On Saturday 15 February, Egyptian audiences will for the first time be offered the Cantata 'Alexander Nevsky' by the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, along with other works by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev On Saturday 15 February, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui will perform a unique concert entirely dedicated to Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) and offering an Egyptian premiere of one of his works. The concert will include the March from The Love for Three Oranges opera, Op.33, the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in D major and the "Alexander Nevsky" Cantata for mezzo soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra. About his choice of Prokofiev's works, Nagui revealed to Ahram Online that "Not only is Prokofiev one of my favourite composers, but I also find that he is always underrated. This is due to the fact that his music is very elaborate, while [remaining] unexpected and fresh. Adding a Russian chorus work to the A Cappella Choir repertoire is a true innovation, especially when we're talking about an epic such as Alexander Nevsky." Based on a satirical tale with the same title by 18th-century Italian writer Carlo Gozzi, Prokofiev's opera The Love for Three Oranges premiered in Chicago in 1921. The tale revolves around a prince on a quest for three oranges, one of which encloses the beautiful fairy princess Ninetta. The March to be performed by the orchestra -- from a scene where the prince awakens from his gloomy mood to move to the court and begin his long journey -- returns in the composer's ballet Cinderella (1944). Frequently played during symphonic concerts, it was also used in the 1940s and 1950s' popular radio-drama series The FBI in Peace and War, and is often utilised in skits aiming to ridicule authority. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in D major premiered in 1923 at the Paris Opera. The work consists of Romantic sensibility -- for which Prokofiev was criticised by the French who found it "too Mendelssohnian" -- along with a touch of modern music. Following mixed reviews in Paris, the concerto was received with great admiration by audiences in Moscow, where it was performed mere days following the Parisian premiere. Its return to Western concert halls a year later brought far more deserving recognition. Hossam Shehata, the evening's violin soloist, graduated from the Cairo Conservatory in 2001. He pursued his violin studies at the Netherlands' Maastricht Conservatoire, graduating in 2005 with the highest diploma in classical music. Shehata then received a two-year scholarship to further his education at Vienna University where he studied with Professor Dora Schwarzberg. He frequently performs solo in Egypt and boasts a number of international appearances: in Germany, Spain and Poland, among other countries. Shehata currently teaches at the Cairo Conservatory and is the Cairo Symphony Orchestra soloist and 2nd Konzertmeister. The second half of the evening will include the Cantata "Alexander Nevsky," based on Prokofiev's music score to the 1938 Russian historical drama Alexander Nevsky, which takes the viewer to Russia's 13th-century Teutonic Knights. Awarded the Lenin prize, the film was included among the 1978 "100 best motion pictures," as enumerated by the listings of Italy's biggest publishing house A. Mondadori. It was after the score was completed that Prokofiev rearranged it to form the Cantata for mezzo soprano, chorus and orchestra. This will be the Egyptian premiere of Prokofiev's Cantata. The work carries growling and noble character typical of choral works from the Russian Soviet Union. While brightly animated, its dark and earthy weight fluctuates between the sensations of heavy morning midst and the heaviness of battle. Egyptian audiences will for the first time become acquainted with the depth and unique emotional charge of this composition. The cantata will be joined by mezzo soprano Jolie Faizy, the Cairo Opera Company member who returns to this stage with numerous operas and gala concerts. A Cappella Choir, with Maya Gvineria as choir master, will perform alongside Faizy and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. Formed in 1999, the A Cappella Choir participates with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra in the performances of renowned works for choir and orchestra. The evening will be conducted by Nayer Nagui, principal conductor and artistic director of the Cairo Opera Orchestra since 2011. Alongside his commitments with the Cairo Opera Orchestra, Nagui frequently conducts the Cairo Symphony Orchestra as well as the 100 singers forming the Cairo Celebration Choir, which he founded in 2000. Programme: Saturday 15 February at 8pm Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek, Cairo http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/93858.aspx
