Britain's What's On Event Guide
The Resurrection of Persian Kings (Concert)
The Resurrection of the Persian Kings, is the first Persian Opera written by MirZadeh Ehsghi (1893-1924), Iranian poet, journalist and political activist. Eshghi was inspired by an operetta (Leili & Majnoon), which he saw in Istanbul, while travelling with his friend, Aref Qazvini, another prominent political songwriter, in his own right.
Even though Eshghi had no training in classical music or wasn't very familiar with the tradition of Italian opera, he created what must be regarded as a musical stagework, in which he recalls the golden age of Persian empire. This was the beginning of an intellectual movement in Iran that was looking in per-Islamic times for a sense of lost glory and identity. In the beginning of the opera, Eshghi recalls his visit to the ruins of Taq Kasra in Baqdad. He falls asleep and in his dream, Eshghi sees various Persian kings and princesses resurrected out of their tombs, who are followed by Zarathushtra, the great Persian prophet. The message they give to the audience is simple: What has become of Iran, is an embarrassment and Iranians need to wake up.
In the attempt to resurrect this opera, Solmaz Naraqi (who has written a biography of Mirzadeh Eshghi) contacted his family and managed to record and notate parts of the lost music. There is a recording of the legendary Iranian singer, Qamar Molook Vaziri, singing some other parts of this work. Hossein Hadisi has written music for the rest of the words and had devised a modern script, based on the idea by Solmaz Naraqi, in which the audience witnesses three different timelines: Hossein and Solmaz researching and producing this opera (today), Mirzadeh Eshghi and Qamar working on the premiere of the opera in Isfahan (20th c.) and the actual opera )supposedly happening around 1000 BC onwards).
Even though Eshghi had no training in classical music or wasn't very familiar with the tradition of Italian opera, he created what must be regarded as a musical stagework, in which he recalls the golden age of Persian empire. This was the beginning of an intellectual movement in Iran that was looking in per-Islamic times for a sense of lost glory and identity. In the beginning of the opera, Eshghi recalls his visit to the ruins of Taq Kasra in Baqdad. He falls asleep and in his dream, Eshghi sees various Persian kings and princesses resurrected out of their tombs, who are followed by Zarathushtra, the great Persian prophet. The message they give to the audience is simple: What has become of Iran, is an embarrassment and Iranians need to wake up.
In the attempt to resurrect this opera, Solmaz Naraqi (who has written a biography of Mirzadeh Eshghi) contacted his family and managed to record and notate parts of the lost music. There is a recording of the legendary Iranian singer, Qamar Molook Vaziri, singing some other parts of this work. Hossein Hadisi has written music for the rest of the words and had devised a modern script, based on the idea by Solmaz Naraqi, in which the audience witnesses three different timelines: Hossein and Solmaz researching and producing this opera (today), Mirzadeh Eshghi and Qamar working on the premiere of the opera in Isfahan (20th c.) and the actual opera )supposedly happening around 1000 BC onwards).
Saturday 4/5/24, 7-9pm
Djam Lecture Hall, SOAS University
Tickets (£10 each)
Student Tickets (£5 each)
Djam Lecture Hall, SOAS University
Tickets (£10 each)
Student Tickets (£5 each)
SOAS University of London
Address 10 Thornhaugh Street
London
United Kingdom WC1H 0XG
Sat 4 May