Edinburgh International Festival 2008

23. Mar, 2010

Artists without borders – Festival for an evolving Europe.

Poland, its culture and its recent entry to the European Union make it central to the Edinburgh International Festival’s theme for 2008. Jonathan Mills has extended the prestigious invitation to appear to TR Warszawa, and director Marius Treliński and singers Andrzej Dobber and Elizbieta Szmytka who will star in Król Roger conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Polish music plays a starring role throughout the music and opera programmes with Szymanowski’s Król Roger, Songs of Hafiz and String Quartet No 2, and music by Chopin and Lutosławski.

One of Poland’s – and Europe’s most cutting edge theatre companies, TR Warszawa present two powerful plays at the King’s Theatre. Dybbuk with a superb cast which includes Magdalena Cielecka and Andrzej Chyra, most recently seen in the Oscar nominated film Katyn, and 4.48 Pyschosis , TR Warszawa’s version of the astonishing final work by English playwright Sarah Kane.

The leading Polish singers Andrzej Dobber and Elizbieta Szmytka star in a staged production at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre of one of the operatic masterpieces of the 20^th century,Szymanowski’s Król Roger, in a lavish staged production directed by acclaimed Polish director Marius Treliński.

The music of Polish composer Szymanowski also plays a big part in the music programme. Love Songs of Hafiz is part of the superb programme by soprano Katarina Karnéus while hisString Quartet No 2 is performed by the Ysaÿe Quartet, both as part of ever popular The Queen’s Hall Series.

Polish actor and director Andrzej Seweryn, well know for his presence in Schindler’s List will also be making a Festival appearance. Andrzej Seweryn will be playing the narrator in Arthur Honegger’s Le Roi David. Andrzej will be joining the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus on what promises to be an irresistible evening of exquisite music at one of the city’s most emblematic venues, the Usher Hall.

Jonathan Mills, commented ‘Exploring new Europe would be impossible without reference to Poland. Polish theatre and dramatic arts have proved inspirational and in researching Festival 08 my journey to Poland was one of the most fruitful. The Polish Government recognizes the high priority and extreme importance of the arts. The important contribution of the Polish Diaspora to the UK and Scotland also makes Poland even more relevant to the Festival programme this year.

‘Festival 08 invites you to embark upon an exciting and often confronting journey along these cultural borders and beyond. Artists from Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Georgia are juxtaposed with work from Lebanon, Turkey, Palestine, Israel and Iran – all territories with particular challenges on their own borders. Music from orthodox Christian traditions is heard alongside devotional masterpieces from Islam. I believe that festivals are journeys; journeys to inspire us about our place in the world and our role as human beings. I hope that you will find your own way through this Festival, charting your own path and creating your own journey.’

‘There is no place like Edinburgh in August. I look forward to welcoming you and I urge you all to join this celebration of big ideas; of art, humanity and community.

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