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Opera meets Egypt in the Egyptian Museum

A new series of nocturnal sessions including live performances will attempt to explain the relationship between ancient Egypt and opera

Opera would appear to have always had a love affair with ancient Egypt with an estimated 70 works of this staged musical genre set in the kingdom of the pharaohs, including such popular masterpieces as Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida.

On the basis of this relationship, Barcelona’s Egyptian Museum (Museu Egipci) is offering a new series of activities designed to connect the two elements. Opera and Egypt is a series of three sessions that will allow visitors to acquaint themselves a little more with Egypt by explaining the fascination that the composers of the great lyrical masterpieces had for the land of the pyramids.

Egyptologist Núria Castro has been entrusted with the job of presenting the material to the public while soprano María José Ibañez and accompanying pianist Ultano Gómez will offer interpretations of arias from some of the operas under discussion.

The first session will take place on the 3rd of October and will focus on Il crociato in Egitto (The Crusader in Egypt), by Giacomo Meyerbeer as well as the aforementioned Aida. The 17th will be the turn of Giulio Cesare in Egitto, by Georg Friedrich Händel, and the series will finish up on the 24th with Tolomeo, Re d’Egitto, also the work of Händel.

Each session will finish up with a tasting of wines produced in the artisan manner of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Opera and Egypt will take place in the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona on Friday 3, 17 and 24 October. The entrance to the activity has a price of 30 €. You can find more information on the website of the Egyptian Museum.

Publication date: Wednesday, 24 September 2014
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