Italian opera it reached the republic of Venice. It was here that the first public opera house, the Teatro di San Cassiano, was opened in 1637 by Benedetto Ferrari and Francesco Manelli. Its success moved opera away from aristocratic patronage and into the commercial world. In Venice, musical drama was no longer aimed at an elite of aristocrats and intellectuals and acquired the character of entertainment. Soon many other opera houses had sprung up in the city, performing works for a paying public during the Carnival season. The opera houses employed a very small orchestra to save money. A large part of
Khedivial Opera House capital city. Verdi's opera "Rigoletto" was the first opera performed at the opera house on 1 November 1869. Ismail planned a grander exhibition for his new theatre. After months of delay due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, Verdi's new opera, "Aida", received its world premiere at the Khedivial Opera House on 24 December 1871. In the early morning hours of 28 October 1971, the opera house burned to the ground. The all-wooden building was quickly consumed, and only two statues made by Mohamed Hassan survived. After the original opera house was destroyed, Cairo was without an opera house