Ensemble Anima Shirvani & Oltremontano Antwerp: "I Had a Dream!"

In 1556, Mehemmed Füzuli, one of the most significant poets of Azerbaijani-Turkic literature, died at the age of 63. Love as an existential principle lies at the heart of his work. His magnum opus, “Leyli və Mecnun,” often interpreted as the so-called Oriental counterpart to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” captures this sentiment perfectly: love means suffering. 

Seven years after his death, the musician and composer John Dowland was born in England; his life and worldview exhibit remarkable parallels. Dowland, who drew deep sorrow from the disregard of his talent at the English royal court, processed his suffering in his most famous work, “Lachrimae, or Seven Teares,” and also died at the age of 63. 

The concert program I HAD A DREAM! juxtaposes the worlds of these two geniuses. On one side stands Dowland’s “Lachrimae, or Seven Teares,” and on the other, another masterpiece—the symphonic mugham “SHUR” by Fikret Amirov, an outstanding Azerbaijani composer and admirer of Füzuli. With this composition, Amirov returns to the roots of Eastern art music, the Azerbaijani mugham. 

For I HAD A DREAM!, the two ensembles Anima Shirvani and Oltremontano Antwerpen come together with 15 musicians. The viol and trombone consort is complemented by a continuo group and instruments such as the duduk, kaval, zurna, oud, and tombak. Their intercultural program combines familiar soundscapes with rarely performed repertoire. 

I HAD A DREAM! does not see itself as building bridges, but rather as an expression of historical and cultural interconnection. East and West are not presented as opposites, but as mutually interdependent parts of a shared cultural heritage. The moderated concert formats make this approach accessible to a broad audience. 

Program:
Fikret Amirov (1922–1984): “Mugham Shur”
John Dowland (1563–1626): “Lachrimae or Seaven Teares”
Poetry by Mehemmed Füzuli (1494–1556) 

Performers:
Ensemble Anima Shirvani: 
Irene Klein, Mirjam-Luise Münzel, Silke Strauf, Doris Runge, Arno Jochem – gamba consort; Friederike Däublin – violone; Deniz Mahir Kartal – balaban (duduk)/kaval; Pedro Alcacer Doria – theorbo/lute; Peter Kuhnsch – percussion 

Ensemble Oltremontano:
Friederike Otto, Nuria Sanroma – Cornetts
Juan Gonzalez Martinez, Raphaël Robyns, Wim Becu – Baroque Trombones
Tural Ismayilov – Concept/Narrator/Conductor 

Tickets:
€18, reduced €12 online via Eventim or at the box office. Unreserved seating.
For more information on ticket prices, click here: Service/Tickets

Organizer:
Tural Ismayilov & Ensemble Anima Shirvani in cooperation with Kultur Büro Elisabeth

Funding & Support: Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and the Committee for Work with the Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan 

Photo © Anna-Kristina Bauer