BORIS GODUNOV

BORIS GODUNOV
is on now if anyone is interested in getting a bit of Russian Opera, currently hip!
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regards

No Woody Allen fans or Opera fans tonight ?
[ October 11, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

qatar stages first arab opera

Thought someone may be interested in this.
Michiel Borstlap
The first opera to be written, produced and performed by arabs has received its world premiere in Qatar.
The opera, Avicenna tells the story of the 10th Century writer Ibn Sina. It was composed by Michiel Borstlap from the Netherlands based on a text by Ahmed al-Dosari. The performance, attended by the Emir of Qatar and 1000 guests, took place on a massive stage in a desert fortress.
The librettist told press agencies that he believed 'opera has no nationality, no country...it's universal - this is our message."

The first opera to be written, produced and performed by arabs
Aside from the composer, the orchestra, and most of the cast, it appears:
http://www.michielborstlap.com/frames/newsframe/newsfr.html
I'm making assumptions here based on names, but I think I'm on reasonably solid ground. I assume the choir of 100 is mostly Arabs. Otherwise though - how is this different from, say, Aida? I guess for Avicenna, the producer and the original text are Arabs, which wasn't the case for Aida. I suppose "the first opera to be partly written, produced and partly performed by arabs" wouldn't have sounded quite as good.

[ October 18, 2003: Message edited by: Jim Yingst ]

A review.

I suppose "the first opera to be partly written, produced and partly performed by arabs" wouldn't have sounded quite as good.

True. It was on the pages of Classic FM and I took it to be the truth.

If trying to attract media attention they may have succeeded.
regards