Mozart opera in Arabic leaves audience dazzled

Al Ain: Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro was performed in Arabic for the first time in the GCC region before a sold-out audience at the Municipality Theatre on Friday.

The performance was part of Al Ain Classics under the patronage of Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH).

Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, the Chairman of "The Friends of the Al Ain Classics Festival" and vice-chairman of ADACH attended along with Till Janczukowicz, executive director of Abu Dhabi Classics and Dr Aly Sadek, founder, The Arabic Opera Project.

Figaro was translated into Arabic by Dr Sadek. He has organised recitals of six of Mozart's operas, which he translated in London and in Vienna, where he was awarded the prestigious "Mozart Medal" and an honorary lifetime membership by the Viennese Mozart Society "Mozartgemeinde Wien".

The four-act opera, performed by several outstanding Arab soloists, was supported by the Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Zbigniew Graca.

Ain Classics will continue until March 20, with further highlights including a concert by singer Amal Maher and the Selim Sahab Orchestra on March 12, ending with Shakespeare's play Richard III in Arabic on March 20.

All performances start at 8pm. Tickets for the Al Ain Classics are available at www.timeouttickets.com, toll-free at 800 4669, Virgin Megastores, House of Arts Al Ain, Al Ain Rotana Hotel and at the evening box office. Tickets are priced at Dh50 for adults, Dh30 for students and children. The seats are not numbered.