Latest news with #Scheherazade
The National
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
All-female UAE orchestra reimagines Scheherazade symphony in Lebanese mountains
The Ixsir Vineyards in Lebanon 's Jbeil Mountains played host to an immersive reimagining of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 1888 symphonic suite Scheherazade this week, as the sun sank below the peaks and the stars emerged. Under the artistic direction of maestro Harout Fazlian, the classic was transformed into a unique orchestral-theatrical evening, joined by members of the all-female Firdaus Orchestra – an Expo City Dubai initiative – performing in Lebanon for the first time. Inspired by the iconic tales of One Thousand and One Nights, Rimsky-Korsakov's magnum opus was structured in four movements, each representing different stories and adventures that Scheherazade would spin for King Shahryar each night. Having been betrayed by his first wife, the king no longer trusted women, and took to marrying a new bride every night before beheading her at dawn. Through Scheherazade's wits and gift of storytelling, she dreamt up new adventures each night and left them unfinished, piquing his curiosity and delaying her death another day, as the king wished to know how the tale ended. While the essence of the music stayed the same for Fazlian's reimagining, actors Jana Abi-Ghosn and Jalal Marwan Al Shaar, who starred as Scheherazade and King Shahrayar, brought the tales to life with an original script penned by poet Henri Zoghaib. Solos and added musical segments conceived by Fazlian seamlessly blended the original concert with added theatrical elements, all of which were performed on a stage that floated over the grape vines, almost like a magic carpet. Across the tales of The Sea and Sinbad's Ship, The Tale of the Kalendar Prince, The Young Prince and the Young Princess, and Festival at Baghdad – The Sea – The Shipwreck, Scheherazade sought to convince the king that love existed and was worth striving for. The two engaged in debates – a more nuanced narrative than the original tale, which held more violent and threatening undertones, as the heroine was tasked with telling entertaining stories each night, or else. In this retelling, the king was harsh and jaded, but open to learning from the lessons Scheherazade sprinkled into the tales, offering a more convincing reading of the love that eventually blossomed between the two characters. In the last act, she even challenges him using the analogy of a boat being dashed on the rocks as his own fate – an unbendable vessel being tossed about by metaphorical waves of anger, righteousness and loneliness – beseeching him to embrace love and change. After he heard the rest of her tale, he admitted his love for Scheherazade. The choice to have an all-female orchestra felt fitting for a performance of Scheherazade, paying tribute to a clever and spirited heroine who was able to fight her fate through wits alone. Most importantly, the music was retooled for instruments from the region. Rimsky-Korsakov's composition was written for the western orchestra, whereas Fazlian adapted the music for a string orchestra with oriental instruments and percussion. It served as a subtle way to reclaim the fable from the more orientalist perspectives of the symphony's beginnings. The intimate stage and setting – devoid of painted sets or a grandiose formal theatre – brought the tale back to its cultural roots. The performance focused on the wonder of storytelling on quiet evenings, honouring a tradition still practised in the region. Surrounded by the verdant mountains backlit by the sunset, it was an easy feat for the show to transport the audience directly to the scenes Scheherazade painted with her words, making for a truly magical evening.
Web Release
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Web Release
'Scheherazade' Revives Her Legends in a Majestic Orchestral Performance at IXSIR
At sunset on July 10 and 11, the hills of Ixsir will transform into an open-air stage for two magical evenings. More than a concert, this orchestral performance offers a fully immersive artistic experience—where every detail becomes part of a sweeping narrative of beauty and myth. Inspired by the enchantment of One Thousand and One Nights, the performance is conceived, designed, and conducted by Lebanese-Armenian Maestro Harout Fazlian. It brings East and West into harmony, blending oriental instruments with Rimsky-Korsakov's iconic Scheherazade (1888)—a masterpiece of the Russian school known for its vivid orchestral storytelling. Under the summer sky, the all-female Firdaus Orchestra – a pioneering initiative by ExpoCity-Dubai dedicated to empowering women through music – will take the stage with 26 professional musicians. With delicate artistry, they will weave melodies and tales into a singular moment suspended between mountains and vineyards.
Sydney Morning Herald
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Winter might be setting in, but there's still plenty to do
For those who love the great outdoors, winter can be a challenging time. Fortunately in Melbourne there are always plenty of options when it comes to the arts and culture. Scheherazade Hamer Hall, June 2 For a transcendental start to your week like no other, join the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's 'quick fix at half six' on the first Monday of June – a 75-minute performance that kickstarts with excerpts and insights from the conductor before a work is performed in full. On this night in question, the conductor is Hong Kong-born, internationally renowned conductor Elim Chan and the work is Scheherazade, a symphonic suite composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888 and based on One Thousand and One Nights. First Voices Showcase Iwaki Auditorium, June 4 Celebrate the culmination of one of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's most exciting artist development programs, the First Voices Composer program, at this showcase event. Hear the premiere of works by Jaadwa composer, producer and sound artist James Howard and Yorta Yorta, Wurundjeri and South Sea Islander multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Nathaniel Andrew, performed by musicians of the MSO, in an evening that celebrates the vital contribution of First Nations artists to the ongoing vitality of the orchestral sector. Noongar violinist, violist, composer and conductor Aaron Wyatt will conduct and present on the night. The Birds Malthouse, until June 7 Forever immortalised on film by master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, Daphne du Maurier's chilling thriller The Birds has been adapted into a stage production at Malthouse Theatre. Directed by Malthouse's former artistic director Matthew Lutton and brought to life by playwright Louise Fox, the one-woman show stars Paula Arundell – one of Australia's most compelling stage actors – in an unforgettable tour de force. Armed with individual headsets, theatregoers are thrust into an adrenaline-fuelled soundscape of flying feathers and murderous swoops as relentless, supernatural birds attack a coastal town. Chinese Textile Donations from Tyon Gee Museum of Chinese Australian History, June 8 This one-of-a-kind event will unveil a beautiful capsule collection of Chinese garments donated by Tyon Gee, an early Chinese migrant who moved from Guangdong to Sydney in 1939 with her husband and two children. Her story and wardrobe reflect the resilience and cultural heritage of Chinese Australians in the 1930s, highlighting the tension at the time between tradition and assimilation and the preservation of cultural roots. It's a special opportunity to explore history through fabric, fashion, and migrant-led storytelling.
The Age
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Winter might be setting in, but there's still plenty to do
For those who love the great outdoors, winter can be a challenging time. Fortunately in Melbourne there are always plenty of options when it comes to the arts and culture. Scheherazade Hamer Hall, June 2 For a transcendental start to your week like no other, join the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's 'quick fix at half six' on the first Monday of June – a 75-minute performance that kickstarts with excerpts and insights from the conductor before a work is performed in full. On this night in question, the conductor is Hong Kong-born, internationally renowned conductor Elim Chan and the work is Scheherazade, a symphonic suite composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888 and based on One Thousand and One Nights. First Voices Showcase Iwaki Auditorium, June 4 Celebrate the culmination of one of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's most exciting artist development programs, the First Voices Composer program, at this showcase event. Hear the premiere of works by Jaadwa composer, producer and sound artist James Howard and Yorta Yorta, Wurundjeri and South Sea Islander multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Nathaniel Andrew, performed by musicians of the MSO, in an evening that celebrates the vital contribution of First Nations artists to the ongoing vitality of the orchestral sector. Noongar violinist, violist, composer and conductor Aaron Wyatt will conduct and present on the night. The Birds Malthouse, until June 7 Forever immortalised on film by master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, Daphne du Maurier's chilling thriller The Birds has been adapted into a stage production at Malthouse Theatre. Directed by Malthouse's former artistic director Matthew Lutton and brought to life by playwright Louise Fox, the one-woman show stars Paula Arundell – one of Australia's most compelling stage actors – in an unforgettable tour de force. Armed with individual headsets, theatregoers are thrust into an adrenaline-fuelled soundscape of flying feathers and murderous swoops as relentless, supernatural birds attack a coastal town. Chinese Textile Donations from Tyon Gee Museum of Chinese Australian History, June 8 This one-of-a-kind event will unveil a beautiful capsule collection of Chinese garments donated by Tyon Gee, an early Chinese migrant who moved from Guangdong to Sydney in 1939 with her husband and two children. Her story and wardrobe reflect the resilience and cultural heritage of Chinese Australians in the 1930s, highlighting the tension at the time between tradition and assimilation and the preservation of cultural roots. It's a special opportunity to explore history through fabric, fashion, and migrant-led storytelling.
The National
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Hussein Fahmy says 'shortcut culture' is undermining Egyptian television and drama
Hussein Fahmy says diminishing standards – from storytelling to production – are affecting Egyptian television and drama. Speaking at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the veteran actor and Cairo International Film Festival president attributed the decline to what he describes as a 'shortcut culture' within the industry, where trends and commercial appeal are prioritised over strong narratives and craftsmanship. The result, he suggested, is an increasingly skewed portrayal of Egypt and its people on screen, along with a disregard for classical Arabic texts that have long served as a rich source of inspiration for Egyptian film and television. 'What we are lacking today, I believe, is seriousness,' he said. 'I see a lot of shortcutting in writing and execution, and what this ultimately does is reduce the value of drama. This is played out in how we no longer treat heritage texts seriously and instead run after market demands with superficial works. True success comes when the work is good and has substance. Only then does it ultimately succeed.' It was a pointed message that Fahmy, 85, directed not only at his colleagues, but at the audience as well, suggesting that it is they who ultimately control the standards of what is acceptable, not the other way around. 'No one controls public taste,' he added. 'The audience does. The public has the right to change the channel, to stop watching, to not go to the cinema. I place a major responsibility on the audience. When the audience supports meaningful work, producers will follow. But when audiences chase commercial, shallow works, producers will replicate them. 'When the public accepts meaningless productions, they deny us the opportunity to offer them refined culture. The public must help us artists by choosing quality, supporting fine comedy, fine drama, and rejecting vulgarity. 'I am against the idea that you are 'forced' to listen to bad music. If you hear a bad song, don't listen to it again. We all bear a social responsibility to uplift public taste.' Fahmy's reflections came as part of a wider discussion on the inspirations behind his near seven-decade career, particularly the ancient anthology One Thousand and One Nights, designated as the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair's key text and dubbed 'Book of the World' for this year's event. One of Fahmy's most memorable roles was in the Egyptian television adaptation of Alf Leila wa Leila (One Thousand and One Nights), which aired during Ramadan in 1984. Starring as Shahrayar, the despot who spares Scheherazade's life due to her ability to spin evocative tales, Fahmy was initially hesitant about the character. 'He is portrayed in the text as a vengeful king who killed someone every morning, and I told myself, 'I can't just play him like that,'' he said. 'I concluded that the only way viewers would empathise with him – and not condemn him immediately from the onset – is if he secretly loved Scheherazade from the very beginning.' Fahmy, who first heard stories from One Thousand and One Nights as a child on Egyptian public radio, said the lasting appeal of these tales lies in the freedom they give readers to imagine them in their own way. 'There are various characters in the book that we can all relate to, and they are so open to interpretation that they don't need a director's vision imposed on them,' he said. 'That's why the work will always endure – and why I believe there will never be a definitive television or film version of it. 'It also goes to show you the power of books – how they allow you to shape your imagination in your own way. You live the story through your mind, not someone else's vision.' Screen adaptations like Alf Leila wa Leila, universal in their appeal across the Arab world, are what is currently missing from Egyptian film and television. 'Today, Arab cinema has become too localised,' he continued. 'In the past, Egyptian films spoke to all Arabs – you could see yourself in them whether you were from Tunisia, Morocco, Syria or anywhere else. Today, Egyptian films have become so local that they no longer represent the wider Arab audience, and that is a major loss. 'Historical dramas used to be a way to bring people together, but now they face more difficulties. Political sensitivities and historical disagreements often block wider distribution. It has become more difficult to produce them – let alone more expensive. Hence, we are seeing different kinds of stories being produced today.' The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is running at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until May 5
