Ashraf AboArafe
In a show that represents a visual astonishment for everyone attending, the audience of the “Zarqa Al-Yamamah” opera praised the artistic painting, which was presented by the work at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh, presenting an inspiring operatic performance according to the highest international standards.
In the operatic work, the performances of the Saudi and international actors are complementary, supported by artistic details in the direction, costumes, lighting, and music. The designs of the traditional costumes reflect the spirit of the opera and the visual aesthetics of the pre-Islamic era, and the music blends elements of Arabic music, Saudi heritage, and the styles found in international operatic musical pieces. Like Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, lighting, in turn, crowns this work, drawing the viewer’s eye to the site of the event, and the plot led by a wise, sharp-eyed woman who comes from the Jadis tribe.
Artistic and musical dimensions intersect in the character of Zarqa Al-Yamamah, to weave an expressive painting that touches the viewers’ senses, to the rhythm of a dramatic story full of conflicts, taking this story as a bridge to cross to the world of art and music, and in which every element in this operatic performance contributes to enriching the artistic experience and conveying the story’s message. In a creative and influential way.
“Zarqaa Al-Yamama” opera, the first Saudi opera, provides a visual and audio treatment of the legendary story. The rhythm of which is set by a historical figure from the land of the Arabian Peninsula, and narrates chapters of human conflict in many story arcs, and a drama presented by international stars and rising Saudi talents, embodying the ability of art to transcend borders and elevate the human spirit.
His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, had announced the launch of the first and largest Saudi opera in the Arabic language, entitled “Zarqa Al-Yamamah,” last February. The Theater and Performing Arts Authority aims, through the production of this work, to strengthen the Saudi cultural movement and highlight talents. Patriotism, and the reproduction and revival of famous works and stories inherited from the Arabian Peninsula in a contemporary and creative way, to promote international cultural exchange.
The operatic show “Zarqa Al-Yamamah” will be held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh, the edifice that opened in 2000 AD in conjunction with the selection of the city of Riyadh as the “Capital of Arab Culture,” and was rehabilitated to comply with the standards of operatic performances, and according to the Salman style.
