Events
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Queen of 1001 Nights from K. 620
arr. Hughes de Courson
The Queen of the Night’s aria from The Magic Flute is one of the most celebrated arias in all opera, requiring feats of bravura singing alongside some of the highest notes ever asked of a singer by a composer, all executed with delicate finesse. It is spectacular to listen to and is a veritable high point of Mozart’s art, as well as being one of a few arias that point to the sheer quality of soprano he had at his disposal.
Although the aria is heard in context elsewhere in the Palestine Mozart Festival, as part of the full production of The Magic Flute (see Event Ten, Event Twelve and Event Eighteen) it is included in a special arrangement as part of the three gala concerts to demonstrate the marriage of eastern and western musical styles under the inspiration of Mozart. Hughes de Courson’s two widely-admired Mozart in Egypt CD compilations combined Mozart’s compositions with extemporisations, improvisations and meditations on Mozart in an oriental style, generating some exciting and thought-provoking musical results. His arrangement of the Queen of the Night’s aria, dubbed Queen of 1001 Nights, is one of the most striking of these, and it is a special thrill to perform it in these concerts. Added to Mozart’s orchestra are traditional Arabic instruments ney, rik, tabla and zills, creating a unique musical sound-world, in which the soprano soloist sings in Arabic to complete the mood.
Mozart arr. de Courson: Queen of 1001 Nights K. 620
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