Doha, October 30 (QNA) – Tonight, the highly anticipated Desert Rose symphony, composed by Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali, premiered to the world at the National Museum of Qatar.
The performance marked the 10-year anniversary of the Years of Culture initiative, a platform for exchange and collaboration connecting cultures and continents through annual bilateral exchanges.
The symphony and anniversary celebrations were attended by HE Chairperson of Qatar Museums Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Ambassadors of the many countries that partnered with the Years of Culture since its inception in 2012, including Japan (2012), UK (2013), Brazil (2014), Turkey (2015), China (2016), Germany (2017), Russia (2018), India (2019), France (2020), USA (2021), the MENASA region this year, and other countries.
HE Chairperson of Qatar Museums Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, said: “When Qatar won the rights to host the FIFA World Cup, we mapped out a Years of Culture plan to bring the world to Qatar and Qatar to the world. Ever since, we have joined with another nation each year for a far-reaching program of bilateral cultural exchange. Strengthening relationships with the partner nations and fostering mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, the Years of Culture helped us show the best of ourselves, carrying us toward the goals of the Qatar National Vision. This year, we are at last welcoming everyone to the World Cup and celebrating a Year of Culture with all the nations of the MENASA region. I am truly thankful for their support and grateful to the Ambassadors and officials who have joined together to realize our vision.”
The Desert Rose symphony was performed by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra with Grammy-nominated guest conductor Alastair Willis. The sold-out public performance of the symphony will take place on 31 October 2022. Although tickets are sold out, fans can listen to the symphony for free on AppleMusic and Spotify. Copies of the album are also available at all Qatar Museums gift shops.
Director of Cultural Diplomacy Aisha Al Attiya said: “The Years of Culture initiative is based on the idea that beautiful things happen when cultures connect. Malek Jandali was able to weave a beautiful musical tapestry with authentic Middle Eastern melodies that honors and preserves his own Syrian heritage and now the heritage of Qatar. We are honored by the support of all our international partners and eager to grow this powerful group for years to come, starting with Indonesia as our official Years of Culture partner country for 2023.”
“Through this timely partnership with Years of Culture, I have the honor of presenting Qatar’s musical traditions on the global stage,” said Malek Jandali. “Together, we are contributing our rich Arab heritage to the lexicon of classical music and the progression of cultural modernity. We welcome orchestras around the world to join our symphony of peace, unity, and humanity.”
For his support and contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage, Malek Jandali was named as Qatar Museums’ new honorary Composer-in-Residence. The symphony is the culmination of more than four years of research and exploration, during which Jandali entrenched himself in the sounds and landscapes of Qatar, to preserve and present Qatari cultural heritage and traditions on the global stage.
The Desert Rose is inspired by nature’s desert rose, which form over millennia through the interaction of minerals, sand, and water in regions such as Qatar-a land of desert and sea. This wonder of nature is also the basis for Jean Nouvel’s spectacular design of the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), a stunning structure of interlocking discs that tells the story of Qatar from the natural history of its origins through its cultural developments to the cutting-edge technologies and international allure of today. The Desert Rose symphony takes its inspiration from both “desert roses,” transforming them into a consummate orchestral work that preserves and extends the rich heritage of the region. The symphony is also a reference to the flag of Qatar, with its nine-movements-each based on an iconic element of Qatari culture-evoking the nine-point serrated line on the flag.
Like its inspirations, The Desert Rose symphony harbors an elaborate interlocking structure. Bookmarked in A-flat major, in which key the first and last movements end, the Symphony comprises three interlaced musical forms. One is a Qatari symphonic suite based on traditional folk music and dances using the principal of contrast: Movements II, III, V and VII. Second is a traditional “old-fashioned” symphony of four Movements I, IV, VI and IX. The third combines the first two “symphonies” with Movement VIII, which brings about the grandiose conclusion of The Desert Rose. (QNA)