Behzad ABDI Shajarian • Motamedi • Sadeghi • Alishapour • Khodaei • Moradi Credo Chamber Choir • Bogdan Plish National of Ukraine • Vladimir Sirenko Act I Act II Behzad 1 8 War Rumi in the Circle of his Objecting Followers A(b.B 19D73) I 2 [Amir Touman, Mongolian, People] 7:16 9 [Old Follower, Rumi, Shams, Sheikh Attar] 8:12 Death Overcomes the Nation Meeting of Shams and Rumi

Rumi (2009) 3 [Shams, Sheikh Attar, People] 4:01 0 [Shams, Rumi] 2:57 in two acts Sheikh Attar Prefers Death Over Humiliation Rumi and his Wife Libretto by Behrouz Gharibpour (b. 1950) [Kharazm Prince, Amir Touman, [Rumi, Wife of Rumi, Soltan al-Olama, 4 Sheikh Attar, Soltan al-Olama, People] 6:14 ! Sheikh Attar, Shams] 7:53 Based on the life and writings of Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207–1273) The Advice of Rumi’s Father: Rumi’s First Dream: The Shepherd Shams ...... , Tenor ‘Love and Only Love’ [Shepherd, People, Soldier, Sheikh Attar, Rumi ...... Mohammad Motamedi, Tenor [Chorus, Soltan al-Olama, Rumi, @ Shams, Rumi] 7:35

Amir Touman ...... Mohammadreza Sadeghi, Baritone 5 Amir Touman, People] 4:57 Second Meeting of Shams and Rumi

Soltan al-Olama ...... Hossein Alishapour, Tenor A Bazaar in a Remote Town in # [Chorus, Shams, Rumi] 7:03 Sheikh Attar ...... Ali Khodaei, Tenor [Narrator, Soltan al-Olama, Attack Wife of Rumi ...... Maliheh Moradi, Mezzo-soprano 6 Rumi, People] 11:10 [Wife of Rumi, Rumi, Shams,

Old Follower ...... Es’haq Anvar, Baritone Shams and Rumi $ Old Follower, People] 5:17

Shepherd ...... Mostafa Mahmoudi, Tenor 7 [Shams, Rumi, Chorus] 9:54 Rumi’s Nightmare: Shams’ Persecution Soldier ...... Mehdi Javar, Bass Rumi’s Exodus [Mongolian, Shams, Chief Justice, Mongolian ...... Sadjad Pourghanad, Tenor [Old Follower, Wife of Rumi, Old Follower, Soltan al-Olama, Sheikh Attar, Chief Justice ...... Amer Shadman, Bass Rumi, People] 2:51 % People, Chorus, Wife of Rumi, Rumi] 7:04 Kharazm Prince ...... Ehsan Nasiri, Baritone Sufi Temple: Repentance Narrator ...... Mehdi Emami, Baritone [Old Follower, Rumi, Shams, People ...... Kayvan Farzin, Ali Najafi, Sulmaz Badri, Ali Yari, Amir Touman, People] 11:48 Reza Najafi and Sara Rezazadeh

Credo Chamber Choir • Bogdan Plish National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine Vladimir Sirenko Behzad Abdi (b. 1973) a reflection of the strength of his influence in both (gūsheh s) emphasise different parts of the scale and Rumi countries. The influence of his writings in the Indian various tonal relationships. A recognisable musical subcontinent is also substantial. By the end of the 20th character is established for each performance. Composing a traditional Iranian opera using the Iranian unaware of modern Western music techniques, and unlike century, his popularity had become a global phenomenon, Conceptually and in their musical content, dastgāh and modal system, dastgāh , has always been my dream. I first most Iranian symphonic music, it is not based on any with his poetry achieving a wide circulation in Western their constituent gūsheh are related to the Arabic system of approached this by composing an opera called Ashura specific ‘ism’ or school of thought, and in all parts of the Europe and the United States. maqāmāt and the Turkish makam s, and they are almost followed by the Rumi and Hafez . I believe that in opera, Western composition techniques are employed. Shams al-Din Mohammad bin Ali bin Malik-e Dad or identical to the mugam s of the art music of . order to attract an international audience for Iranian opera, In Rumi , the use of the polytonal technique is not Shams al-Din Tabrizi (meaning ‘the Sun of Faith from The seven main dastgāh of Iranian music are known it is essential to fuse dastgāh with Western classical forms. limited to the classical elements, and it is often heard in Tabriz’) was a Persian Sufi saint who is best known for his today as Shour , Māhour , Homāyoun , Segāh , Chāhārgāh , Rumi , which can be considered as the first national various dastgāh simultaneously – a technique that helps intense spiritual relationship with Rumi. He is credited for Rāstpanjgāh and Navā . Shour is mainly considered to be opera of Iran, is based on the life of the Sufi mystic and to reflect the unique concepts of the poetry, and one that wholly transforming Rumi’s life and thought, after arriving the mother of all dastgāh . poet, Rumi, and the circumstances of his time, from when was also used in the opera Ashura . in Konya in 1244; he died around 1248 or later. the Mongols invaded Persia, killing the Iranian poet The text of this opera, which is set in 15 acts, is Shams left a single work in prose known as Maqalat About the Sama dance Sheikh Attar, to his time in Konya and his life-changing mainly based on Rumi’s writings with several parts taken (‘Discourses’) which reveal him to be highly proficient in meeting with Shams. However, the librettist and director, from other poets. Rumi’s poetry is not distorted and the philosophy, theology and spirituality. He was an engaging Sama is a popular form of worship in Sufism, with rituals and Behrouz Gharibpour, chose not to reflect the events poems are read in their original form. speaker whose words were both simple and profoundly ceremonies that take on many forms. These can include directly, instead creating a symbolic libretto based on For the listener, especially those familiar with Rumi’s moving. singing, dancing, poetry and prayers, and the wearing of Rumi’s thoughts and words. writing, what Gharibpour has done is astonishing and Shams and Rumi were inseparable and it is said that symbolic attire. The Sama dance appears at key points in the This redefinition and distancing from the historical admirable. Due to his long-time involvement with these they spent days, even months together in a state of narrative of Rumi. Sama meaning ‘the universe’ allows the narrative is considered to be the most significant point of concepts and careful selection of Rumi’s texts, he has mystical communion. One biographer describes Rumi’s dancer to become focused on their inner spiritual world and the text in this opera, and was in fact the only way to grasp created one of the best and most important libretti among spiritual transformation at the hands of Shams: as a result become able to connect with the universe through the latent meanings of Rumi’s words. The unifying Iranian operas. Gharibpour not only considered Rumi’s ‘The encounter with Shams triggered the completion of the dance’s unique choreographic moves. The main move of message of the work – the promise of the ‘immortality of literary and conceptual techniques but created an artistic a paradigm shift in Rumi’s approach to piety and spirituality; the Sama dance is a continuous turning of the truth’ – is repeated throughout the narrative. The audience mix of drama, history and literature. He was able to look at he discovered that beyond the safe, dry and socially dancer/worshipper which brings about a state of meditation. is also exposed to various other stories along the way. Rumi’s life and his eternal teachings from several aspects. approved forms of obedience (prayer, sermonising, This is an act of improvisation and it continues until the Those familiar with 13th-century Iranian literary texts discovering and applying the principles of law) and dancer feels the presence of God and becomes part of the know that due to the successive attacks of the Mongols Behzad Abdi renunciation (fasting, controlling the passions and the ego), network of the universe. Once connected, there is no You or and the reports of massacres, the Iranian people had there is a meta-spirituality of love, which consists in joyously I, only one soul. Humans, the plants, the sky, water, air, fire, turned to Sufism and nihilism. This is why there are A brief history of Shams and Rumi and creatively celebrating our relationship with God.’ the stars, the mountains, the animals and the planets are the sometimes contradictions in the realm of ideas from that same; they are all the manifestation of God in different ways. era, which complicates understanding, for our generation, Rumi, in full Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, also called by the honorific About dastgāh Once this is realised, the dancer is presented with a of the secrets that lie within the literature of that time. Mawlānā, (born c. 30 September 1207, Balkh [now in new life in which all all beings can be loved and valued as The key to understanding Rumi’s poetry is its far- ] – died 17 December 1273, Konya [now in Dastgāh , (Persian: ‘pattern’ or ‘set of directions’) are the they are. Rumi calls this ‘The Miracle of Love’. He talks reaching look at human aspirations; the power that we call ]), was the greatest Sufi mystic and poet in the principal modes of the art music of Persian-speaking areas, about a very deep love for all beings and a mystical love love and the temptations that take us away from false , famous for his lyrics and for his used as the basis for composition and improvisation. A for God that would lift human souls, leading the way to the mundane charms and attractions (which Iranian mystics didactic epic Mas̄navī-yi Maʿnavī (‘Spiritual Couplets’), dastgāh incorporates a scale, a motif, a group of short light of happiness for eternity. in many poems refer to as wisdom or common sense). which widely influenced mystical thought and literature pieces, and a recognisable identity. The scale ( maqām ) is a The Sama dance is a ritual some people choose to Rumi is based on Iranian traditional dastgāh and is the throughout the Muslim world. After his death, his disciples collection of seven pitches, some of which may be perform to connect with the universe, but it is certainly not first opera to use this traditional form. The work fuses were organised as the Mawlawiyyah order. temporarily altered, using various combinations of whole the only way. There is a Persian proverb that says ‘The traditional Persian and Western classical music, which Rumi’s use of Persian and Arabic in his poetry, in tones, semitones, and fractional tones. The motif is a short path to God is infinite’, so if people choose to move creates a unique timbre and harmonic colour. Iranian addition to some Turkish and Greek, has resulted in his four-to-six-note phrase ( māyeh ), to which musicians forward on this path, they will arrive safely at the same music may form the base of this work, but I was not being claimed variously for Turkish and , repeatedly refer in performance. The short pieces destination no matter which path they choose. 5 $ Synopsis A Bazaar in a Remote Town in Iran Act II Rumi’s Nightmare: Shams’ Persecution A storyteller and his assistant stand in front of a large 8 The crowd is sitting and standing around a field. Some of Act I painting (which depicts the Mongols attack on Iran) and Rumi in the Circle of his Objecting Followers Rumi’s friends bring Shams with chained feet and 1 they narrate. Soltan al-Olama and Rumi join the gathering Rumi’s friends have gathered around him while Rumi haltered neck to the central platform. The chief justice War crowd to watch. The narrator points his sticks to different gives a recitation. One of the friends points at him. signals the executioner. The executioner strikes down. Mongols destroy Iran. Mongolian leaders and sings. 9 Rumi’s confused wife enters and sings as Rumi 2 The crowd goes down on its knees in front of Soltan Meeting of Shams and Rumi begins to sing about Shams. Death Overcomes the Nation al-Olama as he puts his hands on Rumi’s shoulder and In Rumi’s house, he and Shams sit facing each other % 3 with his last breaths speaks to Rumi. discussing God and philosophy. Sufi Temple: Repentance Sheikh Attar Prefers Death Over Humiliation Soltan al-Olama lies on the ground. Rumi becomes 0 Many years later in Rumi’s Sufi temple. His followers are The Mongolian Amir Touman is riding on a sedan, the fearful and moves close to him as the crowd gathers Rumi and his Wife regretful. Kharazm Prince enters in heavy chains. Amir gives a around in a semi-circle. Someone checks the Soltan al- Rumi’s wife is watching him in awe and wants to bring him The walls of the Sufi temple disappear. The Sama signal to the executioner to get ready to cut off the head of Olama’s pulse but he is dead. back to his normal state, but Rumi resists. After their dancers encircle the Mongolians with their shining swords the Kharazm Prince. Suddenly Sheikh Attar appears in Everyone gathers around his dead body. Rumi conversation, his sad and confused wife leaves. Attar and in the depth of the stage. The followers gradually join the the middle of the crowd and immediately goes to the suddenly drops his handkerchief and moans. Everyone Shams appear in the house and begin the Sama dance. Sama dance. The entire stage becomes full of men and platform on his knees in front of the executioner so that he follows him. ! women performing the Sama dance. may be beheaded instead. Amir Touman is shocked and 6 Rumi’s First Dream: The Shepherd confused. He stands up and puts his foot on the shoulder Shams and Rumi @ of the Sheikh. Thirteen years have passed between the death of Rumi’s Second Meeting of Shams and Rumi Amir Touman gives a signal to his executioner to father and the emergence of Shams in Rumi’s life. # behead Sheikh Attar. The executioner strikes down. Shams appears at the end of the scene and moves Attack Suddenly the mob rushes towards the platform. closer to the crowd. Shams gets close to the crying Rumi Rumi falls on the floor in ecstasy. The sound of his Mongolians start to kill some of the crowd while the rest and goes down on his knees putting his hand on Rumi’s screaming friends from outside rouses him. Rumi’s wife escape. The sound of falling walls and roaring thunder is shoulder. Rumi turns to Shams with astonishment. enters in confusion. His followers attack his house in heard. Dust covers the entire scene. The sound of After their conversation Rumi sings: order to kill Shams. moaning and crying is heard in the distance. ‘I think only of that which you long for… I think only of 4 that which you long for.’ The Advice of Rumi’s Father: ‘Love and Only Love’ In a blink Shams disappears. Soltan al-Olama (Rumi’s father) and the young Rumi Rumi sings happily because of this meeting. during migration: 7 Dead bodies lie on the ground. Soltan al-Olama starts Rumi’s Exodus searching among the dead bodies to see if anyone is still An alley in Konya. Rumi appears murmuring while doing alive. Rumi looks around with disbelief. The silent Soltan the Sama dance, people are standing to watch him while al-Olama and Rumi start crying to the extent that their the children follow, mocking him and laughing. Rumi shoulders begin to shake. Mongolians with sharp, shining ignores the people. swords enter in dense rows. Soltan al-Olama, Rumi and their attendants leave quickly. More Mongols waving flags join the others. They face the audience, marching and screaming to signal their readiness to attack. A wave of blood is seen as an image behind the Mongols. Behzad Abdi () Homayoun Shajarian (as Shams)

Behzad Abdi (b. 1973) is an Iranian composer. He studied the and Iranian Homayoun Shajarian (b. 1975) is a Persian classical music vocalist, and a traditional music with Masoud Shoari and Mohsen Nafar and Western classical and player. He is the son of Mohammad Reza Shajarian, the grand music with Liudmila Yurina and Vadim Juravitsky at the Tchaikovsky Academy in master vocalist of Persian traditional music. He began learning Persian traditional Ukraine. Abdi is the first composer to write Iranian traditional opera fusing Iranian vocal Avaz at the age of ten, alongside his older sisters under their father’s traditional and Western classical music. He is also a composer of film soundtracks supervision, gaining knowledge of vocal Avaz (‘singing’). Simultaneously, he and has won two awards at the Fajr International Iranian Film Festival, among attended Conservatory of Music and chose kamancheh as his professional others. instrument as well as being tutored by Ardeshir Kamkar. In 1991, he accompanied his father in concerts with the Ava Music Ensemble in the US, Europe and Iran, playing the tombak, and from 1999, started accompanying his father as a vocalist.

Photo: Moein Hasheminasab Photo: Moein Hasheminasab Mohammad Motamedi (as Rumi) Behrouz Gharibpour (Librettist and director) Mohammad Motamedi (b. 1978) started singing and playing the as a self- Behrouz Gharibpour (b. 1950) is a renowned Iranian theatre director and pioneer taught adolescent. In 1997 he began to study the singing style of Seyed Hossein of traditional Persian puppet theatre. He studied theatre at Tehran University and Taherzadeh with the esteemed artist Hamidreza Noorbakhsh. With an interest in at the Dramatic Arts Academy in Rome (Silvio D’Amico). He founded the Tehran the Esfahan song school, he has been influenced by Taj Esfahani and Adib and Esfahan puppet theatre centres and transformed Tehran’s slaughterhouse into Khansari and has benefitted from the guidance of esteemed masters such as the Iran’s Cultural Centre. He has experience in writing and directing in the fields of late Dr Hossein Omoumi and Aliasghar Shahzeidi. He has performed with several theatre, puppet theatre, film, documentaries, and TV. Gharibpour is known for his groups including the Khorshid Ensemble with Majid Derakhshani, the Sheyda research into Iranian puppetry as was commonly practised during the Qajar era Ensemble with Mohammadreza Lotfi and the Iranian National Orchestra with (1785–1925) and was the president of UNIMA. Farhad Fakhreddini.

Photo: Moein Hasheminasab Mohammad Reza Sadeghi (as Amir Touman) Ali Khodaei (as Sheikh Attar)

Mohammad Reza Sadeghi (b. 1972), is a baritone singer and opera instructor. Ali Khodaei (b. 1971) studied Iranian classical music under Shapour Rahimi, Hossein Sadeghi has studied singing under the supervision of Mohammad Nouri, becoming Omoumi, , Jasmine Martroul, Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Mohammad his assistant – today he is Nouri’s most prominent student. Mohammad Reza Reza Shajarian. He has recorded many pieces in Farsi and Azeri with Iranian Sadeghi has served as a soloist with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra and the Broadcasting. National Orchestra, as well as a bass singer with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra Choir.

Maliheh Moradi (as Wife of Rumi)

Maliheh Moradi (b. 1984) is an Iranian singer and setar player. She studied singing and entered Tehran Conservatory of Music to study the setar. Subsequently, she has attended additional singing courses and completed them in the presence of masters such as Siamak Jahangiri, Hossein Alizadeh, Mozafar Shafiee, Hasan Pazoki, Asghar Shahzeidi and Mohammadreza Shajarian.

Hossein Alishapour (as Soltan al-Olama) Photo: Moein Hasheminasab Hossein Alishapour (b. 1974) studied Iranian singing under Seddigh Ta’rif, Seyed Noordin Razavi Sarvestani, Hossein Omoumi and Manouchehr Homayounpour. Alishapour is renowned for his familiarity with various vocal styles, due to his Es’haq Anvar (as Old Follower) extended research on Iranian classical music singing. He has released many albums. Es’haq Anvar (b. 1974) is an Iranian singer and poet. He studied music under Ata’llah Behmanesh and Mojtaba Mirzadeh, and has collaborated with Iranian Broadcasting by recording numerous works, as a melodist, singer, and poet. Mostafa Mahmoudi (as Shepherd) Amer Shadman (as Chief Justice)

Mostafa Mahmoudi (b. 1972) is a Kurdish and Persian singer. He studied singing and the Amer Shadman (b. 1986) is a bass singer. He studied music under Barsek Toomanian, Farshad Kurdish repertoire with several masters. He has given concerts in France, Italy and Turkey Fouladvand, Mohammad Taghaddosi, Mostafa Kamal Pourtorab, Farhad Fakhreddini, Amir with different Persian ensembles. Mahmoudi is one of the founding members of the Nour Ashraf Aryanpour, Amir Moini, Shahram Mazlomi and Masoud Ebrahimi. He is an amateur Ensemble. player of the , setar, classical guitar, kamancheh and . He joined the Tehran Symphony Orchestra Choir in 2005, and one year later, he joined the IRIB Symphony Orchestra Choir. He has staged recitals and orchestral performances as a bass singer.

Photo: Madjid Haghdoust Mehdi Javar (as Soldier) Ehsan Nasiri (as Kharazm Prince) Mehdi Javar (b. 1981) is a baritone singer, operatic singing teacher and choir conductor. He has studied operatic singing under Mohammad Salarvand, Aria Ehsan Nasiri (b. 1981) is an Iranian dubber and director. He studied music under Hossein Zand and Esfandiar Qarabaghi. At the age of 20, he joined the Tehran Symphony Dehlavi, Farhad Farkhreddini and Loris Tjeknavorian. He also composes music. Orchestra Choir as a bass singer and collaborated with the choir for ten years as a soloist and singer. He has also established a choir which he conducts.

Photo: Mehdi Motevaseliani

Mehdi Emami (as Narrator) Sadjad Pourghanad (as Mongolian) Mehdi Emami (b. 1982) is an Iranian singer, and plays the tombak and . He Sadjad Pourghanad (b. 1981) is an Iranian baritone singer and tar and setar player and studied singing, playing tombak and daf under his father, Ahmad Emami. He editor-in-chief of the HarmonyTalk.com online music journal. He studied music under studied Iranian Avaz under Hassan Adib and Mohsen Keramati. He also studied Masoud Shaari, Houshang Kamkar, Hossein Dehlavi, Manouchehr Sahbaie, Keyvan santour under Hossein Shokoufa and Massoud Shenasa. Mirhadi, Mohammad Saeed Sharifian, Shapour Rahimi, Ali Nourbakhsh, Florence Lippett and Khosro Elmiyeh. He is well known in Iran as a prolific music critic.

Photo: Amir Korosh Erabi Credo Chamber Choir National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine

Credo Chamber Choir was founded in April 2002. The choir has received critical acclaim and is a regular participant in international festivals, touring Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. The choir has participated in the Moscow Easter Festival and also took part in the fourth International Festival of Sacred Music in Rottenburg, where it was recognised as one of the performance highlights of the festival. The choir performs many large-scale choral works and has recorded several albums. www.kyiv-credo-choir.com

Bogdan Plish

Bogdan Plish (b. 1977) graduated from the National Music Academy of Ukraine. He has been artistic director of the Credo Chamber Choir since 2002. In 2005 he won the Grand Prix of the third Ukrainian Choral Conductors Formed by the Council of Ministers of Ukraine in November of 1918, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine Competition, in 2007 he was appointed choirmaster of the (NSOU) is considered to be one of the finest symphony in Eastern Europe. The orchestra has given the National Opera House of Ukraine and in 2009 he became premiere performances of works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Lyatoshinsky, Valentin Silvestrov and artistic director of the International Easter Assembly Myroslav Skoryk. A distinguished list of conductors has worked with the orchestra including Leopold Stokowski, Igor (2009–14). Plish is also an opera conductor at the Markevitch, Kurt Sanderling, Evgeny Mravinsky, Kirill Kondrashin, Evgeny Svetlanov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky and National Opera House of Ukraine, where he has Theodore Kuchar, as well as many pre-eminent soloists that include Artur Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, conducted Eugene Onegin , Aleko , Natalka Poltavka and a David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Richter, , Emil Gilels, Gidon Kremer, Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras ballet staging of Ravel’s Bolero . and Juan Diego Flórez, among others. The orchestra has gained international recognition and critical acclaim, receiving two GRAMMY ® nominations, and has undertaken many successful concert tours in Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Vladimir Sirenko has been the orchestra’s artistic director and chief conductor since April 1999. Vladimir Sirenko

Born in the Poltava region of Ukraine, Vladimir Sirenko made his debut at Kiev Philharmonic Hall in 1983. He graduated from the Kiev Conservatoire in 1989 and was a finalist at the International Conducting Competition in Prague in 1990. A year later, he was appointed chief conductor and artistic director of the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Since 1999 he has been the artistic director and chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Sirenko has premiered many works by Ukrainian and recorded over 50 albums including the GRAMMY ®- nominated Requiem for Larissa by Valentin Silvestrov in 2005. He has conducted worldwide in renowned concert halls and has worked with many orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moscow and the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestras, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, the Bratislava Radio Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic of Russia, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He is professor of opera and symphonic conducting at the National Music Academy of Ukraine. Behzad Abdi’s opera Rumi fuses traditional dastgāh (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, Jalāl al- Dīn Rūmī. 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

A(bB. 19D73) I Rumi (2009) Opera in two acts libretto by Behrouz gharibpour (b. 1950) Based on the life and writings of Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207–1273) Shams ...... Homayoun Shajarian, Tenor Rumi ...... Mohammad Motamedi, Tenor Amir Touman ...... Mohammadreza Sadeghi, Baritone Soltan al-Olama ...... Hossein Alishapour, Tenor Sheikh Attar ...... Ali Khodaei, Tenor Wife of Rumi ...... Maliheh Moradi, Mezzo-soprano Credo Chamber Choir • Bogdan Plish National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine • Vladimir Sirenko WORlD PREMIERE RECORDINg 1 7 8 % – Act I 46:25 – Act II 57:54

A full track and cast list can be found inside the booklet • The Persian libretto and an English translation can be accessed at www.naxos.com/libretti/660424.htm Recorded: 21 December 2009 at Dom Zvukozapisi (The House of Recording), Kiev, Ukraine Edited: 12 February 2010 at Pop Studio, Tehran, Iran • Producer: Alexander Hornostai Engineer: Andrii Mokritskyi • Editors: Andrii Mokritskyi and Hamid Adab Cover: An Ottoman-era manuscript depicting Rumi and Shams (late 16th/early 17th century)