Cairo Symphony Orchestra will perform Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Elgar's Concerto for cello and orchestra at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall on Saturday 28 May. The conductor for the evening will be Hisham Gabr with soloist Ayman El Hanbouli.
The tales of the Arabian Nights were passed down through the centuries by word of mouth with the oldest tales dating back to the 10th century.
Rimsky-Korsakov, a Russian composer of the Romantic era composed a well-known piece, Scheherazade. Based on Arabian tales, the work has many elements characteristic of Russian music, and in addition Rimsky-Korsakov added some “oriental” flavours.
Scheherazade was not meant to be an exact depiction of Scheherazade's stories, but through music the composer joins a number of tales such as “The Sea and Sinbad's Ship” in the first movement, all the way to “The Festival in Baghdad” depicted in the last movement.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was a member of the group 'Mighty Five', who composed orchestral and chamber works, choral works, and operas, among other compositions. All his works are distinguished by brilliant orchestration.
Rimsky-Korsakov became a master of colour, texture and mood, even though he knew little about music theory, and continued to teach himself as he went along and became a master of orchestration. His many students included Glazunov, Prokofiev and Stravinsky.
Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, his last notable work, is a cornerstone of the solo cello repertoire. Elgar composed it in the aftermath of the First World War, by which time his music had gone out of fashion with the concert-going public.
Saturday 28 May at 8 pm - Main Hall, Cairo Opera House
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