• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Fri 22 Jun 2007

Edinburgh International Festival 2007 celebrates Early Music with a landmark series of concerts, recitals and opera by some of the genre’s leading musicians. From the crème de la crème to the cutting edge, this wide-ranging programme weaves its way through the classic and lesser known work of composers including Monteverdi, Marais and Desprez, and uses early music as inspiration across very modern productions.

Highlights include:

• Major figures in the Early Music scene such as Jordi Savall (perform across the programme as artist in residence), Rinaldo Alessandrini, Mark Padmore, Chiara Banchini, Andreas Scholl and The Tallis Scholars appear, many making their EIF debuts.

• Harmony and Humanity; a new string of concerts in the atmospheric surroundings of Greyfriars Kirk trace the development of European vocal music through the middle ages and the renaissance to illustrate the context in which Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was composed.

• Monteverdi’s Madrigals; early evening performances of madrigals from all eight books of Claudio Monteverdi’s dramatic miniatures by leading baroque ensemble Concerto Italiano.

• Bank of Scotland Queens Hall Series; a series of 18 morning concerts across three weeks staged in the intimate surroundings of The Queens Hall, many of which focus on early music repertoire.

• Avant-garde theatre legends The Wooster Group, unconventional theatre makers Vienna Schauspielhaus and vibrant young dance company Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu use baroque opera and music as inspiration for three very modern, exciting and musical productions, La Didone, Poppea and On Danse.

Jonathan Mills, Artistic Director of Edinburgh International Festival, said “400 years ago Claudio Monteverdi wrote L’Orfeo – an opera which continues to inspire composers, writers, theatre directors and artists. I want to celebrate Monteverdi’s remarkable achievement throughout the 2007 Edinburgh International Festival. The centre piece of our tribute to Monteverdi’s abiding genius is Gilbert Deflo’s and Jordi Savall’s beautiful, arcadian production of L’Orfeo. The heartbeat doesn’t stop there. The ideas of mythology, poetry, drama and music that Monteverdi introduced and championed through his “favola in musica” can be found in our dance and theatre programmes as well as in our concert halls and recitals. Artists as diverse as New York choreographer Trisha Brown and theatre director Barrie Kosky show how Monteverdi continues to be relevant today. I hope that this wide ranging approach will inspire those that love his music to explore further and that those who are new to it will immerse themselves in the work of some of the greatest artists of all time.”

Edinburgh International Festival presents one of today’s most important ancient music performers, Jordi Savall, in residency. As well as conducting a traditional performance of Monteverdi’s spectacular L’Orfeo, Savall will conduct renowned early music ensemble Le Concert des Nations and vocal group La Capella Reial de Catalunya in Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 at the Usher Hall. Savall demonstrates his virtuosity and incredible musicianship in an intoxicating concert of Viola Da Gamba (see Bank of Scotland Queen’s Hall Series below). He also directs his long term collaborator and partner, soprano Montserrat Figueras and daughter, soprano Arianna Savall with the Hespèrion XXI ensemble in a concert of music inspired by Cervantes’ Don Quixote titled Paradise Lost. Audiences can learn more about this leading artist when Savall and Figueras are in conversation as part of EIF’s Conversations with Artists program at the Hub.

A new strand of hour-long concerts at Greyfriars Kirk, offer audiences the opportunity to catch an amazing line-up of ensembles at 6pm, leaving time to go on to later evening Festival performances. Highlights include harpsichord virtuoso Rinaldo Alessandrini and premier vocal ensemble Concerto Italiano performing madrigals from all of Monteverdi’s books across five concerts in the first week of the Festival. This acclaimed ensemble famous for its Monteverdi repertoire promise potently beautiful early evening escapes in the atmospheric surrounds of Greyfriars Kirk.

In weeks two and three, the Harmony and Humanity concert series, also taking place in the historic and beautiful Greyfriars Kirk, features a stellar line-up of ensembles. Celebrated female vocal ensemble Anonymous 4 perform haunting chants and beautiful polyphony to recreate Music from Eleventh Century Provence and an authentic performance of A Ladymass dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Glorious medieval vocal group The Orlando Consort stage two monumental nights of medieval music from Josquin Desprez, Machaut and Dufay. One of the world’s foremost choral conductors Paul Hillier lead three of the world’s most prominent early music ensembles; Theatre of Voices and Phantasm, Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova in two concerts from English medieval composers William Byrd and John Taverner. Italian countertenor Claudio Cavina and Italian group La Venexiana realise the emotionally intense and darkly atmospheric work of composer Carlo Gesualdo. The twelve singers of premier European medieval and renaissance vocal ensemble Huelgas Ensemble led by Paul Van Nevel present works by one of the most important and influential sixteenth century composers Orlande de Lassus. Specialists in European Renaissance sacred music The Tallis Scholars perform music from Giovanni Palestrina and seventeenth century music from the golden age of the Iberian Peninsula including Gerrero’s Maria Magdalene, Victoria’s Versa est in Luctum and Padilla’s Lamentations. German vocal ensemble Cantus Cölln will perform a fitting finale to the Festival series of polyphony with music of JS Bach’s Motets.

The Bank of Scotland Queen’s Hall Series turns its attention to early music in its popular series of morning concerts and recitals. As mentioned, Jordi Savall plays music by Abel, Bach, Schenk, Marais and Demachy on his eloquent viola da gamba, acclaimed tenor Mark Padmore sings a programme of Bach cantata’s and Buxtehude’s Klaglied accompanied by chamber ensemble Walking to Lübeck. Eloquent mezzo soprano Susan Bickley and viol consort Fretwork together perform a programme of Gibbons, Taverner, Byrd and Purcell. Claudio Cavina’s La Venexiana perform Gesualdo’s Madrigals, some of his most famous compositions and expressive declarations of devotion. Renowned baroque violinist Chiara Banchini makes her Edinburgh debut, appearing with her group Ensemble 415 to perform Corelli, Locatelli and Vivaldi in the Bank of Scotland Queen’s Hall Series. Audiences can also see Banchini perform with international countertenor Andreas Scholl and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a programme of beautiful baroque masterpieces at the Usher Hall.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For performance dates and times visit www.eif.co.uk or contact the press office.

Hub Tickets: + 44 (0)131 473 2000

Online booking and information www.eif.co.uk

The Edinburgh International Festival is one of the most exciting places in the world to experience the arts. The chance to see and hear some of the world’s greatest companies and performers, to experience something out of the ordinary, the informal festive atmosphere, and the sense that anything can happen all combine to offer an intensity of experience for both artists and audiences which is as thrilling for loyal fans as it is for newcomers.

The Edinburgh International Festival was established in 1947. Long ranked as one of the most important cultural celebrations in the world, from the beginning the Festival has presented programmes of classical music, opera, theatre and dance of the highest possible standard, involving the best artists in the world. Founders of the Festival include Rudolf Bing, then the General Manager of Glyndebourne Opera, Henry Harvey Wood the Head of the British Council in Scotland, and a group of civic leaders from the City of Edinburgh. They believed that the Festival should enliven and enrich the cultural life of Europe, Britain and Scotland and ‘provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit’. They also recognised that, if the Festival succeeded in its artistic ambitions, it would create a major new source of tourism revenue for Edinburgh and for Scotland. These founding principles are as relevant today as they were nearly 60 years ago.

2007 marks the first Edinburgh International Festival under Artistic Director, Jonathan Mills. Artists perform at the Festival at the Director's invitation, with the Festival administration being responsible for all aspects of the promotion and management of its events.

We would like to make a request for your support:

Corporate sponsorship of the Edinburgh International Festival is crucial to its future. As arts supporters yourselves we hope you will help us in maintaining this 25% of our income and healthy relationships with sponsors by crediting them in print. This makes a real difference to EIF. Mentions are counted and used as an evaluation of projects by sponsors. A credit at the foot of an article can make all the difference to us. Please credit our sponsors where you can.

L’Orfeo sponsored by Lloyds TSB Scotland

Monteverdi’s Madrigals supported by The Italian Cultural Institute

Harmony And Humanity supported by The Director’s Circle

Bank of Scotland Queen’s Hall Series sponsored by Bank of Scotland

The Edinburgh International Festival is supported by The City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Arts Council, and the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council.

For further information please contact Sophie Hodges or Susie Burnet in the EIF press office on 0131 473 2020 or press@eif.co.uk