The Cairo Opera House inaugurated the 66th season of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, with a concert held on the Small Hall, on Saturday titled “Ana Hawet Wa Ntaheit,” (I Loved And I’m Done), conducted by Maestro Mohamed Saad Basha and with the participation of singer Amira Ahmed.
The program included a selection of Arab and international musical masterpieces, providing a sophisticated artistic experience embodying the deep interaction between Arab and international musical heritage.
The concert began with the piece “The Girl of Arles” by Georges Bizet.
Accompanied by the orchestra, Amira Ahmed then sang “Lan Abky” (I Will Not Cry) from a poem by Palestinian poet Fadwa Tuqan, composed by Ahmed al-Saidi.
She also sang “Ana Hawet Wa Ntaheit,” (I Loved And I’m Done), by Sayed Darwish, with a new arrangement by maestro Mohamed Saad Basha.
The orchestra concluded the concert with an overture and Polovtsian dances from Alexander Borodin’s opera Prince Igor.
In this epic musical work, Borodin’s style is evident on utilizing Russian folk music with its loud heroic sense and on his unusual harmonic innovations, evident in the Polovtsian dances with their beautiful arrangements and the fluidity of their simple rhythms.
The Cairo Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1959 by the Austrian maestro Franz Litschauer, and since then has contributed to enriching the musical life in Egypt by hosting the most famous musicians in the world.
The orchestra also works to encourage Egyptian musicians, composers, players and conductors to announce themselves, and throughout its history it has succeeded in adding multiple international compositions to its artistic repertoire.
It has also organized various workshops for international trainers, in addition to conducting successful artistic tours all over the world.
