|
|
|
|
|
| Edinburgh : A&E : Festivals : 2003 : Official Festival |
 |
Edinburgh International Festival - Opera, Music and Dance 2003 Edinburgh International Festival Music Preview Opera Apart from the already-sold-out complete Ring cycles, all of the operas offered in 2003 are concert performances. This, in itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing because most opera audiences are able to compare these with full scale productions but it does colour the experience of those rarely-performed operas now on offer . These rare operas don't offer the same opportunity.
Poro (full title: Poro, Rè dell'Indie) was written in 1731 when Handel was 46 years old, well established in England and at the height of his powers.The unknown librettist adapted the story from Metastasio's Alessandrio nell'Indie so it, too, is a Greek tale: that of Alexander the Great's confrontation with and conquering of Poro, ruler of India. It was such a success that it was revived twice. A year later Handel was to write the first English oratorio, Esther. Music Festival audiences will be able to hear the Usher Hall's newly-restored organ because it features in the Opening Concert's Glagolitic Mass, then later as a solo instrument when Thomas Trotter plays a Messaien programme, where it should shine in all its splendour and power.
The Far East is in this year's spotlight with music from Japan, China, Korea and India. By far the most exotic, and least known, is the music of Korea, so we can look forward to unusual instruments and musical traditions such as Pansori, the combination of storytelling and music, where one performer plays all the characters of traditional stories and is also the singer accompanying the traditional drums. Ranging in time from two hours long to 5.5 hours, the audiences will be helped to concentrate and understand the action with the help of the English supertitles. Composers such as Mahler - with three of his symphonies, Beethoven - with all of his string quartets over three performances and Elliott Carter, with all five of his string quartets in one performance, are featured. The Los Angeles Philharmonic extend their stay this year to a whole week. The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra offer the massive Strauss Alpine Symphony contrasted with a contemporary work by Helmut Lachenmann. By the time the Fireworks Concert arrives, a dizzying variety of musical offerings will have come and gone, from the familiar and well-loved to the contemporary and the exotic. Dance
Culberg Ballet presents innovative modern ballet. Compagnie François Verret give two performances of a work based on the cult novel The man without qualities by Robert Musil. Bordeaux Opera Ballet recreate the thrilling, exciting times of the Ballets Russes in the 1920s and 30s. For direct online booking: http://www.eif.co.uk/2001/frameset.html Thelma Good's EIF Theatre Preview Back to the EIF homepage |
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
