Crossing the Mediterranean (Sea) in Opera: the case of Aida

Abstract

Based on interactions between music and cultural studies, in my contribution I will reread Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida (1871), which is part of the cultural archive of western modernity. Since the political and cultural context in which Verdi worked on Aida from 1870 to 1871 included not only Italy, but also imperialist Europe and viceroyal Egypt, the creation of Aida will first be examined in the context of transmediterranean relations with a view to the role of French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette-Bey, who can be seen as the initiator of the opera project. In a second step, I will elaborate the hypothesis that the almost unheard voices, melodies and stories silenced by hegemonic powers can possibly find expression in music.