Ljubljana,14.10.2023

Laibach: Alamut (Cankarjev dom-Ljubljana, 14.10.2023)
Alamut is an original symphonic work by avant-garde music group Laibach based on a famous story from eleventh-century Persia, as told by the Slovenian author Vladimir Bartol in his eponymous novel. The main protagonist is the heretic Hassan-i Sabbāh, the charismatic religious and political leader of the Nizari Ismailis and the founder of a mysterious Islamic sect known as the Assassins (or the Hashashins), whose name is still feared and respected today. Hassan-i Sabbāh is a self-proclaimed prophet who leads a holy war against the Seljuk Empire from his eyrie - the castle of Alamut.
In Laibach’s Alamut, the ideas of radical political and religious nihilism interweave with the classical Persian poetry of Omar Khayyam, the sensual verses of a medieval Persian female poet, Mahsati Ganjavi, blend with minimalist orchestral colours based on Iranian tradition, Hassan-i Sabbāh’s infernal mechanism finds an echo in the industrial principle of the workings of the orchestra and Laibach’s unique sound.
The project is presented by a/ political, a London-based non-profit organisation, and created in collaboration with Iranian composers and performers. The music was composed by Luka Jamnik, Idin Samimi Mofakham and Nima A. Rowshan. The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by the Iranian conductor Navid Gohari. Also appearing are the Human-Voice Ensemble vocal group from Tehran, Gallina Vocal Group and Disharmonic Cohort - AccordiOna women’s accordion orchestra.
In the spirit of international cultural cooperation between Iran and Slovenia, Laibach has long sought to present and perform this work with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra in Iran, in Tehran's famous Vahdat Hall. However, the epidemic and aggravating international political developments over the past two years impeded the realization of this project. The historic symphony thus received its world premiere on 5 and 6 September 2022 as part of the Festival Ljubljana.
Človek je merilo vsega kar je.
Kar zaznava, je, česar ne zaznava, ni.
Sleherni dan žrtve smo
Prevar naših čutil.
Če naši čuti lažejo
Kako naj bi spoznanja naša,
Ki v njih imajo svoj izvor,
Bila pravilna?
O tem kaj res je in kaj so sanje
Odloča naša le zavest.
Če naj ljudi spreminjamo v svoja orodja
Potem naj raje tuje nam ostanejo
Njih brige in težave.
Pomembno je,
Da pri ukrepih naših smo svobodni
In od čustev neodvisni.
Kdor hoče biti množicam prerok,
Jih mora pitati s povestmi,
Z bajkami in lažmi…
Kdo nas bo odrešil smrti
Po kateri pride veliki neskončni Nič?
Kdo ponudil balzam bo za bolečino,
Ki povzroča jo zavest,
Da odpravljamo se v večno temo Niča?
Da v vesolju Zemlja je samo navaden prah,
Da mi na njej smo le neskončno majhne, garjave uši?
Moje delo je le napol končano.
Doslej zaupal svoji sem diplomatski veščini,
A zdaj bom preizkusil, kaj zmore vera.
Iranci, mar sram vas je
krvi in pokolenja svojega?
Vam res je ljubši tuj gospodar,
nebitno od kod prihaja?
Mar naj se mi, potomci kraljev,
udinjamo tatovom konjskim?
Naj klečeplazimo pred tujci,
se klanjamo barbarom
Ki vladajo nam že stoletja -
ponosnim sinom Zaratustre.
Množice zdaj derejo za mano.
Vsi mostovi so podrti.
Pot moja vodi nas samo naprej.
Naprej nas vodi moja volja.
Vsaka smrt prinese novo zmago.
Vsaka zmaga kuje novo moč.
Vse veliko mora prek človeškega,
vsaka smrt in vsaka zmaga
vsaka smrt in vsaka zmaga
Svet je vklenjen v mero in število
Kjer bolezen ni pravična ali krivična
Kjer sta sreča in bolečina slepo razsejani
In kjer čaka slehernika enak konec: smrt!
NE POZNAM OKRUTNOSTI NITI MILOSTI
SAMO SVOJ NAČRT IZVAJAM
SAMO SVOJ NAČRT IZVAJAM
SAMO SVOJ NAČRT IZVAJAM
Zvezde nad nami so neme.
Prepuščeni smo slutnjam
in se vdajamo prevaram.
Strašen je bog, ki nas vodi.
Strašen je bog, ki nas vodi.
Strašen je bog, ki nas vodi.