Culture Watch A Greek Festival of Arts


Every summer Athens and Epidaurus in the western Peloponnese host one of the most significant high arts festivals in the world. The dual Greek Festival


and Marinella, from Rondiris and Koun to Streller, Peter Hall, Noh theatre, Bunraku puppet theatre, and the Pe- king Opera, from Balanchine to Pina Bausch, and from Nureyev and Fonteyn to Martha Gra- ham and Ali- cia Alonso, the greatest artists have p r e s e n t e d their creden- tials to the privileged au- diences that


boasts a great variety of dance, music, modern and ancient theatre performanc- es, as well as lectures, exhi- bitions, workshops and par- allel events covering all arts.


Athens Festival


In 1955 the renowned theatre director Dinos Gi- annopoulos was invited over to Athens from America by the then Minister of the Presidency George Rallis in order to organise an arts festival, duly named the Athens Festival. The Festival programme included theatre and music performances, all of which were held at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The highlight of the inaugu- ral year was the appearance in Athens of the great New York Philharmonic Orches- tra, conducted by Dimitris Mitropoulos. In the decades that have gone by artists of the calibre of Mitropoulos and Callas, Rostropovich, Pavarotti, Leonidas Kavakos


have celebrated the best in Greek and world music, theatre and dance.


Epidaurus Festival


A National Theatre produc- tion of ‘Electra’, directed by Dimitris R o n d i r i s , was the first to have been staged at the Ep i d a u r u s Ancient The- atre since an- cient times. Sophocles’ tragedy was per formed on Sunday 11 September 1938 in the orchestra of the “most beautiful the- atre in the world” without sets or lighting (the site was without electricity at that time) in the late after- noon sunshine. This historic production was mounted by the Greek Touring Club, which aimed to establish an annual Epidaurus Sea- son, but the outbreak of the Second World War and the ensuing Greek Civil War meant this ambitious plan was put on hold. The 1954 production of Euripides’ “Hip-


and Dimitris Sgouros have performed at the Athens Festival. From Theodorakis and Hadjidakis to Savvo- poulos, Protopsalti, Dalaras


JUNE 2010, ISSUE 134, Page 3


polytos”, directed by Dimi- tris Rondiris, was to act as the dress rehearsal of the Epidaurus Festival. Plan Ahead in Britain


The institution was offi- cially inaugurated in 1955 with Euripides’ ‘Hecuba’, directed by Alexis Minotis. The Epidaurus Ancient The- atre, designed by Polyklei- tos the Younger, became a competitive arena for the arts – a place of cul- tural reckoning, the sum- mer heart of Greek culture.


This summer’s highlights


Exhibition Louise Bourgeois, Person- ages, 12 May – 12 Septem- ber 2010 (except Tuesdays), Museum of Cycladic Art


Sarah Lucas, Nudes,12 May – 12 September 2010 (except Tuesdays), Museum of Cycladic Art


PLAN AHEAD IN BRITAIN C


oncert: A programme con-


sisting of a diverse selec- tion of music from Smyrna to composers such as Vam- v a k a r i s , Tsi tsanis, Hiotis and others with two bou- zoukis, an accordion and a gui- tar. Performed live by The Plastic Chairs on 24 Sep- tember, 7:00pm at Green Note, 106 Parkway, Cam- den Town, London NW1 7AN. Tickets £10.


E


xhibition: ‘Elysiun in the


modern world’, an Alan Osborne exhibition based on ancient G r e e k e v e n t s , stories and myths. 23 July to 6 August at the Hel- lenic Centre, 16-18 Pad- dington Str., London W1U 5AS. Contact 020 7487 5060.


Theatre


National Theatre of Greece - Yiannis Kakleas, Aristo- phanes, Lysistrata, 16 & 17 July 2010, 21:00, Epidaurus Ancient Theatre


Schaubühne am lehniner platz - Thomas Ostermeier, William Shakespeare, Othello, 6 & 7 August 2010, 21:00, Epidaurus Ancient Theatre


Music


Caetano Veloso in concert Zii e Zie, 12 July 2010, 21:00, Odeon of Herodes Atticus


Absolute Ensemble - Krist- jan Järvi, Absolute Bach Re-invented,13 July 2010, 21:00, Benaki Museum


For more information on the Greek Festival and its full sched- ule, visit:


http://www.greekfestival.gr M usic: Rebetiko Odys-


sey Jam Session on Mon- day 2nd August 8pm to 10.45pm at the Horseshoe pub, 24 Clerkenwell Close, L o n d o n EC1R 0AG, n e a r e s t station Farringdon. The ses- sions take place the first Mon- day of ev- ery month. Free entry. For infor- mation andy@rebetikood- ysseyband.com.


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