Ahmet Ümit’s book adapted into opera
ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency
The opera “Ninatta,” adapted from a novel by Ahmet Ümit, an author best known for his crime novels, premiered on Dec. 2 at Kadıköy’s Süreyya Opera.
Suat Arıkan, art director of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (IDOB), said that Ninatta was adapted from Ümit’s 2006 novel “Ninatta’s Bracelet.”
The book tells the story of the Hittites, an ancient civilization and empire present in north-central Anatolia, according to historians.
On its website, the state opera calls the opera “a cry against war.”
“Ambitious kings’ lust for land. A history written in blood. A hopeless longing. A young woman who feels love as a sin,” reads the website’s teaser for the opera.
Arıkan said the opera was composed by Evrim Demirel and directed by Mehmet Ergüven, adding that this is the first opera for both Ümit and Demirel. Ümit is best known for his crime novels Patasana and Beyoglu Rhapsody.
“It’s quite exciting for us,” he said.
According to Arıkan, Ergüven took a “modern, different” approach to the piece.
“It’s an abstract interpretation of stories that happened thousands of years ago in these lands,” he said.
