All-female UAE orchestra reimagines Scheherazade symphony in Lebanese mountains

The two-night show marked Firdaus Orchestra's debut in Lebanon

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade was performed against the Jbeil Mountains by Dubai's Firdaus Orchestra. Photo: Ixsir

The Ixsir Vineyards in Lebanon’s Jbeil Mountains played host to an immersive reimagining of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1888 symphonic suite Scheherazade this week, as the sun sank below the peaks and the stars emerged.

Under the artistic direction of maestro Harout Fazlian, the classic was transformed into a unique orchestral-theatrical evening, joined by members of the all-female Firdaus Orchestra – an Expo City Dubai initiative – performing in Lebanon for the first time.

Inspired by the iconic tales of One Thousand and One Nights, Rimsky-Korsakov’s magnum opus was structured in four movements, each representing different stories and adventures that Scheherazade would spin for King Shahryar each night. Having been betrayed by his first wife, the king no longer trusted women, and took to marrying a new bride every night before beheading her at dawn.

The performance went from day to night. Photo: Ixsir

Through Scheherazade's wits and gift of storytelling, she dreamt up new adventures each night and left them unfinished, piquing his curiosity and delaying her death another day, as the king wished to know how the tale ended.

While the essence of the music stayed the same for Fazlian’s reimagining, actors Jana Abi-Ghosn and Jalal Marwan Al Shaar, who starred as Scheherazade and King Shahrayar, brought the tales to life with an original script penned by poet Henri Zoghaib.

Solos and added musical segments conceived by Fazlian seamlessly blended the original concert with added theatrical elements, all of which were performed on a stage that floated over the grape vines, almost like a magic carpet.

Across the tales of The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, The Tale of the Kalendar Prince, The Young Prince and the Young Princess, and Festival at Baghdad – The Sea – The Shipwreck, Scheherazade sought to convince the king that love existed and was worth striving for.

Jalal Marwan Al Shaar played King Shahrayar and Jana Abi-Ghosn was Scheherazade. Photo: Ixsir

The two engaged in debates – a more nuanced narrative than the original tale, which held more violent and threatening undertones, as the heroine was tasked with telling entertaining stories each night, or else.

In this retelling, the king was harsh and jaded, but open to learning from the lessons Scheherazade sprinkled into the tales, offering a more convincing reading of the love that eventually blossomed between the two characters.

In the last act, she even challenges him using the analogy of a boat being dashed on the rocks as his own fate – an unbendable vessel being tossed about by metaphorical waves of anger, righteousness and loneliness – beseeching him to embrace love and change. After he heard the rest of her tale, he admitted his love for Scheherazade.

The choice to have an all-female orchestra felt fitting for a performance of Scheherazade, paying tribute to a clever and spirited heroine who was able to fight her fate through wits alone.

The stage was set amid grape vines making for a picturesque performance. Photo: Ixsir

Most importantly, the music was retooled for instruments from the region. Rimsky-Korsakov’s composition was written for the western orchestra, whereas Fazlian adapted the music for a string orchestra with oriental instruments and percussion. It served as a subtle way to reclaim the fable from the more orientalist perspectives of the symphony’s beginnings.

The intimate stage and setting – devoid of painted sets or a grandiose formal theatre – brought the tale back to its cultural roots. The performance focused on the wonder of storytelling on quiet evenings, honouring a tradition still practised in the region.

Surrounded by the verdant mountains backlit by the sunset, it was an easy feat for the show to transport the audience directly to the scenes Scheherazade painted with her words, making for a truly magical evening.