Taj Mahal

For the first time in opera, a sitar narrates a tale of passion, rivalry and murder

With generous support from The Houston Family

The distraught Emperor Shah Jahan is mourning his wife. The transformative power of their love is captured for eternity in the white marble of the Taj Mahal – a teardrop on the cheek of time.

Composer and virtuoso sitar-player Nishat Khan presents an astonishing Mughal odyssey of jewels, enthronements and an elephant fight.

Sung in English with English subtitles

Cast & Creatives

SHAH JAHAN, fifth Mughal emperor ∙ CASPAR SINGH
MUMTAZ MAHAL, his chief consort ∙ JULIA SITKOVETSKY
JAHANARA, their daughter ∙ ELIZABETH KARANI
AURANGZEB, their son, sixth Mughal emperor ∙ ROSS RAMGOBIN
JAHINGIR, Shah Jahan’s father ∙ ROSS RAMGOBIN
NUR JAHAN, Jahingir’s consort ∙ VICTORIA SIMMONDS

CONDUCTOR ∙ GEORGE JACKSON
DIRECTOR ∙ STEPHEN MEDCALF
DESIGNER ∙ YANNIS THAVORIS
VIDEO DESIGN ∙ HAYLEY EGAN
LIGHTING DESIGNER ∙ TIM MITCHELL

THE GASCOIGNE ORCHESTRA

Synopsis

The distraught Emperor Shah Jahan mourns his wife, Mumtaz. The transformative power of their love has been captured for eternity in the white marble of the Taj Mahal.

Agra Fort, 1665

Old and dying, Shah Jahan, is held captive by his son Aurangzeb who has seized the throne. From this prison Shah Jahan can see the Taj Mahal.

In a Mughal odyssey of cruelty and courage, we venture back and forth in time.

Act 1

Remembering … 1607

Shah Jahan’s father Jahangir is Emperor. Two royal elephants do battle. Jahangir’s elephant wounds his son Prince Khusrau.

In the Agra fort noble women pretend to sell jewels and trinkets to Emperor Jahangir and his powerful wife Nur Jahan. The young Shah Jahan woos the Persian princess Arjumand Banu (Mumtaz). Their love defies the cynicism and corruption of the Moghul court.

Some time later

Shah Jahan is anointed by his father as successor and presented with a pearl necklace. His stepmother, Nur Jahan, has other ideas.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are in Burhanpur away from court. Their bond is unshakable. When a civil war breaks out, Mumtaz brings about peace.

Jahangir dies of his excesses. There is a struggle for succession and the winner, Shah Jahan, dispatches his rivals. He ascends the Peacock Throne and hailed ‘Conqueror and ruler of the world’.

LONG DINING INTERVAL

Act 2

Following Mumtaz’ death, Shah Jahan and his architect are discussing the monument: its physical form and its symbolism.

Agra Fort, 1665

Shah Jahan’s daughter, Jahanara, looks after him. Aurungzeb, his son and now Emperor, demands the pearl necklace. Shah Jahan refuses.

Remembering … 1631

Burhanpur

Mumtaz has given birth to a still-born infant and is weak. She has a a dream of perfection: a palace surrounded by water, a garden where she will walk with her husband. He promises to maintain concord between their children. She dies.

Two sons, Dara Shikoh and Aurungzeb visit Mumtaz’ shrouded body. They argue over their father’s favour.

Aurungzeb must defeat all his brothers to become Emperor. He murders them.

Remembering … 1659

Aurungzeb delivers the head of Dara to Shah Jahan whom he imprisons.

The pearl necklace breaks. Jahanara raises one of the scattered pearls to become a moon. A trio of reconciliation acknowledges the futility of conflict and the example of Mumtaz.

The white marble of the moon itself transforms into a vision of the Taj Mahal.

Shah Jahan dies in 1666.

‘From Earth into Heaven,
both exit and portal,
a tomb and a cradle,
from man to immortal.
Out of dissonance, harmony,
disjunct connection,
from rancour comes concord,
from chaos perfection’.

Opera in two acts

Music Nishat Khan

Nishat Khan is a virtuoso Indian sitar player descended from court musicians of the Moghul period.

He has collaborated with some of the world’s leading musicians including Paco Pena, Philip Glass and Everlyn Glennie. He has written film music for Bollywood, Ismail Merchant and Bernardo Bertolucci, and has performed his own sitar concerto at the BBC proms.

Nishat’s compositional style draws on his Indian musical heritage and other genres: Western classical music, jazz, Flamenco and Gregorian chant.

Nishat narrates his Mughal odyssey from his sitar, giving a unique and heart-felt account of events.