Saudi Arabia Hosts its First Opera, Zarqa Al Yamamah, in Riyadh

The King Fahd Cultural Center witnessed the performance of Zarqa Al Yamamah opera, the first Saudi operatic work. (SPA)

The King Fahd Cultural Center witnessed the performance of Zarqa Al Yamamah opera, the first Saudi operatic work with an international flavor, the Saudi Press Agency said on Friday.
The opera summons the history of defunct nations, to study the reasons for their demise, and provides an interpretation of one of the ancient legends in the Arabian Peninsula.
The opera tells the story of a woman from the Jadis tribe who lived in the pre-Islamic era, in the Yamamah region in the center of the Arabian Peninsula. It's about the dispute that erupted between the Jadis and Tasim tribes, which ended tragically, as Zarqa Al-Yamamah tried to warn her people of the arrival of the enemy, but they did not listen to her.
This operatic work is shaped in a contemporary art form, full of dramatic turns, emotional moments and dramatic events. It presents a different cultural experience full of suspense and touching tragedy.
The opera "Zarqa Al Yamamah" is receiving great local and international attention, as it includes many well-known international names, including Sarah Connolly, Alexandar Stefanovsky, George von Bergen and others. Some promising Saudi talents have also participated in the work, including Khairan Al-Zahrani, Sawsan Al-Bahiti and Rimaz Aqbi.
The opera's art director is Ivan Vukcevich, while the theater director is Daniel Vinzi Paska. Pablo Gonzalez conducts the Dresden Sinfoniker Orchestra with the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno.
Some Arabic musical instruments were used in the opera's soundtrack, such as the oud. This has provided a mixture of Western operatic music and Arab music, which represents Saudi culture.