Farewell maestro
Amal Choucri Catta attends Ahmed El-Sa'edi's final concert as director of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra
Cairo Symphony Orchestra, cond. Ahmed El-Sa'edi, A Capella Choir, dir. Maya Gwinneria, cellist Ayman El- Hanbouli. Cairo Opera House, Main Hall, 21 June, 9pm
The hall was heavy with words unspoken, feelings unexpressed. Many had come to bid farewell to Egypt's eminent maestro Ahmed El-Sa'edi, conducting the season's last concert of Cairo's Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House's Main Hall. And while he was taking his bows at the beginning and the end of the performance, many were asking themselves what will the maestro's future be. For this was not only the season's last symphonic concert, it was El-Sa'edi's last performance as director and principal conductor of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra.
He returned to Egypt around 20 years ago, at the end of his brilliant studies in Vienna, long before the new Opera House had been built. At the time, concerts were taking place every Friday evening at the old Gumhouriya theatre, when the crimson velvet seats were as bulky and as uncomfortable as the grey cotton-wool ones are today. Those were the times when Gumhouriya's regular patrons were hoping for a new opera house, while maestro Youssef El-Sisi, then head of the old Cairo Symphony Orchestra was often conducting musicians facing a rather empty hall and music lovers were expecting urgent changes. These were to come five years later, in 1988, with the new opera house. In the meantime, however, though he was an excellent young conductor, Ahmed El-Sa'edi had a hard time making his way to the top. It was Ratiba El-Hefni, first president to inaugurate the National Cultural Centre -- Cairo Opera House, on 10 October, 1988, who involved him with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, of which he was assistant conductor, then resident conductor and, since 1996, principal conductor.
In the past 15 years, Ahmed El-Sa'edi has come a long way: he has taken the orchestra from oblivion into the limelight, raising its musical standard, developing its repertoire and turning it into a distinguished ensemble of inspired musicians. El-Sa'edi has furthermore founded the "Cairo International Workshop for Orchestra Conducting", organised the festival for contemporary Arabic serious music, under the title "Arabic Perspectives Festival", and the "Music Appreciation Concerts", to enrich the musical experience of listeners with little exposure to classical music, presenting also special performances for children. In 1999 he created the "A Capella Choir", headed by Maya Gwinneria, comprising around 70 singers.
On the international scene, Ahmed El-Sa'edi was guest conductor of over 40 foreign orchestras among which the Royal Philharmonic of London, the Philharmonic of Rio de Janeiro, of Montreal and of several European cities should be mentioned. He has performed in the most prestigious venues and his future guest engagements include the Moravian, the Heidelberg and the North Bohemian philharmonic orchestras, the Prague Radio Symphony and a large number of symphonic and chamber orchestras in European and American cities. Among his numerous recordings for the Egyptian Radio and Television, his discography includes Beethoven's nine symphonies, his five piano concertos and the Choral Fantasy, featuring Ramzi Yassa as soloist.
For his last concert on Cairo's main stage, Ahmed El-Sa'edi chose a rather strange programme, starting with a movement of Bishay's Rhakotis Suite, continuing with Elgar's concerto for cello, and closing with Borodin's Overture and Polovtsian Dances from "Prince Igor". For someone who had given us, one week earlier, a perfect concert, entirely dedicated to Aram Khatchatourian, celebrating the composer's centenary, and, prior to that, a well- organised Beethoven Festival, the combination Bishay-Elgar-Borodin seemed rather chaotic; mainly after Prokofiev and Mendelssohn, having originally been announced for the last two concerts of the season, had suddenly vanished from the programme.
Nevertheless, on the whole, the concert was brilliant. It opened with the Adagio from Rhakotis Suite from the opera dedicated to Alexander the Great and his sentimental adventure in Egypt with Myret, a peasant girl. Patrick Bishay's music has already been introduced to local audiences: opinions are divided -- they always have been. On the one hand there are those who appreciate his dissonant sonoric constructions, on the other, those who don't know what to make of his seemingly endless atonal sequences. In this case, however, Yousra Abu Hadid's libretto opening on a background of conquest, war and death, Bishay decided to use a dissonant harmonic language. Therefore, the rhythms were aggressive, the brass- driven textures eloquent. The romantic element, rather brief, was introduced by harp and strings, while the ever- recurring percussion sequences reminded listeners of chaos, bloodshed and overwhelming victories. According to his own words, Patrick Bishay chose "a very dissonant harmonic language" for his work. He wanted it as strong, as defiant and invincible as the warrior himself: the orchestra gave him sound filled with energy and intelligence. After a loud and aggressive climax the music returned to the love-theme, ending softly, as in a dream. The young composer, always present when one of his works is being performed, was applauded on stage.
Next came Sir Edward Elgar and his Concerto in E-minor for cello and orchestra, opus 85, with virtuoso Ayman El-Hanbouli as soloist. Born in Cairo in 1960, he is Egypt's most admired cellist, regularly presenting recitals and concerts locally and internationally. He has successfully performed in Europe and the United States, and teaches at the Cairo Conservator. His interpretation of Elgar's Concerto was radiant with lyricism and quiet, deep emotion. The Adagio-mokderato opened on a recitative introduction by the soloist, while the second movement, Lento Molto Allegro took the cellos several times into its highest registers. The soulful Adagio of the third movement reminiscent of a mournful melody, finally turned into the Finale, a march-like Allegro, vividly reminding the listener that somewhere, over the dark clouds, the sun is always shining. Composed towards the end of World War I, the Concerto has often been called Elgar's War Requiem: to him, 1918 was equivalent to the end of a civilisation, the end of an era, and the concerto was an eloquent expression of his bitterness. It is nevertheless, a beautiful work, combining nobility and spirituality with a popular style, veering from extrovert warmth and geniality to a deep introspective melancholy. Handbouli's performance was breathtakingly colourful, extremely harmonious and emotionally stirring. He was greeted with thunderous applause.
The second part of the concert was entirely dedicated to Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor, opera in four acts and a prologue, based on the 12th century Saga of Igor's Army, rewritten by the composer's friend, Vassily Stassov. As the story goes, Prince Igor's city, Poutivel, is overrun in the year 1185, by the Polovtsi, a Tartar tribe, led by Khan Kontshak. The prince and his son Vladimir are taken to the Polovtsi camp where they are held as prisoners and where Kontshak's daughter sings her love for Vladimic. Her father, however, secretly admires Igor's courage and, trying to please him, organises the "Polovtsian Dances". Igor escapes from the camp, leaving his son behind: the young man has fallen in love with Kontshak's daughter and decides to stay with the Polovtsi. Igor finally reaches his city, where, he is greeted by his loving wife and by his people.
Composed between 1867 and 1887, the opera remained unfinished. After Borodin's death, Rimsky- Korsakov and Glazounov decided to complete the work which was produced in St Petersburg in 1890, in London in 1914 and in New York in 1915. The Overture with the people's choir, in the prologue, the Polovtsian Dances and the choir of the peasants are Borodin's. The music, of an Eastern-oriental flavour, is mysterious, triumphant, exotic, combining the national Russian with the strange melodies of the Tartars. Written in the summer of 1875, the Polovtsian Dances were first performed separately in St Petersburg in 1879, at the request of Rimsky-Korsakov, who has helped in orchestrating the "dance of the Polovtsian maidens", and assisted with the orchestration of the Polovtsian dances: Borodin, who was a chemist, always considered music as a secondary occupation. He was professor at the military medical academy and rather slow in creating his musical works.
Ahmed El-Sa'edi conducted orchestra and choir without making use of any score: flamboyant, energetic, the music soared into the hall under a baton loaded with passion, conveying rhythm, sound and tension and finally bringing the performance to a smashing end. The house came down with a unanimous roar: bravos resounded from everywhere and while the maestro took his multiple bows, many were asking the same question: If he is so good, why does he have to go? And if we have such an excellent Egyptian conductor, why do we have to bring in a foreigner? Foreigners have always been welcome as guest conductors, but never as principal conductors, and the only time the Cairo Symphony Orchestra was headed by the Austrian Christian David, around 12 years ago, it wasn't for long...
In the meantime all we can do is bid farewell to El- Sa'edi, wishing him success for the future.
