عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

Dubai Culture Celebrates Emirati Creativity on 53rd Eid Al Etihad

The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM
The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM
TT
TT

Dubai Culture Celebrates Emirati Creativity on 53rd Eid Al Etihad

The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM
The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is organizing a series of interactive workshops, captivating performances, and cultural experiences inspired by the UAE's heritage and history across its cultural and heritage sites to celebrate the 53rd Eid Al Etihad, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Scheduled from 2nd to 4th December, these events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM said.

As part of the Eid Al Etihad celebrations, Al Safa Art and Design Library will host a series of artistic and musical performances on 29th November, along with workshops that showcase the creativity of local talent and highlight aspects of Emirati culture.

Visitors can join a ‘Dukhoon Making’ workshop to craft traditional incense by blending raw perfumes with other ingredients.

Additional activities include an Emirati flag-weaving session, Arabic calligraphy workshops, and henna design experiences rooted in UAE heritage.

Artist Hazem Kurdali will create a mural titled ‘Mural of Union: Zayed and Rashid,’ inspired by a historic image of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Chef Soumaya will offer visitors a memorable culinary journey, introducing them to the authentic flavors of Emirati cuisine.

From 2nd to 4th December, visitors to Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood and Hatta Heritage Village are able to enjoy a variety of folkloric and musical performances presented by local troupes. Children will delight in entertainment tailored just for them, while families can taste an array of dishes offered by local restaurants and shops.

Meanwhile, Al Shindagha Museum, the UAE’s largest heritage museum, will light up in the colors of the UAE flag, creating a visually enchanting atmosphere. The museum will host a series of cultural and traditional activities, including interactive workshops inspired by local heritage. Visitors can engage in traditional crafts such as dukhoon and jewelry making, among other creative experiences.

Etihad Museum will come alive with vibrant celebrations honoring the UAE’s founding values, offering a dynamic mix of activities that highlight hospitality, unity, art and culture, tolerance, heritage and tradition, innovation, and sustainability. Guests will be immersed in the rich tapestry of Emirati heritage through interactive experiences, such as crafting intricate patterns inspired by Sadu weaving and a hands-on planting workshop symbolizing the UAE's commitment to sustainability and a greener future. Culinary enthusiasts may indulge in the art of Emirati hospitality by customizing traditional dates with a variety of toppings while exploring a selection of F&B kiosks with local and international delicacies.

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

Has a Waltz Written by Composer Frederic Chopin Been Discovered in an NYC Museum?

A previously unknown musical manuscript, possibly by Frederic Chopin, rests in a display case after it was discovered at The Morgan Library & Museum, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP)
A previously unknown musical manuscript, possibly by Frederic Chopin, rests in a display case after it was discovered at The Morgan Library & Museum, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP)
TT
TT

Has a Waltz Written by Composer Frederic Chopin Been Discovered in an NYC Museum?

A previously unknown musical manuscript, possibly by Frederic Chopin, rests in a display case after it was discovered at The Morgan Library & Museum, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP)
A previously unknown musical manuscript, possibly by Frederic Chopin, rests in a display case after it was discovered at The Morgan Library & Museum, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP)

The brooding waltz was carefully composed on a sheet of music roughly the size of an index card. The brief, moody number also bore an intriguing name, written at the top in cursive: “Chopin.”

A previously unknown work of music penned by the European master Frederic Chopin appears to have been found at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan.

The untitled and unsigned piece is on display this month at the opulently appointed institution, which had once been the private library of financier J. P. Morgan.

Robinson McClellan, the museum curator who uncovered the manuscript, said it's the first new work associated with the Romantic era composer to be discovered in nearly a century.

But McClellan concedes that it may never be known whether it is an original Chopin work or merely one written in his hand.

The piece, set in the key of A minor, stands out for its “very stormy, brooding opening section” before transitioning to a melancholy melody more characteristic of Chopin, McClellan explained.

“This is his style. This is his essence,” he said during a recent visit to the museum. “It really feels like him.”

McClellan said he came across the work in May as he was going through a collection from the late Arthur Satz, a former president of the New York School of Interior Design. Satz had acquired it from A. Sherrill Whiton Jr., an avid autograph collector who had been director of the school.

McClellan then worked with experts to verify its authenticity.

The paper was found to be consistent with what Chopin favored for manuscripts, and the ink matched a kind typical in the early 19th century when Chopin lived, according to the museum. But a handwriting analysis determined the name “Chopin” written at the top of the sheet was penned by someone else.

Born in Poland, Chopin was considered a musical genius from an early age. He lived in Warsaw and Vienna before settling in Paris, where he died in 1849 at the age of 39, likely of tuberculosis.

He’s buried among a pantheon of artists at the city’s famed Père Lachaise Cemetery, but his heart, pickled in a jar of alcohol, is housed in a church in Warsaw, in keeping with his deathbed wish for the organ to return to his homeland.

Artur Szklener, director of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, the Polish capital city where the composer grew up, agreed that the document is consistent with the kinds of ink and paper Chopin used during his early years in Paris.

Musically, the piece evokes the “brilliant style” that made Chopin a luminary in his time, but it also has features unusual for his compositions, Szklener said.

“First of all, it is not a complete work, but rather a certain musical gesture, a theme laced with rather simple piano tricks alluding to a virtuoso style,” Szklener explained in a lengthy statement released after the document was revealed last month.

He and other experts conjecture the piece could have been a work in progress. It may have also been a copy of another's work, or even co-written with someone else, perhaps a student for a musical exercise.

Jeffrey Kallberg, a University of Pennsylvania music professor and Chopin expert who helped authenticate the document, called the piece a “little gem” that Chopin likely intended as a gift for a friend or wealthy acquaintance.

“Many of the pieces that he gave as gifts were short – kind of like ‘appetizers’ to a full-blown work,” Kallberg said in an email. “And we don’t know for sure whether he intended the piece to see the light of day because he often wrote out the same waltz more than once as a gift.”

David Ludwig, dean of music at The Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory in Manhattan, agreed the piece has many of the hallmarks of the composer’s style.

“It has the Chopin character of something very lyrical and it has a little bit of darkness as well,” said Ludwig, who was not involved in authenticating the document.

But Ludwig noted that, if it's authentic, the tightly composed score would be one of Chopin’s shortest known pieces. The waltz clocks in at under a minute long when played on piano, as many of Chopin’s works were intended.

“In terms of the authenticity of it, in a way it doesn’t matter because it sparks our imaginations,” Ludwig said. “A discovery like this highlights the fact that classical music is very much a living art form.”

The Chopin reveal comes after the Leipzig Municipal Libraries in Germany announced in September that it had uncovered a previously unknown piece likely composed by a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in its collections.