Sheherazade: A Retelling for Our Times

See a retelling of the story that inspired one of the most popular pieces in classical music.

One Thousand and One Nights is likely one of the best-known collections of stories in the world and one that has captivated authors, artists, and musicians for centuries. While rooted in Arabic culture, the stories have a universality that captivates us all. This concert presents a retelling by authors and writers from a range of backgrounds from diverse UK voices to the Arabic world, alongside Rimsky-Korsakov’s well-loved music.

Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his own retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, taking the name of the heroine Sheherazade as his title and inspiration. The music, while not attempting a direct telling of the stories the movements are named after, is full of the colors and sounds that Rimsky-Korsakov imagined from the stories in One Thousand and One Nights.

Programme

Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade: interspersed with readings

Performers

City of London Sinfonia
Ben Gernon conductor
Daljit Nagra narrator
Ruth Padel narrator
DBC Pierre narrator
Hanan al-Shaykh narrator