Edinburgh International Festival
Published 25th Aug 2009 by Edinburgh International Festival

Festival 09 got off to a fitting start last Friday night with the majestic Opening Concert Judas Maccabaeus at Usher Hall.

Festival-goers were then spoilt for choice with exhilarating theatre productions including the epic multimedia experience Diaspora, the entertaining and thought-provoking Optimism, Brian Friel's simple yet poignant Faith Healer and the large-scale Romanian production of Faust, which has left audiences awe-struck and has been awarded lots of 5-star reviews.

Wrap up of Week 1


Image: Optimism. Photo: Jeff Busby.

While the Queen's Hall Series included the magical Collegium Vocale Gent and the bold voice of Lisa Milne, evenings at Usher Hall were a triumph with concerts including an animated and emotional concert from the iconic Sir Willard White and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's Made in Scotland conduced by Paul Daniel. The Lewis Psalm Singers concert was a memorable experience of Gaelic song and the opera St Kilda was a feast for the eyes and ears with aerial dancers, stunning projections and beautiful song.

There were popular Behind the Scenes talks and Enlightenment discussions held at The Hub featuring several companies taking part in Festival 09, all of which can now be listened to from the event pages on our website at eif.co.uk.

What's coming up in Week 2


Image: Scottish Ensemble. Photo: Joanne Green.

In a music-filled Week 2, the opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria from Handspring Puppet Company uses opera singers, musicians, half life-sized puppets and animated film to retell the Greek myth of Ulysses. Concerts in the Queen's Hall series include the Scottish Ensemble, joined by chamber choir Tenebrae, and a performance crossing musical periods from lute and guitar player Hopkinson Smith.

Dance fans are in for a treat this week with Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa performing at the Festival Theatre and The Return of Ulysses from Royal Ballet of Flanders at the Playhouse. In theatre, Rona Munro's The Last Witch (Edinburgh International Festival/Traverse production) at the Royal Lyceum tells the story of Janet Horne, the last woman in Scotland to be executed for witchcraft.

The popular Bach at Greyfriars series continues with concerts including the European Baroque Orchestra and the Ricercar Consort, exploring some of Bach's earliest cantatas with an outstanding line-up of singers and some of Europe and UK's finest musicians. The Caledonia Sessions also continue with Dance Band Night, Scotsmen on the Make and Robert Burns's Worldly Friends.

This week's Usher Hall concerts include the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with period instruments, the story of thwarted love in a time of war, religious strife and witchcraft with Rinaldo, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Garry Walker, performing works from Haydn and Giorgio Battistelli.

Enjoy Week 2 of Festival 09 - tickets are still available for many shows but are selling quickly. Until our next e-bulletin, stay up-to-date on the latest Festival news through our online community at eif.co.uk/interact.


Celebrate ballet and contemporary dance


Image: Gelabert Azzopardi - Conquassabit. Photo: Anyia Danas.

Festival 09 presents four world-class dance productions, ranging from classical ballet to contemporary dance.

Royal Ballet of Flanders presents The Return of Ulysses, premiering tonight at the Edinburgh Playhouse. Christian Spuck's exhilarating production is filled with humour, wit and the down right weird. The music of Purcell blends effortlessly into Doris Day telling the story of Penelope the long suffering Queen.
View a video clip of the performance and book tickets here.

With two dynamic works, Sense Fi and Conquassabit, Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa takes you on a trip of gentle discovery and then right to the eye of an hurricane with moments of beauty and tranquility to those of shattering intensity, from tonight at Edinburgh Festival Theatre.
View images and book tickets here.
Listen to The Herald's Mary Brennan give her thoughts on The Return of Ulysses and Gelabert Azzopardi's Festival 09 works here.

Inspirational, iconic and rebellious, Michael Clark brings New work to Festival 09 from 28 August at the Edinburgh Playhouse. This work evolved from Michael Clark's admiration for the music of rock's holy trinity David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed and Berlin in the 1970s. Expect an evening of exhilarating modern dance.
View images of Michael Clark's New work and book tickets here.

Scottish Ballet perform Scènes de Ballet, choreographed by Frederick Ashton, William Forsythe's Workwithinwork, and the world premiere of Ian Spink's creative take on the classic story Petrushka. Expect striking designs and dance virtuosity on a beautifully lit Edinburgh Playhouse stage from 4 September.
View images of Scottish Ballet's Festival 09 work and book tickets here.


Tweet updates


Image: The Last Witch (Festival 09/Traverse Theatre). Photo: Robbie Jack.

Here are some highlights from our Twitter stream in Week 1. Interested in receiving our Tweets as they happen? Follow us here.

• New footage from Admeto, re di Tessaglia now on our site here.
• Listen to some audience responses to Faust, recorded directly after the show at Lowland Hall here
• See the Guardian's behind the scenes slideshow of Faust rehearsals at Lowland Hall here
• Faust reviews - 5 STARS (The Times), 5 STARS (The Herald), 5 STARS (Scotsman), 5 STARS (Financial Times), 5 STARS (The Evening News)
• Faust: "so jaw-droppingly bold it makes most attempts at immersive theatre seem like a paddle in the shallows" (The Scotsman) read the review here
• New production shots from Festival 09/Traverse production The Last Witch now up on Flickr here
• Listen to an interview with The Last Witch playwright Rona Munro on BBC Radio 4's Front Row here
• Watch actor Kim Durham and Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan chat about Faith Healer and the Festival 09 Gate | Friel residency here
• Listen to an interview with Frank Woodley from Optimism on BBC Radio Scotland's Festival Cafe (starts at 27mins) here
• A montage of audience responses recorded following a performance of St Kilda can be streamed here
• Interview with conductor of Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall here
• New video from European Union Baroque Orchestra here
• The audience waiting in an anticipation for Accompanist Malcolm Martineau's Masterclass at The Hub captured here
• A photo of BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny with The Enlightenments artist Gabrielle de Vietri has been posted here
• Listen to artists from The Enlightenments exhibition (free at various galleries across Edinburgh) talk about their work here
• Playhouse by night (by Markus Stitz) here. Post your Festival Twitpics - the best will win Festival 09 tickets!
• Got what it takes to work a year-round Festival? We're looking for a Communications Officer to join our team, apply here

Baroque at Festival 09


Image: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Photo: Eric Richmond.

Festival 09 presents several orchestras over the coming fortnight renowned for their authentic performances of baroque music from The Enlightenment period.

Transport yourself back to the Enlightenment times with concert recitals at the Usher Hall including Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with soprano Joyce DiDonato (22 August), European Union Baroque Orchestra directed by Chiara Banchini (25 August), Monteverdi Choir with The English Baroque Soloists led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (3 September), and our Bach cantata series at Greyfriars Kirk (until 3 September).

There are also world-class concert operas at Usher Hall to look forward to featuring music from the baroque era including Handel's Rinaldo (24 August) and Acis and Galatea (30 August).

Finally, both musically sublime and visually stunning, the staged opera Admeto, King of Thessaly, from the International Handel Festival (Göttingen) and Mamu Dance Theatre, re-imagines Handel's operatic masterpiece in the world of the Japanese samurai. Admeto is playing at the Festival Theatre from 28-31 August. View new footage of Admeto here. 

To hear audio excerpts of the exquisite baroque music you can expect at these Festival 09 shows and to view image galleries of the artists, simply head to eif.co.uk.

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