Noor Over Afghan

OVERVIEW

Title: Noor Over Afghan
Composer: Christiaan Venter
Librettist: Anusree Roy
Commissioned By:

Tapestry Opera's Composer-Librettist Laboratory

Language: English
Producer:

Tapestry Opera

Run Time:

Roles:

Role	Voice Type	Range ?	Character Description
Noor	high	C4-C6	Afghani woman, sister to Jaan
Jaan	middle-high	B3-F5	Afghani woman, sister to Noor
Rafique	middle	D3-B4	Jaan's husband-to-be
Priest	middle-low	G2-Eb4	A Priest
Chorus	high	SSA	Chorus

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Orchestration: Piano

SYNOPSIS

Noor Over Afghan is set in Afghanistan, and tells the story of two young Afghani sisters, Noor and Jaan. But Jaan is dying, and begs Noor to take her place in the marriage and have her child. By the time the groom finds out, Jaan will have died. They swap places, Noor disguised by the veil.

MUSIC DESCRIPTION

Though the opera opens with playful, lilting piano, its most cheerful music appears only fleetingly, at the moments when its characters are at their most naïve—when Noor helps prepare for her sister Jaan's wedding, unaware that Jaan is dying; and when Jaan's groom Rafique goes through the wedding ceremony, not knowing that it is Noor under the veil.

Elsewhere, rhythmic grooves in the left hand of the piano and long tremolo chords ground this music, over which the three main vocalists (as well as the role of the wedding priest) are joined occasionally by a three-part chorus of high and middle-high voices, who sing homophonically as they meet Rafique, Noor and Jaan on their various journeys.

SCORES FOR PURCHASE

Libretto:

Noor Over Afghan – Libretto

Purchase This Score

Arias & Excerpts:

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 1

Jaan, who is dying, asks her sister Noor to secretely take her place on her wedding day. Noor reluctantly agrees.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Noor	high	C4-B5
Jaan	middle-high	G3-F5

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 2

The wedding ceremony. Noor hesitates, then marries Rafique.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Rafique	middle	C3-B4
Noor	high	E4-A5
Priest	middle-low	G2-Eb4
Chorus	high	G4-B5
Chorus	high	F4-Ab5
Chorus	high	D4-Ab5

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 3

Jaan meets group of tribal women in the desert who convince her to stay with them while she dies. Noor takes Jaan's place in the circle.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Jaan	middle-high	Bb3-F5
Noor	high	F4-C6
Older tribal woman	middle-high	G4-A5
Older tribal woman	middle-high	Eb4-A5
Older tribal woman	middle-high	C4-A5

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 4: The Wedding Night

Noor tells the lie Jaan asked of her to Rafique. Rafique sends her away and tries to figure out what he should do.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Noor	high	E4-G5
Rafique	middle	E3-B4

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 5

Jaan remains alive. The tribal women suggest she should write to Noor to know what has happen and ease her mind.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Jaan	middle-high	C4-Eb5
Older tribal woman	middle-high	A4-A5
Older tribal woman	middle-high	F4-G5
Older tribal woman	middle-high	C#4-G5

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 6

In bed, Rafique and Noor separately wonder how to get out of their situation.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Noor	high	Eb4-C6
Rafique	middle	E3-B4

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 7: Desert (aria)

In a letter, Jaan asks if Noor still loves her.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Jaan	middle-high	C4-E5

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Noor Over Afghan - Scene 8

Receiving Jaan's letter, Noor forgives her sister. Noor and Rafique decide they will try to remain friends.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Noor	high	D4-A5
Rafique	middle	D3-A4

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

PREMIERE PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Premiere Production:

Tapestry Briefs 2011, September 23-24, 2011 at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, Toronto ON

Producers:

Tapestry Opera

Cast:

Role	Name
Noor	Xin Wang
Jaan	Krisztina Szabó

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Premiere Production Team:

Role	Name
Director	Sue Miner
Lighting Designer	Kimberly Purtell
Stage Manager	Isolde Pleasants-Faulkner
Production Assistant	Ann Bisch
Music Dramaturg	Wayne Strongman
Repetiteur	Dr. Christopher Foley
Repetiteur	Jennifer Tung

Please Note: The table above has content that is scrollable left to right.

Content Tags:

There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one.

REVIEW THIS OPERA

Submit a Suggestion

Please Note: As we try our best to ensure that all the data on this page is correct please understand that these pages were built by humans, so we're bound to make mistakes. Let us know if you have found any errors, typos, or mistakes on this page. If you have any suggestions on adding tags to this page, please use this email link as well. Thank you, your help and contribution are appreciated.

Submit Suggestion For This Page