Egyptian film hopes to be liberated by revolution
Before a popular revolt ousted Egypt's autocratic president this year, it seemed certain that a film about the desperation of Cairo's poor would never reach Egypt's cinemas
The director of "Cairo Exit," Hesham Issawi, said the film was banned after he refused to make changes requested by Egyptian censors and then shot scenes behind the backs of authorities.
But following a wave of demonstrations that swept President Hosni Mubarak from power on February 11, Issawi said he expected the ban to be lifted.
"Now, I think it will be different," he said in an interview following a screening of "Cairo Exit" at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
The film explores the sense of hopelessness that has driven Egyptians to emigrate, as well as the differences that have fragmented Egyptian society.
Filmed in Cairo one year before the 18-day uprising, it addresses some of the grievances that led to the uprising, Issawi said.
"During my time, people wanted to go to the States. That was the dream," said Issawi, who at 45 has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States for half his life.
"These last couple of years, everybody just wanted to get out. It didn't matter, rich class, poor class, they all just wanted to get out," he said. "It was like they just can't breathe."
"Cairo Exit" follows a young Egyptian couple -- Tarek, a Muslim who wants to escape in Italy, and his Coptic Christian girlfriend, Amal, who also wants to get out but worries about leaving her elderly mother.
For money, Tarek delivers take-out lunches to the ostentatious mansions of the city's elite, which are as alien to Cairo's sprawl as a European resort.
Issawi, who is Muslim, said his own teenage relationship with a Coptic Christian helped inspire the plot. And he said a reluctance to stir up tension among Egypt's religious communities has meant that very few Egyptian films offer complex portrayals of Coptic Christians.
"GUERRILLA FILMMAKING"
It was the religious subject matter that got the film into trouble with state censors, whose approval is essential to being able to film on Cairo streets, Issawi said.
"One of the things that that really bothered them in the script is they didn't want to have the girl be a Christian. They don't want problems with the Coptic community," Issawi said.
Eager to begin shooting and impatient with delays in the film's approval process, Issawi said he began work without receiving permission. To keep a low profile, the crew worked with small handheld cameras, he said.
Eventually, the film was rejected. To continue working, Issawi said he offered the state censors a fake script, which made it appear he was complying with their demands, and that script was approved.
"Our hope was, if we shoot the movie, and get it outside of Egypt and it gets sold outside Egypt, then it's gonna create a buzz. Then it kind of forces them to accept the movie," he said.
In the end, "Cairo Exit" became a case of "guerrilla filmmaking," with Issawi, the producers and the crew playing games with the authorities, he said.
By January of this year, the film had been completed and Issawi was planning to return home to California. When protests broke out in Cairo on January 25, Issawi said at first he avoided them.
But within a few days, as it become clear that something extraordinary was happening, Issawi and his wife, who is also Egyptian, joined the protests.
Now, Issawi is rethinking his own exile, and says he hopes to return to his homeland.
"Egypt now is very fertile," he said. "If we don't use this opportunity, nothing is going to happen. It's not going to be easy, it's not going to happen next year, but we have to build that."
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Egypt satellite channels given freedom assurances
Egypt satellite channels given freedom assurances
Egypt's General Authority for Investment (GAFI) said it annulled the restrictions placed on the launch of new satellite channels
Chairman Osama Saleh revealed the GAFI made a number of decisions to give more freedom to TV channels in the wake of the popular uprising which toppled former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
“Media investors will be able to work freely now. Freedom of expression will be guaranteed from now on,” Saleh said on Sunday.
“The GAFI will not be seeking security information about the founders of TV channels. The rule that TV channels should be specialised has been also reverted.
“Such measures will pave the way for the launch of many new channels. 16 channels have already been launched.”
A few months before the eruption of the January 25 revolution dozens of channels were suspended, including four religious ones, for ‘code of ethics violations’.
Things have greatly changed following the revolution, however, as many opposition figures have been given a chance to express their opinions on national TV.
There will be no restrictions on privately-owned channels either.
 |
| Egypt satellite channels given freedom assurances |
Chairman Osama Saleh revealed the GAFI made a number of decisions to give more freedom to TV channels in the wake of the popular uprising which toppled former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
“Media investors will be able to work freely now. Freedom of expression will be guaranteed from now on,” Saleh said on Sunday.
“The GAFI will not be seeking security information about the founders of TV channels. The rule that TV channels should be specialised has been also reverted.
“Such measures will pave the way for the launch of many new channels. 16 channels have already been launched.”
A few months before the eruption of the January 25 revolution dozens of channels were suspended, including four religious ones, for ‘code of ethics violations’.
Things have greatly changed following the revolution, however, as many opposition figures have been given a chance to express their opinions on national TV.
There will be no restrictions on privately-owned channels either.
Charity festival today at Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Charity festival today at Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Music Inc is a charitable organisation aiming to help and support various causes through music. The bands participating in the Music Inc charity festival VOL II are: Asfalt featuring Zap, Taxi, Salalem, Massar Egbari and Cairokee.
All profits from the event will go to charity. Organisers welcome proposals from charitable projects looking for financial support. The bank account for donations will be announced soon.
Music Inc is a charitable organisation aiming to help and support various causes through music. The bands participating in the Music Inc charity festival VOL II are: Asfalt featuring Zap, Taxi, Salalem, Massar Egbari and Cairokee.
All profits from the event will go to charity. Organisers welcome proposals from charitable projects looking for financial support. The bank account for donations will be announced soon.
Lumet classic films evoke corruption and injustice in Egypt
Lumet classic films evoke corruption and injustice in Egypt
“Lumet was a filmmaker who portrayed the sleazy side of New York in his films,” said film critic Sherif Awad. “In Serpico, Lumet trails an undercover cop as he realises that the police are even more corrupt than the crooks
“Lumet condemned violence and introduced issues on injustice in his movies,” continued Awad. Other films involving corruption in the police include Prince of the City (1981), Q&A (1990), and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996).
Sydney Lumet, like Woody Allen, was a filmmaker known for his interest in the city of New York. "He was definitely the quintessential NY filmmaker, although ironically his finest film, The Hill, was shot elsewhere," Allen said in a statement released to Entertainment Weekly. Martin Scorsese also described him as a New York filmmaker at heart.
However his films, which reveal the nitty-gritty of life in New York, are relevant to Egypt today. One in particular, Network, about duplicity and deceit in the media, reflects concerns facing Egyptian society. It is a satire on the stark reality of the inner workings of television and news stations and refutes the popular, Hollywood-inspired image of journalists valiantly seeking the truth.
In the film a fictional television station, Union Broadcasting System (UBS), is struggling with low ratings and is on the verge of closure. Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is given two weeks’ notice to quit and goes on air to announce he will commit suicide. Viewer numbers shoot up and lead the competitive, fame-obsessed television executive, Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) to broadcast Beale’s crazy tirades on television as a golden opportunity to further boost the ratings.
“The American people are angry and have been clobbered on all sides by Vietnam, Watergate and inflation,” Christansen says earlier in the film. “They want somebody to articulate their rage for them".
In one of the most memorable scenes Beale explodes with anger on air and calls on viewers to go to their windows and shout, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore”. The response from the public makes it apparent that television can influence people and the universality and timelessness of Lumet’s Network is undisputable.
The audacity of the media in twisting the truth and broadcasting lies has been evident during the current Arab uprisings. In Egypt state television claimed that protestors in Tahrir Square were receiving money and meals from KFC and even got a woman to assert that she was one of the protesters and had been trained in the US and other countries.
The demonstrations that erupted in front of Maspero, the state television building, calling for the sacking of the heads of media companies, finds resonance in Lumet’s dark satire, as it is alleged that Egyptian state television was one of the factors that influenced the revolution.
Not only does the film criticise the media organisations themselves, but it sheds light on those working in the industry and how the environment affects them on a personal level.
The Christansen character, who develops from a publicity-seeker to an obsessive workaholic who would do anything to get higher ratings, was an excellent portrayal of those working in television. Even her romantic life suffered from her total absorption in her work and demonstrated how individuals can become blank human beings, without a soul or essence - a humanoid, as Beale says on his show.
The quest for the truth
In Lumet’s debut film, the 96-minute conversational 12 Angry Men, he exposes injustice in the courts. The film, set in the room where the jury is sent to debate on the evidence from the trial until they reach a unanimous verdict, has the viewer engrossed. 12 Angry Men has a relevant theme today; the quest for the truth.
The jury is swayed by the apparent facts that a 16-year-old boy is guilty of murder because of two eyewitness accounts and a threat he made to kill his father. One exception is the juror, played by Henry Fonda, who wants to give the boy a chance by fully investigating the details. As the events in the claustrophobic room unfold each juror is convinced of the truth in a way that relates to them personally.
As we are bombarded with information, rumours, hearsay accounts of incidents and mysteries, 12 Angry Men, reminds us to always dig deeper to try to get to the truth.
“Lumet was a filmmaker who portrayed the sleazy side of New York in his films,” said film critic Sherif Awad. “In Serpico, Lumet trails an undercover cop as he realises that the police are even more corrupt than the crooks
“Lumet condemned violence and introduced issues on injustice in his movies,” continued Awad. Other films involving corruption in the police include Prince of the City (1981), Q&A (1990), and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996).
Sydney Lumet, like Woody Allen, was a filmmaker known for his interest in the city of New York. "He was definitely the quintessential NY filmmaker, although ironically his finest film, The Hill, was shot elsewhere," Allen said in a statement released to Entertainment Weekly. Martin Scorsese also described him as a New York filmmaker at heart.
However his films, which reveal the nitty-gritty of life in New York, are relevant to Egypt today. One in particular, Network, about duplicity and deceit in the media, reflects concerns facing Egyptian society. It is a satire on the stark reality of the inner workings of television and news stations and refutes the popular, Hollywood-inspired image of journalists valiantly seeking the truth.
In the film a fictional television station, Union Broadcasting System (UBS), is struggling with low ratings and is on the verge of closure. Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is given two weeks’ notice to quit and goes on air to announce he will commit suicide. Viewer numbers shoot up and lead the competitive, fame-obsessed television executive, Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) to broadcast Beale’s crazy tirades on television as a golden opportunity to further boost the ratings.
“The American people are angry and have been clobbered on all sides by Vietnam, Watergate and inflation,” Christansen says earlier in the film. “They want somebody to articulate their rage for them".
In one of the most memorable scenes Beale explodes with anger on air and calls on viewers to go to their windows and shout, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore”. The response from the public makes it apparent that television can influence people and the universality and timelessness of Lumet’s Network is undisputable.
The audacity of the media in twisting the truth and broadcasting lies has been evident during the current Arab uprisings. In Egypt state television claimed that protestors in Tahrir Square were receiving money and meals from KFC and even got a woman to assert that she was one of the protesters and had been trained in the US and other countries.
The demonstrations that erupted in front of Maspero, the state television building, calling for the sacking of the heads of media companies, finds resonance in Lumet’s dark satire, as it is alleged that Egyptian state television was one of the factors that influenced the revolution.
Not only does the film criticise the media organisations themselves, but it sheds light on those working in the industry and how the environment affects them on a personal level.
The Christansen character, who develops from a publicity-seeker to an obsessive workaholic who would do anything to get higher ratings, was an excellent portrayal of those working in television. Even her romantic life suffered from her total absorption in her work and demonstrated how individuals can become blank human beings, without a soul or essence - a humanoid, as Beale says on his show.
The quest for the truth
In Lumet’s debut film, the 96-minute conversational 12 Angry Men, he exposes injustice in the courts. The film, set in the room where the jury is sent to debate on the evidence from the trial until they reach a unanimous verdict, has the viewer engrossed. 12 Angry Men has a relevant theme today; the quest for the truth.
The jury is swayed by the apparent facts that a 16-year-old boy is guilty of murder because of two eyewitness accounts and a threat he made to kill his father. One exception is the juror, played by Henry Fonda, who wants to give the boy a chance by fully investigating the details. As the events in the claustrophobic room unfold each juror is convinced of the truth in a way that relates to them personally.
As we are bombarded with information, rumours, hearsay accounts of incidents and mysteries, 12 Angry Men, reminds us to always dig deeper to try to get to the truth.
Paintings by Egyptian artists on auction at Christie's in Dubai
Paintings by Egyptian artists on auction at Christie's in Dubai
Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art auction held at Christie's in Dubai on 19 April will present over 100 paintings by artists from Western, Northern and Southern Asia, Africa as well as from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Palestine and other Arab countries.
The auction will include 10 paintings by Egyptian artists. Abdul Hadi al Gazzar's "Fishing", paintings by Ahmed Moustafa and Hamed Nada, Adel El Siwi's "Young Lovers", will be auctioned along with works by younger artists; Youssef Nabil, Ahmed Askalany, Marwa Adel, Karim El Quiriti, and Hamdi Attia.
Many of the paintings in the auction have been seen by Egyptian viewers, in exhibitions held in galleries in Cairo over the last year.
Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art auction held at Christie's in Dubai on 19 April will present over 100 paintings by artists from Western, Northern and Southern Asia, Africa as well as from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Palestine and other Arab countries.
The auction will include 10 paintings by Egyptian artists. Abdul Hadi al Gazzar's "Fishing", paintings by Ahmed Moustafa and Hamed Nada, Adel El Siwi's "Young Lovers", will be auctioned along with works by younger artists; Youssef Nabil, Ahmed Askalany, Marwa Adel, Karim El Quiriti, and Hamdi Attia.
Many of the paintings in the auction have been seen by Egyptian viewers, in exhibitions held in galleries in Cairo over the last year.
Zen Conference is back with a bang, Cairo
Zen Conference is back with a bang, Cairo
Around the world, including in Cairo, the idea that well-being is not only physical fitness but necessarily is paired with mental and emotional balance, i.e. “zen” is increasingly understood and the popularity of the Zen Conference last year in Cairo proves it. A hit last year, the second annual Zen Conference opens 22 April in Cairo
New contemporary dance, pilates, yoga and other fitness techniques have been spurred by foreigners and Egyptians alike through professional institutions in Egypt.
One of the leading and most well-known institutions is SAFE® Academy, which is the first International Fitness Education Academy launched in the Middle East. Throughout the years, Karim Strougo, founder and managing partner of STEP Center and of SAFE® has certified hundreds of fitness professionals who are now working in various fitness facilities in Egypt, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
At SAFE® the mission is to take fitness education in Egypt and the Middle East to international levels.
Their is “The Professional Group Fitness Instructor’s ManualTM”. currently the only internationally-recognised fitness certification based in the Middle East. In September 2004, they organised and hosted the first fitness convention in the Middle East’s and Egypt’s history.
This year the much-awaited Zen Conference is back to rival the success they saw in their last year’s conference.
The Mind & Body Conference of the Middle East: 22 - 30 April, 2011
Remaya Square, Step Center & Safe Academy behind Meridian El Ahram
“When we were organising the 2010 ZEN Conference, we were thinking of it as a small mind-and-body event that could take place in the years between our SAFE Conventions. We never expected ZEN to become such a success" reads the Zen Conference website, quoting Karim Strougo, ZEN Conference president.
"With the help of our sponsors, wonderful teamwork from the SAFE Academy staff, an amazing web designer and great enthusiasm from everybody, the 2010 ZEN Conference was a huge success, and this year, ZEN is much bigger with the cooperation of this year's sponsors, some of which are Mobinil,Tunturi®,Power Music®, and others”
Karim Strougo, will be teaching Yoga Therapy, levels 1 & 2 and a Body Release workshop using Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique and Contemporary Dance. Tracy Jennings-Hill of YogaFit is returning to teach levels 1 & 2 and the famous YogaFit Kids workshop. Jonathan Urla, who will bring his Yogilates® teacher, will teach Training Part I: Integrative Pilates Mat Intensive and two specialty workshops.
Around the world, including in Cairo, the idea that well-being is not only physical fitness but necessarily is paired with mental and emotional balance, i.e. “zen” is increasingly understood and the popularity of the Zen Conference last year in Cairo proves it. A hit last year, the second annual Zen Conference opens 22 April in Cairo
New contemporary dance, pilates, yoga and other fitness techniques have been spurred by foreigners and Egyptians alike through professional institutions in Egypt.
One of the leading and most well-known institutions is SAFE® Academy, which is the first International Fitness Education Academy launched in the Middle East. Throughout the years, Karim Strougo, founder and managing partner of STEP Center and of SAFE® has certified hundreds of fitness professionals who are now working in various fitness facilities in Egypt, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
At SAFE® the mission is to take fitness education in Egypt and the Middle East to international levels.
Their is “The Professional Group Fitness Instructor’s ManualTM”. currently the only internationally-recognised fitness certification based in the Middle East. In September 2004, they organised and hosted the first fitness convention in the Middle East’s and Egypt’s history.
This year the much-awaited Zen Conference is back to rival the success they saw in their last year’s conference.
The Mind & Body Conference of the Middle East: 22 - 30 April, 2011
Remaya Square, Step Center & Safe Academy behind Meridian El Ahram
“When we were organising the 2010 ZEN Conference, we were thinking of it as a small mind-and-body event that could take place in the years between our SAFE Conventions. We never expected ZEN to become such a success" reads the Zen Conference website, quoting Karim Strougo, ZEN Conference president.
"With the help of our sponsors, wonderful teamwork from the SAFE Academy staff, an amazing web designer and great enthusiasm from everybody, the 2010 ZEN Conference was a huge success, and this year, ZEN is much bigger with the cooperation of this year's sponsors, some of which are Mobinil,Tunturi®,Power Music®, and others”
Karim Strougo, will be teaching Yoga Therapy, levels 1 & 2 and a Body Release workshop using Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique and Contemporary Dance. Tracy Jennings-Hill of YogaFit is returning to teach levels 1 & 2 and the famous YogaFit Kids workshop. Jonathan Urla, who will bring his Yogilates® teacher, will teach Training Part I: Integrative Pilates Mat Intensive and two specialty workshops.
Bach wins again in Cairo
Bach wins again in Cairo
Eternal as he is, Bach is a ready attraction at any classical music evening. By the end of a hectic day, the composer always restores a sense of balance, strengthening morale. As such, Bach creates a dialogue with the listener, engages him without imposing the emotional charge.
Yet the emotional element is still there, gently, almost unintentionally. Bach takes the audience onto a journey of perfection with music that carries all manner of combinations of clever melodies, wonderful phrases and striking colors. If suffuses the soul of the listener, leaving a lasting imprint.
Although he has inspired many composers in Western classical music history, half a century after death of Bach, his music is almost entirely forgotten. This can be easily explained by the 18th century thirst for new musical propositions; every emerging composition labeled the one before it old. It took a few decades and the dawn of Romanticism for music world to shed light on the tremendous importance of Bach’s musical legacy.
It was in 1802 that Bach’s first biography was published in Leipzig. Written by Johann Nikolaus Forkel and titled Über Johann Sebastian Bachs Leben, Kunst und Kunstwerke (The Bach Reader: A Life of Johann Sebastian Bach in Letters and Documents) the work is based on his extensive correspondence with people close to the composer; and it presents analyses of many of his works. The biography was part of the reason the revival of interest in Bach.
Beethoven praised Bach’s compositions saying “Not ‘brook’, but ‘sea’ should he be called – because of his infinite, inexhaustible richness in tone combinations and harmonies.” But it was Robert Schumann who in 1850 encouraged foundation of the Bach-Gesellschaft (“Bach Society”), who said, “We're all plodders compared to Bach.” Johannes Brahms directed all future composers to the great master stating: “Study Bach, there you'll find everything.” Consequently, the 20th century has brought a remarkably large number of studies of harmonies and progressions in Bach compositions.
However Bach’s greatness cannot be limited to studies of his unprecedented musical logic, his almost mathematical approach to sounds: heavenly harmonies and breathtaking rhythmic formations; his genius goes beyond the contrapuntal masterfulness. While works for the organ are closest to Bach’s soul, his masses, oratorios and passions carry a celestial supremacy. His motets and sacred choral compositions in their holiness capture a relationship between human and divine powers. The composer’s profound knowledge of structure of instruments and techniques of performance helped him create masterful works incorporating a number of instruments.
Bach’s orchestral suites are nurtured by French musical style of the era and are based on stylized dances. Suite for Orchestra in D Major BWV 1068 owes its popularity to its second movement Air (or aria), often referred to as the “Air for the G String”. Performed on 7 April, that composition was a safe choice on the part of Johannes Leertouwer, the Dutch conductor and one of the solo violinists of the evening. Loved by many music lovers, Bach is equally attracting Egyptian listeners and during this concert they obviously enjoyed three first movements performed from the five movement Suite.
Suite for Orchestra in D Major carries very positive mood. A calm and rather contemplative Air is originally performed by strings only, and this was the case during the evening. However in the last decades dozens of performances of Air were undertaken on a variety of solo instruments as well as instrumental combinations.
The main problem with famous works such as this Suite is that the audience will have listened to them many times. We all have preferences and expectations about the way that music – especially music that we know – is performed; and minor deviation from what is expected can turn into a disappointment. The chamber formation conducted by Leertouwer seemed to float with the music and the strings dynamics fluctuated wonderfully, adding much anticipated emotions.
Leertouwer’s biography stresses his vast experience in Baroque era music. He worked as a konzertmeister of the Anima Eterna ensemble and of the Netherlands Bach Society. His biography stresses his noteworthy achievements as a violinist, while his web site reveals that as a conductor Leertouwer has a broad repertoire and awareness of many styles and “he is especially interested in interpreting the Viennese classics, leading string orchestras and working with vocalists.” Leetrouwer conducted the Orchestra Osaka Symphoniker, conducted many music projects and his visit to Tehran Baroque Orchestra was praised by the formation, who called him “a Baroque specialist.”
No wonder, Bach in the hands of Leertouwer seems to sound light and very correct. Yet, the virtuosity of Leertouwer especially surfaced in Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043, also known as the Double Violin Concerto, in which he also played violin. This is possibly one of the best known Bach compositions and audience magnets. Filled with fugal and contrapuntal elements, this architectural masterpiece allows the soloists to perform contrasting passages against the support of the orchestra. Both soloists, Hossam Shehata and Leertouwer performed masterfully; undoubtedly each gave a technically remarkable performance. However a more unifying music sensibility would have actually boosted passion veiled in Bach’s composition.
Second half of the concert shifted to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Symphony No. 5 in D Major Op. 107 “Reformation”. In the hands of the Baroque conductor and violinist, it was obvious that Mendelssohn belongs to another musical sphere. The very well performed Bach of the first half of the evening cast an obvious shadow over the Mendelssohn composition. Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 came too close in style to Bach and the Baroque era aesthetics were forcefully imposed on the composition. The timidity in the conductor’s interpretation resulted in a complete lack of the introspective elements otherwise characteristic of Romantic music like Mendelssohn’s.
But further analysis of Mendelssohn would overshadow the supreme pleasure of Bach. Let us leave with the impact of Bach and remember the words of David Blake who wrote in 2000: “JS Bach is the eternal musical take-away. He is always there. And fortunately there is always something worthwhile to move off with.”
Eternal as he is, Bach is a ready attraction at any classical music evening. By the end of a hectic day, the composer always restores a sense of balance, strengthening morale. As such, Bach creates a dialogue with the listener, engages him without imposing the emotional charge.
Yet the emotional element is still there, gently, almost unintentionally. Bach takes the audience onto a journey of perfection with music that carries all manner of combinations of clever melodies, wonderful phrases and striking colors. If suffuses the soul of the listener, leaving a lasting imprint.
Although he has inspired many composers in Western classical music history, half a century after death of Bach, his music is almost entirely forgotten. This can be easily explained by the 18th century thirst for new musical propositions; every emerging composition labeled the one before it old. It took a few decades and the dawn of Romanticism for music world to shed light on the tremendous importance of Bach’s musical legacy.
It was in 1802 that Bach’s first biography was published in Leipzig. Written by Johann Nikolaus Forkel and titled Über Johann Sebastian Bachs Leben, Kunst und Kunstwerke (The Bach Reader: A Life of Johann Sebastian Bach in Letters and Documents) the work is based on his extensive correspondence with people close to the composer; and it presents analyses of many of his works. The biography was part of the reason the revival of interest in Bach.
Beethoven praised Bach’s compositions saying “Not ‘brook’, but ‘sea’ should he be called – because of his infinite, inexhaustible richness in tone combinations and harmonies.” But it was Robert Schumann who in 1850 encouraged foundation of the Bach-Gesellschaft (“Bach Society”), who said, “We're all plodders compared to Bach.” Johannes Brahms directed all future composers to the great master stating: “Study Bach, there you'll find everything.” Consequently, the 20th century has brought a remarkably large number of studies of harmonies and progressions in Bach compositions.
However Bach’s greatness cannot be limited to studies of his unprecedented musical logic, his almost mathematical approach to sounds: heavenly harmonies and breathtaking rhythmic formations; his genius goes beyond the contrapuntal masterfulness. While works for the organ are closest to Bach’s soul, his masses, oratorios and passions carry a celestial supremacy. His motets and sacred choral compositions in their holiness capture a relationship between human and divine powers. The composer’s profound knowledge of structure of instruments and techniques of performance helped him create masterful works incorporating a number of instruments.
Bach’s orchestral suites are nurtured by French musical style of the era and are based on stylized dances. Suite for Orchestra in D Major BWV 1068 owes its popularity to its second movement Air (or aria), often referred to as the “Air for the G String”. Performed on 7 April, that composition was a safe choice on the part of Johannes Leertouwer, the Dutch conductor and one of the solo violinists of the evening. Loved by many music lovers, Bach is equally attracting Egyptian listeners and during this concert they obviously enjoyed three first movements performed from the five movement Suite.
Suite for Orchestra in D Major carries very positive mood. A calm and rather contemplative Air is originally performed by strings only, and this was the case during the evening. However in the last decades dozens of performances of Air were undertaken on a variety of solo instruments as well as instrumental combinations.
The main problem with famous works such as this Suite is that the audience will have listened to them many times. We all have preferences and expectations about the way that music – especially music that we know – is performed; and minor deviation from what is expected can turn into a disappointment. The chamber formation conducted by Leertouwer seemed to float with the music and the strings dynamics fluctuated wonderfully, adding much anticipated emotions.
Leertouwer’s biography stresses his vast experience in Baroque era music. He worked as a konzertmeister of the Anima Eterna ensemble and of the Netherlands Bach Society. His biography stresses his noteworthy achievements as a violinist, while his web site reveals that as a conductor Leertouwer has a broad repertoire and awareness of many styles and “he is especially interested in interpreting the Viennese classics, leading string orchestras and working with vocalists.” Leetrouwer conducted the Orchestra Osaka Symphoniker, conducted many music projects and his visit to Tehran Baroque Orchestra was praised by the formation, who called him “a Baroque specialist.”
No wonder, Bach in the hands of Leertouwer seems to sound light and very correct. Yet, the virtuosity of Leertouwer especially surfaced in Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043, also known as the Double Violin Concerto, in which he also played violin. This is possibly one of the best known Bach compositions and audience magnets. Filled with fugal and contrapuntal elements, this architectural masterpiece allows the soloists to perform contrasting passages against the support of the orchestra. Both soloists, Hossam Shehata and Leertouwer performed masterfully; undoubtedly each gave a technically remarkable performance. However a more unifying music sensibility would have actually boosted passion veiled in Bach’s composition.
Second half of the concert shifted to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Symphony No. 5 in D Major Op. 107 “Reformation”. In the hands of the Baroque conductor and violinist, it was obvious that Mendelssohn belongs to another musical sphere. The very well performed Bach of the first half of the evening cast an obvious shadow over the Mendelssohn composition. Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 came too close in style to Bach and the Baroque era aesthetics were forcefully imposed on the composition. The timidity in the conductor’s interpretation resulted in a complete lack of the introspective elements otherwise characteristic of Romantic music like Mendelssohn’s.
But further analysis of Mendelssohn would overshadow the supreme pleasure of Bach. Let us leave with the impact of Bach and remember the words of David Blake who wrote in 2000: “JS Bach is the eternal musical take-away. He is always there. And fortunately there is always something worthwhile to move off with.”
Cairo Celebration Choir pays homage to Egyptian composers
Cairo Celebration Choir pays homage to Egyptian composers
For nearly eleven years, the Cairo Celebration Choir (CCC) has led listeners down seldom-travelled paths of choral music in a variety of musical traditions
Their repertoire, from religious music to modern secular accapella fare is varied, constantly fresh and exciting.
Their performances are always impressive and perhaps to the average Egyptian listener unaccustomed to this form of music, somewhat revelatory.
CCC owes its existence to the hard work of Nayer Nagui, an Egyptian pianist, composer and conductor who has been striving since 2000 to constantly push the choir consisting of amateur singers into the limelight.
The choir actually began as an idea in 1999 when Nagui, who has been involved in ecclesiastical choirs for most of his life, decided to showcase this music to a wider audience.
He brought together a group of 70 amateur singers to sing with the soloists of the Cairo Opera Company, and accompany the Cairo Opera Orchestra on its first Christmas concert, performing a list of the most well-known Christmas songs, which he had arranged.
Since then, the choir has grown in number and comprises more than 120 members from different walks of life and musical backgrounds, and has undergone a transformation from a Christmas choir into one performing a much wider repertoire. Nagui told Ahram Online how much he “likes to see different people working and creating something together.” And indubitably the eclectic mix of singers from more than seven nations, with many joining the choir through churches, cultural centres, music academies and music societies around Cairo, greatly enriches the listening experience.
Over the past decade, CCC have given a large number of concerts on a variety of stages in Cairo and Alexandria.
They often perform at the Sekem Academy, cultural centres, Cairo Opera House Main Hall, Gomhoria Theatre and the Open Air Theatre, as well as at the lobby of the Opera House.
The lobby has served as an original location for a number of concerts which always attract wide audiences.
Amongst the most memorable are Rossini's Petite Messe (2007) and Schubert’s Stabat Mater (2009). An important highlight for the choir was the Gabriel Fauré Requiem, performed at the Basilique church and the Gomhoria Theatre in Cairo in 2006.
In October 2010, CCC played an important role in the Choral-Percussion Celebration, a concert conducted by Michel Piquemal and Nagui, which brought Egyptian and French artists together, with Ensemble Symblema percussions from France.
The choir’s appearances are not limited to Egypt only, and in collaboration with Coro de Tres Culturas, the choir have performed in Morocco at the Mohamed VII Theatre, the Marrakech Royal Theatre and Dar Souiri.
The first Aghani bel Arabi (Songs in Arabic) concert in 2008 met with a remarkable reception by the audience.
The exciting line-up of Arabic songs features compositions by Sayed Darwish, as well as Gamal Abdel Reheim and Awatef Abdel Kerim.
“People can come and see what can be done with our [Egyptian] music. It is not just divided into pop or our oriental heritage, there's so much more to it than that.” Nagui commented. “We have academic composers and international standard music, but sadly they are not supported by our cultural institutions. For example, Gamal Abdel Reheim often had to debut his work in Berlin because our own opera house was not interested in producing his work. It really saddens me that so few people know of the work of these composers, unless they happen to be specialists. Aghani bel Arabi is a homage to their work,” he maintains.
Nagui is to be lauded for his efforts to bring to light the hidden treasures of the Egyptian music scene and for the arduous task of arranging these works, especially those of Sayed Darwish.
“Rearranging Darwish's music was very special to me because he actually wanted to learn about harmony, through being exposed to classical Western music through his foreign friends and he had even booked a place on a ship to Italy in order to go and study it, but sadly he died before he could go. I am sure had he gone, Egyptian music today would be very different. In a way I feel like I'm fulfilling his dream,” Nagui concluded.
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Cairo Celebration Choir, conductor Nayer Nagui
Soloists: Marwa Nagui (traditional singer), Dina Iskander (soprano) and Jolie Faizy (mezzo soprano) with Greig Martin (piano), Ramadan Mansour (tabla) and Nashaat Yehia (req)
Two concerts of Aghani bel Arabi will take place on Saturday, 16 April at 2 pm and at 8 pm at Cairo Opera House, Open Air Theatre
For nearly eleven years, the Cairo Celebration Choir (CCC) has led listeners down seldom-travelled paths of choral music in a variety of musical traditions
Their repertoire, from religious music to modern secular accapella fare is varied, constantly fresh and exciting.
Their performances are always impressive and perhaps to the average Egyptian listener unaccustomed to this form of music, somewhat revelatory.
CCC owes its existence to the hard work of Nayer Nagui, an Egyptian pianist, composer and conductor who has been striving since 2000 to constantly push the choir consisting of amateur singers into the limelight.
The choir actually began as an idea in 1999 when Nagui, who has been involved in ecclesiastical choirs for most of his life, decided to showcase this music to a wider audience.
He brought together a group of 70 amateur singers to sing with the soloists of the Cairo Opera Company, and accompany the Cairo Opera Orchestra on its first Christmas concert, performing a list of the most well-known Christmas songs, which he had arranged.
Since then, the choir has grown in number and comprises more than 120 members from different walks of life and musical backgrounds, and has undergone a transformation from a Christmas choir into one performing a much wider repertoire. Nagui told Ahram Online how much he “likes to see different people working and creating something together.” And indubitably the eclectic mix of singers from more than seven nations, with many joining the choir through churches, cultural centres, music academies and music societies around Cairo, greatly enriches the listening experience.
Over the past decade, CCC have given a large number of concerts on a variety of stages in Cairo and Alexandria.
They often perform at the Sekem Academy, cultural centres, Cairo Opera House Main Hall, Gomhoria Theatre and the Open Air Theatre, as well as at the lobby of the Opera House.
The lobby has served as an original location for a number of concerts which always attract wide audiences.
Amongst the most memorable are Rossini's Petite Messe (2007) and Schubert’s Stabat Mater (2009). An important highlight for the choir was the Gabriel Fauré Requiem, performed at the Basilique church and the Gomhoria Theatre in Cairo in 2006.
In October 2010, CCC played an important role in the Choral-Percussion Celebration, a concert conducted by Michel Piquemal and Nagui, which brought Egyptian and French artists together, with Ensemble Symblema percussions from France.
The choir’s appearances are not limited to Egypt only, and in collaboration with Coro de Tres Culturas, the choir have performed in Morocco at the Mohamed VII Theatre, the Marrakech Royal Theatre and Dar Souiri.
The first Aghani bel Arabi (Songs in Arabic) concert in 2008 met with a remarkable reception by the audience.
The exciting line-up of Arabic songs features compositions by Sayed Darwish, as well as Gamal Abdel Reheim and Awatef Abdel Kerim.
“People can come and see what can be done with our [Egyptian] music. It is not just divided into pop or our oriental heritage, there's so much more to it than that.” Nagui commented. “We have academic composers and international standard music, but sadly they are not supported by our cultural institutions. For example, Gamal Abdel Reheim often had to debut his work in Berlin because our own opera house was not interested in producing his work. It really saddens me that so few people know of the work of these composers, unless they happen to be specialists. Aghani bel Arabi is a homage to their work,” he maintains.
Nagui is to be lauded for his efforts to bring to light the hidden treasures of the Egyptian music scene and for the arduous task of arranging these works, especially those of Sayed Darwish.
“Rearranging Darwish's music was very special to me because he actually wanted to learn about harmony, through being exposed to classical Western music through his foreign friends and he had even booked a place on a ship to Italy in order to go and study it, but sadly he died before he could go. I am sure had he gone, Egyptian music today would be very different. In a way I feel like I'm fulfilling his dream,” Nagui concluded.
-----------
Cairo Celebration Choir, conductor Nayer Nagui
Soloists: Marwa Nagui (traditional singer), Dina Iskander (soprano) and Jolie Faizy (mezzo soprano) with Greig Martin (piano), Ramadan Mansour (tabla) and Nashaat Yehia (req)
Two concerts of Aghani bel Arabi will take place on Saturday, 16 April at 2 pm and at 8 pm at Cairo Opera House, Open Air Theatre
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