In 1871, Aïda was premièred in Cairo, Egypt, to celebrate the recent opening of the Suez Canal. It was delayed because scenery, costumes and Auguste Mariette, the Egyptologist, were trapped during the Franco-Prussian war. Verdi heard of this from a message flown out of Paris by balloon. With the reunification of Italy reaching its climax, O patria mia was bound to be iconic. The bellicose Su! del Nilo and the Grand March, Gloria all' Egitto, are among of the most popular of tunes, as is Celeste Aïda. The temples and statuary in Memphis and Thebes (Luxor) and on the banks of the River Nile provide a dramatic setting. Radamès, the Egyptian supreme general, loves Aïda, a defeated Ethiopian and a slave of Amneris, the Pharoah's daughter. Both are passionate about Radamès, who is given Amneris's hand as a reward for victory. When war breaks out again; Aïda's father forces her to extract a military secret from Radamès. Consequently, Radamès is sentenced to be buried alive under the altar of Vulcan. There, Aïda has secretly hidden. The lovers die in each other's arms, with Amneris prostrate above. The opera closes with the priests and priestesses invoking their god: Possente, Immenso Fthà. Short Guides to Great Operas written by Michael Steen, author of the acclaimed The Lives and Times of the Great Composers, are concise, entertaining, and easy-to-read books about opera. They are packed with useful information and informed opinion, helping to make you a truly knowledgeable opera-goer, and so maximising your enjoyment of a great musical experience. Each at around the price you pay for a standard opera-house programme, and available from all popular ebook retailers and ereaders, they are the perfect accompaniment to a night at an opera - whether that's at home, or at the opera house, or in the cinema for opera on screen, such as ROH Live, Met Opera HD

Live, or Glyndebourne Festival in cinemas.