Sir, – In her article on the Suez Canal (World News, March 27th), Michael Jansen writes that Khedive Ismail Pasha "commissioned Italian composer Verdi to write an opera – Aida" to mark the opening of the canal in 1869.
In fact the opera was a commission to mark the opening of the Cairo Opera House in 1871, and received its world premiere there on December 24th that year. – Yours, etc,
LIAM DUNNE,
Cork.