Descendants of Ahmed Pasha Rasheed رشيد باشا احمد احفاد

Descendants of Ahmed Pasha Rasheed رشيد باشا احمد احفاد

‏ الحفيد‏‏ Descendant –

Hassan Bey Rasheed (Baba Giddo)

(Rest in Peace)

Text Box: Hassan Bey Rasheed
child of
V
Narges Abdullah Awn
+
Ahmed Pasha Rasheed

Nina and Baba Giddo

Father: Ahmed Pasha Rasheed

Mother: Narges Abdullah Awn

Wife: Fatma Bahiga Hanem Mahmoud Sidky (Nina)

Sons: Hassan Ahmed, Abd El Hamid, Ahmed Adel, Essam El Din

Bio:

Born in 1896 and orphaned three years later, Hassan Rasheed lived with his sister. His brother-in-law, Abdul Hamid Sadeq Pasha, came from a men-of-letters family including Mahmoud Timour and Mohammad Timour, was highly interested in literature and arts.

Rasheed manifested in his early childhood a promising passion for singing to the extent that he imitated such great singers as Salama Higazi. He also showed a marvelous skill in playing the lute.

Rasheed traveled to Britain and obtained a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture from Armstrong College at Darham University in New Castle in 1917. Meanwhile, he studied music and majored opera singing. He obtained the diploma of the Royal College of Music in London. He returned home in 1918 and married Bahiga Sedqi, known as Bahiga Rasheed after marriage, who was also fond of music.

In 1929, the couple started a radio station at their house. The station had broadcast eastern and western music for three hours a day before it was closed down when the State Radio began its transmission.

In 1942, Rasheed and his wife founded the Egyptian Society of Music Amateurs (ESMA) along with Mustafa Musharafa, Yousif Greise and Louis Greise. The ESMA was aimed to promote music education in Egypt and the whole Arab world.

To achieve this end, they translated many of foreign songs into Arabic.

The ESMA gave its first concert on March 19, 1942. Rasheed sang, Yousif Greise played violin and Abu Bakr Khairat played piano. The ESMA offered many concerts in order to spread musical education and awareness. In fact, Rasheed played a pioneering role in attaining this aim through singing in these concerts.

Rasheed's masterpiece is The Death of Antony. It was the cornerstone of the Egyptian opera for it was the first opera in Arabic written by an Egyptian author on the basis of the well-known poetic play by Ahmed Shawqi entitled The Death of Cleopatra.

Rasheed finished its composition in 1947. The Death of Antony consisted of three acts. Although the whole play has not been presented yet, parts of it were performed in the concerts given by ESMA. The Egyptian Opera troupe also acted one act of the play in 1973.

Style

Rasheed's melodies were pure and dramatic. They, however, lacked the eastern spirit. When it came to writing, his words were designed to be sung in wide vocal areas. They almost suited vocal ability of the singer who could perform any piece. His melodies were generally showing a captivating poetic atmosphere full of meaning.

Texture

Rasheed in his composition adopted the harmonic texture. He tended to use the simple harmonies, which, sometimes, contained key modulation.

His Works
•The Death of Antony
•Youth Songs, with his wife: The Time, by Kamel al Kelani, Remember Me, by Rasheed Ayoub Egypt's Day: Viva the Nation, by Kamel al Kelani, Youth of the Valley, by Kamel al Kelani
•Unsheathe the Sword, by Rasheed Ayoub

Unpublished works
•My Nation, choir
•Birds, soprano
•Rabbit of the Valley, children

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Last Updated 1 April 2011