Wednesday 17 August 2022

Camille Maalawy & Mark Slater's new song-cycle Mezzaterra explores her British-Egyptian heritage

In 2021, mezzo-soprano Camille Maalawy devised a song-cycle, Mezzaterra with composer Mark Slater as part an Opera North PRS Resonance residency. The work is based on Maalawy's British-Egyptian heritage and she and Slater will give the first full performance at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival at the Cockpit Theatre later this month (30 August 2022). 

The work draws on Maalawy's own heritage and musical influences, encompassing Coptic hymn, German lieder, English song, Andalusian muwashshahat tradition and encompasses Arabic, Coptic, English, German, Yiddish, and Hebrew.  The piece examines concepts of travel, wandering, being an outsider, a foreigner – issues that are as powerful and relevant today as they were in pharaonic times.  

The video features Maalawy, Slater and percussionist Guy Schalom in excerpts from Mezzaterra performed as part of the Opera North PRS Resonance.

Full details from the Tête à Tête website.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts this month