Al Hakawati French Premiere

September 24th saw the premiere of Al Hakawati by l’Orchestre National de France, with soprano soloist Miriam Khalil. One of the commissioners of the work—along with WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music—l’ONF was led by its music director Cristian Măcelaru. The concert was broadcast live on Radio France.

The performance featured the inclusion of a newly orchestrated movement, You and I added since the original 2024 performance. In You and I, Mujana has once again saved her hapless husband, Ali Baba. She is exhausted and laments their frustrating and troubled relationship.

4. You and I
You and I, we are cast in different molds,
My happiness is tempered with yours:
it shines when our elements meld;
together, an alloy of burnished brass.
But your nature needs no alchemy;
forged in a secluded mine, remote,
alone, its metal hard and heavy.
You and I, we are cast in different molds,
And all my deeds, bear your leaden heedlessness;
its weight crushes me so that
my soul buckles under your burden.

THE PROGRAM