L'Oltretomba:
the night before Aida
THE NIGHT BEFORE AIDA - 14 OCTOBER 2022
The Director Speaks
Pre-Opera Lecture
World renowned stage director Franco Zeffirelli brings the best of both worlds in opera and film industry. There’s so much opera in his films as much as there’s so much cinema in his operatic productions. Stage Director Vivien Hewitt, explains her staging of Aida based on Franco Zeffirelli’s epic interpretation of the operatic masterpiece.
Inspired from the cinematographic career of the great Italian legend, this talk will take place in the quaint cinema, which is housed within the Cittadella Cultural Centre, in the old fortified city.
The illustrated talk starts at 7pm and lasts around 45 minutes. It will be conducted in English.
L'Oltretomba
A glimpse into Egyptian funeral artefacts from the National Collection
A special temporary display of ancient Egypt artefacts during the Aida Opera Weekend in Gozo, runs at the Gozo Cathedral Musuem, within the walls of the Gozo Ċittadella, between Thursday 13th and Saturday 15th October 2022.
The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River valley for agriculture. With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to assert Egyptian dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes, religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a pharaoh, who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of religious beliefs.
A handful of priceless artefacts from the National Collection will be on an extraordinary temporary display on the occasion of the opera performance of Aida. Exhibited at the newly inaugurated Gozo Cathedral Museum, these Egyptian religious artefacts will be juxtaposed against similar valuable items of European and Catholic tradition.
Featured Event, on the night before Aida.
The Pre-Opera Lecture, which ends around 7:45pm will be followed by a short walkabout to the Gozo Cathedral Museum where Sharon Sultana, curator of Valletta’s National Archaeology Museum explains the provenance of the artefacts and how they came to be within Malta’s national collection.
The illustrated tour and presentation, starts at 8pm and lasts around 60 minutes. It will be conducted in English.
This exhibition and presentation is being organised in collaboration with Heritage Malta, and kindly hosted by the Gozo Cathedral Museum.
Entrance for the Pre-Opera Lecture as well as for the L’Oltretomba Presentation is free of charge but prior reservation is required. Patrons may reserve their places by emailing [email protected] or calling: +356 79045779.
OPENING HOURS
Thursday 13th October 2022
1200hrs – 1700hrs
Friday 14th October 2022
0900hrs – 1700hrs
Saturday 15th October 2022
0900hrs – 1700hrs
FEATURED EVENT
Friday 14th October 2022
1900hrs Pre-Opera Lecture by Vivien Hewitt
2000hrs Museum Tour and Presentation by Sharon Sultana, Curator of the National Archaeology Museum (Valletta)
LANGUAGE
Talk and Presentations will be conducted in English.
