The 2012 Edinburgh International Festival, August 9 to September 2, looks to be an international celebration as the festival marks its 65th year. The opening concert, A Mass of Life, Delius' choral setting of texts from Nietzsche’s Also sprach Zarathustra, is a celebration of joy and positivity. Performances of dance, theatre, music and multimedia will feature the work of 3,000 artists from 47 countries, coming together to celebrate the festival's anniversary. The most accessible performances are likely to be the music and ballet, as a good deal of the theatre features work performed in Eastern European languages with supertitles.
Updated March 2012
This year once again, the International Festival's terrific website includes a "try before you buy" feature with festival videos to sample. Here are some of the 2011 highlights:
- 2008 Macbeth Based on Shakespeare's play, this is a reimagining of the story set in a brutal, Middle East conflict. Performed in Polish with supertitles.
- John Williams Guitar, John Etheridge Guitar Two of the world's greatest guitarists unite in concert.
- Watt An hour-long distillation of the Samuel Beckett novel by Irish performer Barry McGovern
- The Makropulous Case Janacek's penultimate opera - a mystery thriller and a meditation on eternal life without love. Performed in English
- The London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski in an all Russian program featuring Rachmaninov's The Bells
- Meine faire Dame - ein Sprachlabor Loosely based on My Fair Lady, this production from Theater Basel is set in a language laboratory where students attempt to learn English from an eccentric tutor with a secret to hide. In English and German with supertitles.
- The Emerson String Quartet The respected American ensemble performs works by Mozart, Beethovan and contemporary British composer Thomas Adès
- Waiting for Orestes:ElectraThe Suzuki Company of Toga interprets the classic Greek story of murder and revenge, in Japanese and Korean with English supertitles.
- Deborah Voigt Soprano and Brian Zeger Piano The American performers in songs by Amy Beach, Verdi, Richard Strauss, Respighi, Ben Moore and Bernstein
- And then, one thousand years of peace From France, Ballet Preljocaj in an exploration in dance of human rituals, beliefs and relationships. Choreography of Angelin Preljocaj is has been described as "intense, primordial."
- Wonderland In this dark exploration of Lewis Carroll's themes, Wonderland explores the attraction of fame and stardom, "the allure of the erotic and the invasion of pornography into modern popular culture." A coproduction, in English, by Vanishing Point, Napoli Teatro Festival and Tramway.
- Belshazzar's Feast The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, with the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, finishes the festival in grand celebratory style with this popular British choral work by Walton
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are also concert performances of operas, symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists, lectures and talks, dozens of events throughout the festival.
It all comes to a stirring conclusion with a huge Fireworks display and concert
Visit the Edinburgh International Festival website for a full festival diary of performances, events and lectures.
