study and reference use
- Italian text underlay throughout
- Sourced from a public domain historical printing
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
This volume is a faithful reproduction of a historical score now in the public domain, offered to make a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire readily available to conductors, singers, orchestral musicians, students, and Verdi enthusiasts alike. We hope it serves you well in study, rehearsal, and performance.
