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Preparing to produce intimate interpretations
MUSIC PREVIEW Budapest Festival Orchestra
Pioneering orchestra bursting with festival spirit
They first came to the Festival three years ago. Now the Budapest Festival Orchestra return with maestro Ivan Fischer to once again let Edinburgh audiences hear one of Hungary’s most exciting musical developments of recent years. Co-founded by Fischer in 1983, the orchestra is a pioneering force in Hungary’s musical life and concerts at home sell out.
But a trip to Edinburgh is something special. ’Everybody is very much looking forward to it,’ says Fischer. 'The Edinburgh Festival is really setting an example to others as to what a festival should be.’ For Fischer, part of the attraction is the way the whole community bursts with festival spirit. ’T he Festival can show excellence alongside young, fresh, new initiatives, which can pop out any minute from anywhere. It’s just a
great place to be.’
In both programmes, the orchestra is joined by British singers. The Edinburgh Festival Chorus, cut down in size to suit Fischer's fine, intimate interpretation of Mozart’s ’Requiem’, appear in the second. For the first, two of Wales’ finest Wagnerian voices - soprano Anne Evans and baritone Bryn Terfel — sing Brfinnhilde and Wotan in the final scene of
’Die Walkiire’.
’It is where daughter and father are left alone,’ explains Fischer. ’It is one of the most brilliant psychological couplings between two characters in the ’Ring’.’ For Terfel, a Festival favourite, it is his first Wotan. ‘It's been carefully chosen,’ says Fischer. 'The scene is not loud and bombastic, but the sad father is saying farewell.’ (Carol Main)
I Budapest Festival Orchestra (International) Usher Hall, 473 2000, 27 Aug,
8pm; 23 Aug, 7.30pm, £5—£39.
THEATRE PREVIEW Artaud Voyage Theatre Of Cruelty homage
One of the key figures of 20th century drama, Antonin Artaud rejected the Western tradition of theatre. Eschewing its emphasis upon realism and psychological character study, which he considered trivial, he hoped to recreate theatre at a more universal level, one to be found in primitive ritual and Oriental drama.
Director, actor and writer Daniel Foley explains this new work on drama's most belligerent son. ’It’s an exploration of the puddle state Artaud was witnessing from electro-shock therapy. He said that occidental theatre is language and dialogue— based and that puppets and dance are more important. We are trying to present an interesting piece on Artaud but also trying to take a lot of what he has written and what he believed in.’
Artaud's influence on Jean Louis Barrault, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook makes this a must for anyone with more than a passing interest in the history of the stage. (Paul Dale)
I Artaud Voyage (Fringe) Performance Exchange, Quaker Meeting House (Venue 40) 220 6 709, 2 7—26 Aug, 9pm, £5.50 (£4).
MUSIC PREVIEW Alfred Brendel
Piano mastery and a laugh riot Although the Mozart piano concertos with Christian Zacharias form an ongoing highlight of this year's Festival, some of the finest solo piano music can be heard from another great master, Alfred Brendel.
In a truly classical programme, Mozart’s 'C minor Sonata’ and ’Adagio in 8 minor’ are sandwiched between music by Haydn and Schubert. As ever, Brendel will undoubtedly bring a deeply moving insight to his virtuoso performance. Heart-tugging emotional stuff apart, Brendel has claimed that a good laugh is his favourite thing.
With a question that classical music buffs never find easy to answer — ’Does classical music have to be entirely serious? — Brendel found a title for his mid-805 Dan/Vin Lecture at Cambridge University. For further clues
as to what makes him chuckle, you could try his published collections of humorous German prose which are also available in English. (Carol Main) I Alfred Brendel (International) Usher Hall, 473 2000, 79 Aug, 8pm, £5—£22.
THEATRE PREVIEW Food Chain
Political and social satire
’Where else can you see Americans making fun of themselves?’ says Chicago-based Runamuck Productions, and you have to admit, they’ve got a point. Their show Food Chain, is billed as a political and social satire, and is based upon two short stories; ’Top Of The Food Chain’ by TC. Boyle and ’Our Man In Madras' by Gert Hofmann.
The story centres around two men, one a middle management flunky who believes that a nuclear holocaust is no excuse for poor job performance, the other a military researcher who sees the annihilation of whole species as a small price to pay for his substantial creature comforts.
Food Chain is Runamuck’s latest example of their aim to adapt modern literature for the stage. ’We try to seek out material that serves as a springboard for further thought long after the lights go out,’ they claim. Amen to that, you’d have to say. (Doug Johnstone)
I Food Chain (Fringe) Runamuck Productions, Rocket @ South Bridge Resource Centre (Venue 723) 558 9997, 27-28 Aug, 8.45pm, £4 (£2).
THEATRE PREVIEW Hang The DJlDoin' Favours Double A-side black comedy What happens when ambition is lost? Well, it’s not inevitable, but disillusionment, depression and drugs usually come into it. The possible outcome of shattered dreams is explored in this double-header, starting with Hang The DJ.
The lighter of the two plays, it follows the successes and excesses of
Glasgow band Lab Rabbit, with an original soundtrack written by co- director Jim Clugston. Both Clugston and his directing partner John Austin have had ’reasonable success’ in bands, and the Smiths-inspired music will, if all goes to plan, be available on CD at the performance.
Doin’ Favours features different characters who have lost whatever raw ambition they once had, and are now struggling with the consequences. ‘It’s a possible ending to Hang The DJ, depending on how successful they are,’ says Austin. It may be a worst- case scenario, but all you young, idealistic and ambitious bands out there should watch, and take warning. (Kirsty Knaggs)
I Hang The DJ/Doin’ Favours (Fringe) Grinning Soul Productions, Rocket @ Theatre Arts Centre (Venue 76) 667 6666, 27—26 Aug, 9.30pm, £6 (£4).
MUSIC PREVIEW
Michael Marra
Songwriter with cover versions Respected as one of our finest songwriters, Michael Marra admits that he doesn’t just compose for his own, uniquely timbred tones. ’If someone has a different voice, singing style, or a different range, I like to write for it. I’m working just now with a friend, a great singer, Angus Foy. It’s not country,’ he chuckles. ’It’s cowboy poetry.’
Marra feels that the essence of songwriting is ’the storytelling thing’. In his solo shows, accompanying himself on piano and occasional guitar, Marra also slips in songs by composers he admires. His current fave is Cole Porter's bleakly beautiful ’Miss Otis Regrets’, a song he loves. ’It cheers me up and now that I’ve been working on it, I feel I can really sing it. You could say I’m completely committed to it.’
And what of Marra’s own new songs? ’The same old shite,’ he says. Don’t believe him. (Norman Chalmers) I Michael Marra (Fringe) Dynamic Earth (Venue 78) 530 3557, 27, 24
Runamuck provide food for thought
48 THE U3T FESTIVAL GUIDE 17—24 Aug 2000