 | ||||
| Music of Albania | ||||
| General topics | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genres | ||||
| Media and performance | ||||
| ||||
| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | ||||
| ||||
The Albanian opera includes the art of opera in Albania and opera in the Albanian language.
| | ||||
| Music of Albania | ||||
| General topics | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genres | ||||
| Media and performance | ||||
| ||||
| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | ||||
| ||||
The Albanian opera includes the art of opera in Albania and opera in the Albanian language.
The opera began being performed as a musical genre in Albania in the second half of the 20th century. The first Albanian opera was Mrika by Prenkë Jakova, which was put on stage in 1958 at the Migjeni Theatre in Shkoder, Albania, and, a year later, at the venue of the Academy of Arts of Tirana. [1] [2] Other operas that followed were The Spring by Tish Daija, The Flower of Memory by Kristo Kono, and The Heroines by Vangjo Nova. [3] Later operas include Skënderbeu (transl. Skanderbeg) by Prenkë Jakova, Bijtë e Skënderbeut (transl. Skanderbeg's sons) by Abdulla Grimci , Komisari (transl. The commissary) by Nikolla Zoraqi, Zgjimi (transl. The rise) by Tonin Harapi, and Toka e jonë (transl. Our land), by Pjetër Gaci. [4]
In 2003 the National Theatre of Kosovo premiered its first Albanian opera, the Dasma arbëreshe (transl. Arbëresh wedding), composed by Rauf Dhomi. [5]
In 2019 the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of North Macedonia premiered its first Albanian opera - Skënderbeu, created by the composer Fatos Lumani, the librettist Arian Krasniqi and directed by Qëndrim Rijani. [6]
Tirana is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the distance. It is among the wettest and sunniest cities in Europe, with 2,544 hours of sun per year.
Tirana County, officially the County of Tirana, is a county in the Central Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the tenth largest by area and the most populous of the twelve counties, with more than 912,000 people within an area of 1,652 km2 (638 sq mi). The county borders on the Adriatic Sea to the west, the counties of Durrës to the northwest, Dibër to the northeast, Elbasan to the east and Fier to the southwest. It is divided into five municipalities, Tirana, Kamëz, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë and Vorë, with all of whom incorporate twenty-nine administrative units.
Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana. The men's football club is part of the multi-disciplinary sports club SK Tirana, and is the most successful in Albania, having won 54 recognized major domestic trophies. They are the only football club in Albania with two stars in their crest after winning the 20th championship in 2003, each star corresponds to ten championships. Making them the first and only Albanian club to have achieved such a feat. They play their home games at the Selman Stërmasi Stadium in Tirana and they play in the Kategoria Superiore.
The League of Lezhë was a military and diplomatic alliance of the Albanian aristocracy, created in the city of Lezhë on 2 March 1444. The League of Lezhë is considered the first unified independent Albanian country in the Medieval age, with Skanderbeg as leader of the regional Albanian chieftains and nobles united against the Ottoman Empire. Skanderbeg was proclaimed "Chief of the League of the Albanian People," while Skanderbeg always signed himself as "DominusAlbaniae".
Prenk Jakova was an Albanian composer, musician, and author of Mrika (1958), which is considered the first Albanian opera. A native of Shkodër, he studied under Martin Gjoka and Zef Kurti, and he was also an alumnus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. A virtuoso clarinetist he worked as a music teacher for most of his life and distinguished himself as the mentor of the four most important composers of classical music from northern Albania: Çesk Zadeja, Tish Daija, Tonin Harapi, and Simon Gjoni. Jakova was the director of the music band and of the House of Culture of Shkodër. Besides Mrika, Jakova also composed Skënderbeu, another opera which premiered in 1968.
The first siege of Krujë occurred in 1450 when an Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad II and his crown prince Mehmed II tried to besiege the Albanian town of Krujë. The League of Lezhë, led by Skanderbeg, experienced low morale after losing Svetigrad and Berat between 1448 and 1450. Nevertheless, Skanderbeg's exhortations and the support of the clergy, who claimed to have had visions of angels and victory, motivated the Albanians to defend the capital of the League, Krujë, at all costs. After leaving a protective garrison of 4,000 men under his trusted lieutenant Vrana Konti, Skanderbeg harassed the Ottoman camps around Krujë and attacked the supply caravans of Sultan Murad II's army. By September, the Ottoman camp was in disarray as morale sank and disease ran rampant. The Ottoman army acknowledged that the castle of Krujë would not fall by strength of arms, lifted the siege, and made its way to Edirne. Soon thereafter, in the winter of 1450–51, Murad died in Edirne and was succeeded by his son, Mehmed II.
Klubi Futbollistik Skënderbeu Korçë, is an Albanian professional football club based in Korçë, a city in southeastern Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria Superiore, which is the first tier of football in the country. The club was founded as Vllazëria Korçë in 1909. In 1925, it took on its current form following the merger of several local clubs, and the club's name was changed to Skënderbeu Korçë, after Albania's national hero Skanderbeg. The club's home ground has been the Skënderbeu Stadium since it was built in 1957, and it now has a capacity of 12,343, of which 5,724 are seated.
Rauf Dhomi is a Kosovan classical music composer and conductor and a teacher at the University of Pristina. Dhomi is the author of many operas, requiems, masses, cantatas, symphonic music, film scores and theater music.
Gjergji Muzaka is an Albanian former professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.
The Skanderbeg Square is the main plaza in the centre of Tirana, Albania. The square is named after the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu. The total area is about 40,000 square metres. The Skanderbeg Monument dominates the square.
Mustafa Krantja was an Albanian classical music conductor and composer. He has written about 20 major works. Krantja was awarded the People's Artist award in 1956 and the Dvorak Medal in 1975.
Llazar Siliqi (1924–2001) was a notable Albanian poet. His poetic profile was influenced by the work of Mayakovsky.
Mrika (Maria) is an opera in three acts composed by Prenkë Jakova with a libretto in Albanian by Llazar Siliqi. It premiered in Shkoder, Albania in 1958 at the Migjeni Theatre. The revised three-act version premiered in Tirana at the Academy of Music and Arts of Albania in December 1959. The work is based on a "musical action" in two scenes, Dritë mbi Shqipëri, a previous collaboration between Jakova and Siliqi which had premiered in Tirana in July 1952. Mrika is popularly considered to be the first Albanian opera. Its first stage director was Kristaq Antoniu.
The Myth of Skanderbeg is one of the main constitutive myths of Albanian nationalism. In the late nineteenth century during the Albanian struggle and the Albanian National Awakening, Skanderbeg became a symbol for the Albanians and he was turned into a national Albanian hero and myth.
The Historiography of Skanderbeg involves the study and writing of the history of Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg. This includes the analysis of historical sources, interpretation of events, and consideration of cultural and political factors in shaping the narrative of his life and deeds. Skanderbeg's historiography has sparked debates and evolved over centuries, reflected in various interpretations and historiographical approaches throughout different periods.
Kristaq Paspali was an Albanian operatic tenor.
Marie Kraja or Marie Paluca was an Albanian opera singer who is particularly known for her delivery of Albanian folk songs.
Gaqo Çako was an Albanian operatic tenor, awarded with the People's Artist of Albania title. He has been ranked among the best opera singers of Albania, along with Ramiz Kovaçi and Mentor Xhemali.
2018–19 Albanian Cup was the sixty-seventh season of Albania's annual cup competition. Skënderbeu are the defending champions. Kukësi won the title for the second time in their history.
Qëndrim Rijani is an Albanian director of theatre, film and opera. He has directed many plays, Albanian and foreign, that were performed in many different countries in Europe and that have been honored with many awards in various festivals. His plays are characterised by his direct and rough style. He is the director of the first Albanian opera in North Macedonia.
