RIYADH: Saudi officials on Thursday revealed details of performances of “Zarqa Al-Yamama,” the first Saudi opera and the largest to be performed in the Arabic language.
The opera opens on April 25 and will run until May 4 at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh, the Theater and Performing Arts Commission announced at a press conference.
Sultan Al-Bazei, the CEO of the commission, said: “The ‘Zarqa Al-Yamama’ opera represents a new phase for Saudi culture, in which the most famous stories of our narrative and cultural heritage are embodied on the theater stages with qualitative works according to the highest international standards.”
He added that the new production is the result of years of work, and all its details were developed with great care and hard work.
He expressed appreciation for the follow-up and attention given by Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who is also the chairman of the board of directors of the Theater and Performing Arts Commission.
Prince Badr announced the launch of the opera on Feb. 16 at a ceremony in London, which was attended by the Saudi and international creatives participating in the opera’s production.
Al-Bazei said that “Zarqaa Al-Yamama” derives its story, spirit and language from the cultures of the Arabian Peninsula.
The opera “in some way embodies a bloody tragedy, depicting ancient history and at the same time symbolizing the sorrows of the contemporary man in the world, without being devoid of the specter of hope that heralds a bright and prosperous tomorrow,” Al-Bazei explained.
He added that the first Saudi opera will include prominent names in the Saudi music scene, most notably the author of the text, Saleh Zamanan, and the participation of a number of Saudi artists in the show.
Al-Bazei said the Dresden Sinfoniker Orchestra will perform the musical pieces of the opera, and the Czech Philharmonic Choir will accompany the events of the story with distinctive vocals, while Swiss director Daniele Finzi Pasca will undertake the task of directing all the details of the opera.
International operatic composer Lee Bradshaw put together the tunes for this epic story, drawing inspiration from some traditional elements to create a contemporary framework.
The commission announced during the press conference the main partners are the Roshan Group and the King Fahd Cultural Center.
It also honored other official partners including Banque Saudi Fransi, Saudi Signs Media and Genesis Motor, and sponsors including Nova and Spirit of Saudi Arabia, and hospitality partners Bateel and Ramada by Wyndham.
Through the opera, the Theater and Performing Arts Commission aims to strengthen the Saudi cultural sector, highlight national talent, and reproduce and revive famous works and stories inherited from the Arabian Peninsula in a contemporary and creative form.
It also aims to enhance international cultural exchange, as one of the goals of the National Strategy for Culture derived from the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
