Behzad Abdi's opera Rumi fuses traditional dastgah (the Iranian modal system) and the Persian Sama dance with Western classical music, and can be considered the first national opera of Iran. The libretto was written and conceived by the renowned Iranian theatre director and puppeteer, Behrouz Gharibpour, based on the life and writings of the 13th-century Persian scholar, poet, theologian and mystic, Jalal al-Din Rumi. The legendary story of Shams and Rumi is one of the most significant tales in the history of Iranian mystical literature and is brought vividly to life by the award-winning composer's exotic, lyrical and at times intensely dramatic score. Behzad Abdi (b. 1973) studied the setar and Iranian traditional music with Masoud Shoari and Mohsen Nafar and Western classical music with Liudmila Yurina and Vadim Juravitsky at the Tchaikovsky Academy in Ukraine. Abdi is the first composer to write Iranian opera. He is also a composer of film soundtracks and has won two awards at the Fajr International Iranian Film Festival, among others.

Tracklist:

Rumi, Act I: War
Rumi, Act I: Death Overcomes The Nation
Rumi, Act I: Sheikh Attar Prefers Death Over Humiliation
Rumi, Act I: The Advice Of Rumi's Father. Love And Only Love
Rumi, Act I: A Bazaar In A Remote Town In Iran
Rumi, Act I: Shams And Rumi
Rumi, Act I: Rumi's Exodus
Rumi, Act II: Rumi In The Circle Of His Objecting Followers
Rumi, Act II: Meeting Of Shams And Rumi
Rumi, Act II: Rumi And His Wife
Rumi, Act II: Rumi's First Dream. The Shepherd
Rumi, Act II: Second Meeting Of Shams And Rumi
Rumi, Act II: Attack
Rumi, Act II: Rumi's Nightmare. Shams' Persecution
Rumi, Act II: Sufi Temple. Repentance

UPC: 730099042475
Label: Naxos Opera Classics
Release Date: 8.10.18
Format: CD

Abdi / Alis - Rumi (2pk) (2 CD)