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Encounters with Egypt

Pyramids, pharaohs, the Nile - inspiration for composers from Verdi to Philip Glass, and writers from Shakespeare to Sabrina Mafhouz, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Samuel West.

The pyramids, gods, and pharaohs of Ancient Egypt have inspired writers and composers for centuries 鈥� we hear from Philip Glass鈥檚 Akhnaten, Mozart鈥檚 The Magic Flute and, the pinnacle 19th Orientalism, Verdi鈥檚 Aida, commissioned to inaugurate Cairo鈥檚 opera house in 1871. Egypt's river Nile provided a sinister backdrop to one of Agatha Christie's greatest murder mysteries, and the setting of Ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra's legendary barge journey, the source of inspiration for countless works from Shakespeare to contemporary composer Fazil Say. November 4th 1922 was when Tutankhamun's tomb was uncovered by Howard Carter.

We also explore Egypt鈥檚 more recent history and culture, including the British occupation and revolution of 1952. There are Egyptian readings in Arabic from Radio 3 New Generation Thinker Islam Issa, who has helped curate and translate, and you鈥檒l hear some of Egypt鈥檚 greatest musical talent, including soprano Fatma Said and famous singers of the past Oum Koulthoum and Dalida. Our readers are Samuel West and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi. You can also hear Islam talking about his book Alexandria on an episode of Free Thinking.

Readings:
Bayram al-Tunisi: The Sun of Dusk
Max Rodenbeck: Cairo - The City Victorious
Ahdaf Soueif: The Map of Love
Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile
abdel-Rahman al-Abnudi: Yunus
CP Cavafy: The God Abandons Antony
Shaksepeare: Antony and Cleopatra
Ahmad Shawqi: The Death of Cleopatra
Sabrina Mafhouz: A History of Water in the Middle East
EM Forster: Alexandria - A History and a Guide
Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Philip Gross: The Garden of Nebamun
Raphael Cormack: Midnight in Cairo
Naguib Mahfouz: Miramar
Christopher Hampton: White Chameleon
Penelope Lively: Moon Tiger
Mustafa Kamil: Loving Egypt and Reviving Her

Producer: Graham Rogers

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 19 Nov 2023 17:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    Abdallah Helmy

    Improvisation

  • 00:01

    Abdallah Helmy

    Improvisation

    • Anon.
    • 1.

  • Bayram al-Tunisi, trans. Islam Issa

    The Sun of Dusk, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Islam Issa

  • 00:02

    Movses Panossian

    Zeina

  • 00:02

    Movses Panossian

    Zeina

    Performer: Cairo Orchestra.
    • Hollywood Music Centre.
    • 17.

  • Max Rodenbeck

    Cairo: The City Victorious (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 00:05

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Die Zauberflote - Overture

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
  • 00:05

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    The Magic Flute - Overture

    Ensemble: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
    • DG 4836400.
    • 1.
  • 00:07

    Radiohead

    Pyramid Song

    Performer: Matt Haimovitz. Performer: Geoffrey Burleson.
  • 00:08

    Radiohead

    Pyramid Song

    Performer: Matt Haimovitz. Performer: Geoffrey Burleson.
    • Pentatone PTC5186928.
    • 10.

  • Ahdaf Soueif

    The Map of Love, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:10

    Gamal Abdel-Rahim

    Ana Bent El Sultan

    Composer: Gamal Abdel-Rahim. Singer: Fatma Said. Singer: Fatma Said. Performer: Malcolm Martineau. Performer: Malcolm Martineau.
  • 00:10

    Gamal Abdel-Rahim

    Ana Bent El Sultan

    Singer: Fatma Said. Performer: Malcolm Martineau.
    • Warner 9029523360.
    • 12.
  • 00:12

    Marvin Hamlisch

    Pyramids (The Spy Who Loved Me)

  • 00:12

    Marvin Hamlisch

    Pyramids (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

    Conductor: Marvin Hamlisch.
    • Capitol 05099969735950.
    • 8.

  • Zahi A. Hawass (ed.)

    Sound and Light Show, Giza - narration (excerpt)

  • 00:15

    Nino Rota

    Death on the Nile (Main Titles)

    Orchestra: Unnamed orchestra. Conductor: Marcus Dods.
  • 00:15

    Nino Rota

    Death on the Nile (Main Titles)

    Orchestra: Unnamed orchestra. Conductor: Marcus Dods.
    • CNR CNS5007.
    • 12.

  • Agatha Christie

    Death on the Nile (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 00:17

    Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    L'Egyptienne

    Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Conductor: Christophe Rousset.
  • 00:17

    Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    L'Egyptienne

    Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Conductor: Christophe Rousset.
    • Decca 4676992.
    • 20.
  • 00:20

    Mohammed Abdel Wahab

    Cleopatra

  • 00:20

    Mohammed Abdel Wahab

    Cleopatra

    • Virgin 540 0182.
    • 1.

  • abdel-Rahman al-Abnudi, trans. Islam Issa

    Yunus, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Islam Issa

  • C P Cavafy

    The God Abandons Antony, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:25

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Gloria all' Egitto (Aida)

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
  • 00:25

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Gloria all' Egitto (Aida)

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • Warner GBAYC1502313.
    • 12.

  • William Shakespeare

    Antony and Cleopatra (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 00:29

    John Leyton

    Down the River Nile

  • 00:29

    John Leyton

    Down the River Nile

    • Playtime 888003177468.
    • 64.

  • Ahmad Shawqi, trans. Islam Issa

    The Death of Cleopatra (excerpt), read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:32

    Fazil Say

    Cleopatra

    Performer: Friedemann Eichhorn.
  • 00:32

    Fazil Say

    Cleopatra

    Performer: Friedemann Eichhorn.
    • Naxos 8.574085.
    • 2.

  • Sabrina Mafhouz

    A History of Water in the Middle East (excerpt), read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:34

    Johann Mattheson

    Ruhe sanft, geliebter Geist (from Die ungluckselige Cleopatra)

    Singer: Regula M眉hlemann. Orchestra: La Folia Barockorchester. Conductor: Robin Peter M眉ller.
  • 00:35

    Johann Mattheson

    Ruhe sanft, geliebter Geist (from Die ungluckselige Cleopatra)

    Singer: Regula M眉hlemann. Orchestra: La Folia Barockorchester. Conductor: Robin Peter M眉ller. Conductor: Robin Peter M眉ller.
    • Sony 88985407012.
    • 12.

  • E M Forster

    Alexandria: A History and a Guide (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 00:38

    Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Piano Concerto no.5 in F (Egyptian) (2nd mvt: Andante)

    Performer: Alexandre Kantorow. Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
  • 00:38

    Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103 "Egyptian": III. Molto allegro

    Performer: Alexandre Kantorow. Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
    • BIS BIS-2300.
    • 2.

  • Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

    Hatshepsut (from Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls), read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:43

    Kate Bush

    Egypt

  • 00:43

    Kate Bush

    Egypt

    • EMI OC 064-07 339.
    • 5.

  • Philip Gross

    The Garden of Nebamun, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:47

    Philip Glass

    Akhnaten and Nefertiti (Akhnaten)

    Singer: Paul Esswood. Orchestra: Stuttgart State Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies.
  • 00:47

    Philip Glass

    Akhnaten and Nefertiti (from Akhnaten)

    Singer: Paul Esswood. Singer: Milagro Vargas. Orchestra: Staatsoper Stuttgart. Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies.
    • CBS 42457.
    • 7.

  • The Times

    30th November 1922 (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 00:53

    Carlo Martelli

    The Tomb (Curse of the Mummy's Tomb)

    Orchestra: Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • 00:53

    Carlo Martelli

    The Tomb (from Curse of the Mummy's Tomb)

    Performer: Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Silva Screen FILMXCD357.
    • 4.

  • The Courier-Journal

    21st March 1923 (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 00:54

    The Bangles

    Walk Like An Egyptian

  • 00:54

    Liam Hillard Sternberg

    Walk Like An Egyptian

    Performer: The Bangles.
    • Columbia G0100009353983.
    • 5.

  • Raphael Cormack

    Midnight in Cairo (excerpt), read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 00:56

    Munirah al-Mahdiyyah

    Tell Me Who Conquered Love

  • 00:56

    Munirah al-Mahdiyyah

    Tell Me Who Conquered Love

    • Topic 714822093125.
    • 4.
  • 00:57

    Umm Kulthum

    Sout El Watan

  • 00:58

    Umm Kulthum

    Sout El Watan

    • Mazzika.
    • 10.

  • Naguib Mahfouz, trans. Fatma Moussa Mahmoud

    Miramar (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 01:01

    Claude Debussy

    Pour L'Egyptienne (from 6 Epigraphes antiques)

    Performer: Louis Lortie. Performer: H茅l猫ne Mercier.
  • 01:02

    Claude Debussy

    Pour L'Egyptienne (from 6 Epigraphes antiques)

    Performer: Louis Lortie. Performer: H茅l猫ne Mercier.
    • Chandos CHAN20228.
    • 1.

  • Gamal abdel-Nasser

    Address to the American People, 1952 (archive)

  • 01:06

    Traditional Egyptian

    National Anthem

  • Christopher Hampton

    White Chameleon (excerpt), read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi

  • 01:07

    Philip Glass

    Egypt (Powaqqatsi)

  • 01:07

    Philip Glass

    From Egypt (from Powaqqatsi)

    Performer: Philip Glass.
    • Nonesuch 075597996876.
    • 16.

  • Penelope Lively

    Moon Tiger (excerpt), read by Samuel West

  • 01:10

    Dalida

    Helwa ya baladi

  • 01:10

    Dalida

    Helwa ya baladi

    • Universal 00042288240259.
    • 1.

  • Mustafa Kamil trans. Islam Issa

    Loving Egypt and Reviving Her, read by Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Islam Issa

Broadcasts

  • Sun 6 Nov 2022 17:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3
  • Sun 19 Nov 2023 17:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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