Morning Mood from Peer Gynt Suite No 1 by Edvard Grieg
The instantly recognisable first flute notes of this shimmering piece, written by the Norwegian nationalist romantic Edvard Grieg, depict the rising of the sun over the Sahara desert, and the simple motif has been used in countless films and adverts. The suite was written as incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, which was first staged in 1876, and the music went on to have a life of its own outside the literary work.
Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes by Richard Wagner
One of Richard Wagner's least-known operatic works, Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes, is something of a departure, stylistically, for the composer. Nevertheless, it shows early hints of what was to come: the misty, throbbing strings, the resonant brass and the melodrama all precipitate elements of the Ring cycles - as does the five-hour running time. This, the overture - its most performed extract - is a rich piece of orchestration.
Libiamo (Brindisi) from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
In 1853, when this timeless work was first performed in Venice, opera was an art as much for the common people as the cognoscenti. Verdi was the toast of Italy and his most popular arias were sung on the streets. Among his eminently singable tunes, this short, waltzy duet from La Traviata, a loving toast from Alfredo to Violetta, stands out as one of the catchiest.
Les Toreadors from Carmen (Suite No 1) by Georges Bizet
When the opera Carmen debuted at the Opera Comique in Paris in March of 1875, it was a flop. The realist subject (it was set in a cigarette factory in Seville) shocked the audience, and Bizet died just a few months later, never knowing the fame of his final opera. Les Toreadors, a Spanish-tinged march that evokes the puffed-out chests and proud chins of Seville's proud bullfighters, is one of the opera's best-known recurring melodies.
Symphony in A Major (First movement) by Felix Mendelssohn
The swinging, dancing rhythms of this work are reminiscent of the folk music of Italy, through which the German composer Mendelssohn was travelling on a European tour when he composed his "Italian" symphony. In a letter to his sister, he described it as being "the jolliest piece that I have ever done", and its first performance, in London in 1833, was a huge success. This is a seminal symphonic work of Romantic music.
Nessun Dormer from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
"None shall sleep tonight," sings Calaf, the unknown prince, who awaits his fate at the hands of the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. First performed in 1926, after Puccini's death, this aria, though used over and over again on adverts and movies, still has the power to make the hairs on your neck stand on end. It is also one of the hardest arias to pull off, with its extremely high range, leaving the audience entranced and in awe.
Symphony No 40 in G Minor (First movement) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
A prolific genius and child prodigy, Mozart had written 41 symphonies by the time he died at age 35, in 1791. No 40, which was completed in July 1788, is one of only two of his symphonies to be in a minor key, lending it a dark urgency and melancholy lyricism that makes it stand out from many of his lighter, prettier and, frankly, blander works. This showcases Mozart at the height of his powers.
Clarinet Concerto in A Major (Second movement) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
As one of Mozart's favourite instruments - he believes its timbre was close to the human voice - the clarinet was used to great effect in his symphonic works, but this concerto, and especially the second movements, transcends mere orchestration. A wonderfully expressive, gentle and profound piece, the concerto was written just weeks before his death for his friend, the clarinettist Anton Stadler, and in this context, the movement seems to speak of enlightenment and resolution.
The Emperor's Waltz by Johann Strauss the Younger
Known in Vienna as the "Waltz King", Johann Strauss the Younger wrote more than 500 waltzes and other dances over his lifetime. The composition of this piece was inspired by the Emperor Franz Joseph's visit in 1889 to the German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II in Berlin. Its careful title and lack of a specific dedication allowed it to flatter both emperors, and it has gone on to become one of Strauss's most celebrated works.
Die Fledermaus, Overture by Johann Strauss the Younger
The purposeful opening of the overture to this comic operetta, full of Austrian vim and vigour, was first heard in 1874 when the work premiered in Vienna. Containing the comic elements of a farce, the punchy speed of an adventure and the decorous lilt of a classic Strauss waltz, the overture encapsulates the action of the whole operetta, which pivots around a prince's ball. Like most fellow comic operas, the plot is silly and forgettable, but Strauss's vivacious music is immortal.
Fifth Symphony in C Minor (First movement) by Ludwig Van Beethoven
The ominous, terrifying chords that open the great German composer's Fifth Symphony, written from 1804-08, lead into one of the stormiest - and best-known - works in musical history. With Europe in the midst of the Napoleonic wars and Beethoven suffering increasingly with deafness, one can only surmise the strength of feeling behind this legendary piece of music. This is the composer fully in the grip of his increasingly melancholic passions, creating a work that stirs the soul yet is still in possession of a cohesive classical structure. It never tires.
gchamp@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
