Sumeida's Song
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Sumeida's Song is an opera in three scenes by Mohammed Fairouz adapted from the play Song of Death by Egyptian playwright Tawfiq al-Hakim. It is Fairouz's first opera, completed in 2008 when he was 22 years old.[1]
The first staged production of the opera opened the 2013 Prototype: Opera/Theater/Now festival in New York City[2] and was billed as "the first Arab-American opera to be fully produced on an American stage."[3] The opera was co-produced by Beth Morrison Projects and Here Arts Center.[2]
Sumeida's Song received concert performances at Carnegie Hall and the New York Society for Ethical Culture before its first staging.[1]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 9 January 2013 (Conductor: Steven Osgood) |
|---|---|---|
| Mabrouka | soprano | Amelia Watkins |
| Alwan | baritone | Daniel Kempson |
| Asakir | mezzo-soprano | Rachel Calloway |
| Sumeida | tenor | Edwin Vega |
Synopsis
The three scenes of Sumeida's Song are set in a peasant house in a peasant village in Upper Egypt.[4]
Recording
A recording of Sumeida's Song was released on Bridge Records on October 29, 2012.[5]