The Book of Kings

Acclaimed soprano Soraya Mafi was born to an Iranian father and a second-generation Irish mother, and in tonight’s programme she explores both sides of this heritage. The first part of the concert begins with songs by Schubert, Schumann and Wolf, setting Persian-inspired poetry of Rückert and Goethe and revealing the perfumed notion these Romantic composers and poets had of Persian Culture. Soraya and Ian Tindale then present the world premiere of Book of Queens by our Associate Composer, Emily Hazrati; a cycle created with writer Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh and inspired by the Shahnameh (‘The Book of Kings’), the 10th-century epic poem by the Persian poet Ferdowsi (see Event 49). The second half of tonight’s recital returns to the Emerald Isle, with a glorious selection of evocative songs from Stanford to Ina Boyle.

-----

Speaking about her new song cycle Book of Queens, Emily Hazrati said...

"In light of this year’s 'Stories in Song' theme, Nazli and I wanted to draw on our shared Iranian heritage using a historical, narrative reference; Book of Queens emerged from a desire to take characters and stories from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (‘Book of Kings’), the national epic of ancient Persia, and explore these through a contemporary, feminist lens.

Book of Queens is structured in five movements, each telling the story of a different creature or character from the Shahnameh: from the mythological bird Simorgh and mischievous White Demons, to just some of the epic’s many notable queens, princesses and heroines. With music incorporating sounds of the harp, lute, and Persian Daf rhythms, and text blending a Ferdowsi-style register with the contemporary, the piece offers a glimpse into the Shahnameh’s wealth of mythologies and landscapes – highlighting the women and creatures that were central in shaping its development, whilst inviting audiences to consider the global reach of its narratives.

Nazli and I were privileged to view a selection of Shahnameh manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford earlier this year: an experience which profoundly impacted our approach to Book of Queens. Excerpts from the manuscripts will be displayed at our In Conversation event for Book of Queens (Tue 21 Oct), including three illuminations that particularly resonated when deliberating the work’s form and influences."