bq | THE ARTS l IN CONTEXT
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La Traviata at ROHM For 160 years, Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata has moved audiences with its classic tale of self-sacrifice and redemptive love. The immensely popular opera is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire and is one of the most-performed operas worldwide. Italy’s Macerata Opera Festival, which takes place every summer in the beautiful surroundings of Arena Sferisterio, brings to Muscat the legendary “Traviata of the Mirrors,” designed for Sferisterio in 1992 by Josef Svoboda; a beautiful and visually striking production. A cast of exceptional singers will make the operatic evening even more memorable. When & where: 22 and 26 October, 7:00pm, Royal Opera House Muscat. Tickets priced between OMR 10 and OMR 78.
DFI partners with SFF
Doha Film Institute (DFI) recently announced its new strategic alliance with the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) and will partner on a number of new initiatives at
A night under the stars their respective festivals to increase and strengthen connections between Arab and European cinema. This year, DFI curated a selection of films from the Arab world which were shown at SFF including Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (UK/Lebanon/ Denmark; 2012) and Ahd’s Sanctity (Saudi Arabia; 2012). Further extending the partnership, SFF will promote Southeast European filmmaking with a presentation of three films from its official 2013 programme at the Qumra Film Festival, Doha in March, 2014. Finally, DFI will curate three recent works by Arab filmmakers at next year’s SFFl and again invite recipients of DFI grants to participate in the CineLink Co-Production Market.
Nadia Ayari at The Third Line
The Third Line introduces New York based artist Nadia Ayari, with her exhibition The Fountain and The Fig opening in the Project Space. For this project, Ayari’s predominant aesthetic concerns remain with rendering conceptual narratives, whereby the act of
painting becomes an important tool in the dialogue. By using heavily conventionalized symbols such as the fig and the tree, she influences the imagery to acquire an element of myth-like storytelling. The exhibit includes five abstracted flora-themed paintings that follow a singular strain. The visuals are dreamlike and surreal blood red rain covers deep purple figs that spout out leafy tongues from their burning red crevices. As is suggestive in their titles Tongue, Splitting, Pouring, Spit and Fountain there is a violence and raw carnality that intermingle to create a macabre vision. Also part of the show are ink on paper drawings. When & where: 18 September to 30 October, 10am to 7pm, The Third Line Gallery, Dubai. Admission is free.
For only the second time in history, two of the world’s most famous classical soloists José Carreras and Katherine Jenkins are set to perform alongside each other at the du Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Backed by a full orchestra conducted by David Gimenez, José Carreras and Katherine Jenkins will come together to lead an all-seated crowd of thousands on an unforgettable journey through some of the most highly regarded classical music ever written. The event is expected to up open up a new chapter in Abu Dhabi’s already prestigious legacy of hosting classical music performances; exposing a new generation of UAE music fans to some of the finest voices the world has ever heard. When & where: 25 October, du Arena (all-seated) Abu Dhabi. Ticket prices start from AED 395 for A Reserve, AED 695 for Gold, AED 895 for Platinum and AED 1,295 for Diamond categories. www.bqdoha.com