Latest news with #Maatouk
L'Orient-Le Jour
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
No, 'Carmen' is not a French opera
This is a staging of "Carmen" that will no doubt be hotly debated and rejected, as the appreciation of this most popular opera is so often based on a misunderstanding of its true values in favor of a routine falsely called "tradition". Whether we like it or not, no, "Carmen" is no longer a French opera. It is one of the few masterpieces to have been internationally appropriated. This internationalization has been both Bizet's greatest triumph and an open door to all sorts of new interpretations beyond the habits of public and music lovers alike. It is this kind of recreation that director Jorge Takla and conductor Father Toufic Maatouk brought to life last Friday and Saturday at the prestigious Baalbeck Festival. Let's say right away that the result differs quite a bit from what we're used to. Changes were made to the opera, likely due to a time limit of two and a half hours and probably budget constraints as well. But to me, Father Maatouk's direction is a complete success — not just for how it blends music and action with Takla, but because the action itself seems to grow naturally from the music. It is always difficult to achieve convincing staging in an open-air setting, and Takla managed to adapt it perfectly to the venue. The freedom of this direction will no doubt be criticized, even though there are no flashy effects, nor even the less gratuitous ones found in some familiar versions. The movements change constantly, adjusting to the fluidity of emotions and, most importantly, to the space and stage. Yet, in the rare places in the score where Bizet gave specific directions, these are always respected. For example, the marking "don't rush" at a particular moment in the Act II quintet, which the so-called "tradition" never observes. Otherwise, one notes that the flexibility of tempos, accents, and rubato bring out both the pure musical value of Bizet's inspiration and writing, and add to the dramatic meaning of the music. Generally speaking, the main originality of Maatouk's conducting is how he creates a dialogue between the orchestra and the singers. This goes beyond simply accompanying the voices, the orchestra becomes a protagonist, just like Carmen or Don José. Its presence is an active force, immersing the characters in a brilliant sound environment, but also shaping them in spite of themselves, the sonic expression of the fate that, as Carmen sings, is the true master. The progression is fascinating and culminates fantastically in the final scene. All of this is achieved with a restraint that the singers' occasional excesses only barely disrupt. But what about the singers? Marie Gautrot is certainly a remarkable Carmen. Her interpretation is as compelling as Callas', but her vocal timbre is even better suited to the role of the gypsy, and at rare moments, she tends to push her acting — perhaps because this is open-air rather than a traditional opera stage — though not in the veristic style of Puccini, but more in the direction of realism. Julien Behr has a voice whose impact is stunning in the most violent passages and in the climaxes of Acts III and IV. His Don José, more external than Jon Vickers', has the raw power of a wounded animal. The lyrical moments — "Parle-moi de ma mère", "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" — shine with melodic elegance and intrinsic vocal beauty. Vannina Santoni, on the other hand, phrases delightfully as Micaëla, and though Jérôme Boutiller's tone lacks a little brilliance for Escamillo, he sings with all the desired panache. The secondary roles are overall well cast: Mira Akiki (Frasquita), Grace Medawar (Mercedes), César Naassy (Zuniga), Fadi Jeanbart (Morales), Philippe-Nicolas Martin (Le Dancaïre), and Jason Choueifaty (Le Remendado). The Antonine University choir and the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra were magnificent, possessing tremendous dynamism. As for the "Olles!" and other added exclamations that will no doubt shock some purists, I think they form an integral part of the realistic aesthetic deliberately chosen by the conductor and director, without disfiguring Bizet's musical intent. In conclusion, bravo to the Baalbeck Festival committee. A grand spectacle, an extraordinary version for Carmen fans — many of whom perhaps love Bizet's masterpiece for the wrong reasons? One thing is certain: you had to be there. Because beyond the striking impression it made, many music lovers that evening discovered, thanks to the conductor, new beauties in a score they thought they knew well.
Morocco World
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Fez Private University Conference Tackles the Future of the Moroccan Family
Fez – A dynamic conversation around the evolving nature of Morocco's Family Code unfolded at The Private University of Fez, hosted today a dynamic conversation about the evolving nature of Morocco's Family Code. The conference shed light on how Moroccan society is grappling with the changing definitions of marriage, divorce, and gender roles within the family unit. Legal expert Prof. Mohammed Jamal Maatouk, the conference's keynote speaker, addressed the future of the Moroccan family with a thought-provoking presentation titled 'De quel code de la famille on rêve?' (What family code are we dreaming of?). He argued that as Morocco lives through shifting cultural norms and increasing calls for reform, the Family Code, long considered a pillar of Moroccan legal identity, is bound to be under national scrutiny. Discussions touched on sensitive yet pressing topics, such as early marriage, the erosion of the sacralization of marriage, and the increasing transition toward treating marriage as a contractual agreement with evolving conditions. According to Prof. Maatouk, the complexity of these transformations reflects broader societal tensions between preserving traditional values and embracing modern legal structures that respond to today's realities. One of the underlying themes of the conference was the shifting role of women within the family and legal systems. The dialogue explored how societal expectations of women continue to evolve, with growing attention on the balance between professional responsibilities and domestic life. There was particular interest in how legal structures could potentially support women in fulfilling both roles without reinforcing outdated gender norms. Speakers and attendees reflected on the idea that family law must be more than just reactive. Most argue that it must anticipate social change and support a vision of the Moroccan family that is both inclusive and adaptable. This includes examining how laws can better protect minors, ensure justice in divorce proceedings, and foster equitable relationships between spouses. The conference also acknowledged that legal reform is not solely about legislation, but also about mindset. Without shifts in societal attitudes and the consistent application of laws across all judicial levels, progress may remain limited. Prof. Mohammed Jamal Maatouk concluded his presentation by sincerely advising the audience to 'adopt what serves society and neglect what does not, as that's how we can live a healthy marriage without the need of a Family Code.' Ultimately, the event at the Private University of Fez served as an important platform for reimagining the future of Moroccan family law. It was a reminder that, as the public debate around the Family Code intensifies, so does the need for a collective, forward-thinking approach to reform. While the conference did not claim to decisively answer the question raised by its theme, it at least provided a helpful suggestion to kickstart an essential conversation. Overall, the conference argued that the dream Family Code for Morocco is one that grants Moroccan women their full rights without falling into the trap of Westernizing Moroccan society. The driving idea, as Prof. Matouk repeatedly emphasized throughout his speech, is that the dream of a better Family Code is not just a legal question. Instead, it is an unending social and political quest rooted in the values, challenges, and hopes of a changing Morocco. Tags: Codeconferencefamilylaw
Arab News
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Saudi-Spanish artist Hana Maatouk discusses her debut solo show ‘Worlds Within'
RIYADH: Saudi-Spanish artist Hana Maatouk loves giving gifts. As a child, she presented each member of her family with a comic, abstract doodle that she felt embodied them. 'I would narrate my feelings or my response to an event through images,' she tells Arab News. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Now, her work has drawn crowds in New York to her first solo show, the conclusion of a four-month residency with downtown art space Chinatown Soup. Through her work, Maatouk explores Saudi Arabia's evolving socio-political landscape and her personal memories of growing up there. In that solo exhibition, 'Worlds Within,' which took place at NYC Culture Club last month, Maatouk used memory not as the main narrative, but as a way to examine the present. 'Initially, I thought I was going to archive my personal memory and make fantastical images based on my personal narrative. But when I started, I realized that my fascination with memory actually goes beyond myself,' she said. 'Worlds Within' was part of 'Within Reach' — a show encompassing a number of exhibitions celebrating the 2024 class of undergraduate visual arts students from Columbia University, where Maatouk studied, and Barnard College. Maatouk's vibrant, surrealist work was heavily inspired by the 12th-century Andalusian mystic Ibn Arabi and his philosophical concept of divine time and space. During her residency at Chinatown Soup, Maatouk intended to create a picture for every significant memory she has, even if it was just a quick sketch. And what she realized in the process was that her relationship to memory is very much rooted in emotions and images rather than language. She came into her residency with the work she had created for her thesis, in which the predominant color was a bold red. Her later works slowly developed out of that, and even referenced the doodles she had made as a child. One piece, a drawing in charcoal, is a depiction of her memory of Umrah, which she performed with her father and brother when she was around 12 years old. There are no photographs of their trip, so the painting was purely based on her memory. 'I still recall the feeling of the white tile beneath my feet. Our pace. My eyes observing, witnessing,' she says. 'When I showed that picture to my brother, he was like, 'Yeah, that's how I felt it as well.'' This piece became 'significant in the development of my visual language,' she adds, 'because of the fleeting figures. If you look towards the top and the peripheries, the 'figure' turns into a simple arc, which becomes a unit on its own. Visually, I reduced the information down to the most basic cell that could still represent a figure but also carry many meanings in its abstraction.' In her discussions with others about her work, a recurring theme was just how unreliable memories can be. This led the artist to explore other questions, such as why we define memory based on what it is not. 'It's almost like we've pitted memory against fact and made it unreliable in its definition. But what if its power is that it can transcend time and space — that it exists, actually, outside of those two things? It incorporates those two things. But it exists beyond them. It's timeless,' she says. While the show consists mainly of paintings, Maatouk has trained in many mediums, including sculpture, installation, printmaking, and photography. 'I don't have one particular medium that is 'it' forever, I think it's just a matter of what language fits the idea that I'm working with,' she says. 'With painting, most recently, I've been dabbling with the fantastical, the fictional, and the mythological, because painting, in its essence, is an illusion. You're making three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane. It already has elements of the fantastical embedded in it. So, when I was writing these narratives about the changes I was observing in Saudi Arabia, it made sense to do it in painting.' As the daughter of a Saudi father and Spanish mother, Maatouk says there are aspects of her cultural background, history, and perspective that she's eager to translate through her work. The challenge is taking these elements outside of their cultural realm to new audiences. 'My audience (for the latest exhibition was) a New York audience, and actually, at the opening, my friend Sarah, who's American, brought a friend to the show, and I asked her which piece resonated, and she pointed to the one of Umrah,' she says. 'What makes a good work for me… I think about it in terms of an emotional transfer. I love to see the work resonating with people in an emotional way, where they feel like something in them was seen in the work.'
