Hatem & Suleika
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Wed 20 May 202620:15 - 22:00Grote Zaal
Program
19.15 / Foyerdeck 1 / Pre-concert talk
20.15 / Grote Zaal / Main program
Richard Wagner Vorspiel from Tristan und Isolde
Kayhan Kalhor Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur
Gustav Mahler Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
Fazıl Say Şahmeran
Felix Mendelssohn Suleika
Maurice Ravel La Valse (arr. for strings)
Credits
Amsterdam Sinfonietta
Candida Thompson musical direction, violin
Kian Soltani cello
Kayhan Kalhor kemenche
Goethe drew inspiration for his poetry collection West-östlicher Divan from the works of the 14th-century Persian poet Hafez, in which the love between the poet Hatem and his beloved Suleika represents an invigorating dialogue between East and West. Similarly, in Blue as the Turquoise Night, Iranian composer Kayhan Kalhor creates a meditative, nocturnal world that shifts back and forth between a Western and a more traditional Persian style.
The legend of Şahmeran, a mythical snake queen from Anatolian folklore who is killed after having been betrayed, reflects themes of wisdom, beauty and sacrifice. This narrative inspired the Turkish composer Fazıl Say to create a cello concerto. In the tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde, betrayal also leads to downfall, yet their love is portrayed as eternal. Mahler’s Adagietto is a deeply felt ode to his wife Alma, showing how love transcends differences.
