Fri 10 Aug 2007

For the first time in its history the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) opens on a Friday.

In the year of its 60th anniversary, and with new Festival Director Jonathan Mills at the helm, the Festival’s proud tradition of launching with a opening concert packed with stars in the world famous Usher Hall continues.

2007 sees a sell out concert performance of Bernstein’s hugely entertaining and lively Candide, sponsored by Scottish & Newcastle, beginning at 8pm. With music performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra led by Conductor Robert Spano, the massed voices of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, and a cast that includes Matthew Polenzani as Candide, Laura Aiken, Sir Thomas Allen and Keith Lewis Candide launches the Festival in a blaze of musical energy.

Earlier in the day, a major new exhibition of visual arts provided a more reflective start to the Festival.

Jardins Publics, which marks the return of visual arts to the EIF, presents work by three internationally acclaimed artists at four diverse and contrasting locations across Edinburgh. Curated by Katrina Brown, artists Michael Lin (whose installation around a weeping willow tree in East Princes Street Gardens is already creating a quiet sensation), Apolonija Sustersic and Richard Wright have created work that explores gardens as social spaces.

Over 10,000 people are packing theatres and concert halls across the city this weekend. Box Office reached £2.1 million as the Festival opens.

The second day of Edinburgh International Festival 2007 begins at the Queen’s Hall at 11am with the first of the much loved Bank of Scotland Queen’s Hall series. The programme begins with popular soprano Jane Irwin performing with the Hebrides Ensemble.

The day continues at 6pm with world leading baroque ensemble Concerto Italiano’s beautiful rendition of Books 1-3 of Monteverdi’s Madrigals – the first in a major programme of early music which features in this year’s Festival. The concert takes place in the peaceful and atmospheric setting of Greyfriars Kirk.

Theatre at EIF 2007 begins with two powerful productions.

At 8pm at the King’s Theatre the world premiere of a new adaptation by David Greig of one of the greatest and most savage of all Greek tragedies. The Baccahe is unleashed by the National Theatre of Scotland.

Directed by John Tiffany and with a cast including Alan Cumming (making a hugely anticipated return to the Scottish stage after sixteen years) as Dionysus, Tony Curran (Pentheus); Paola Dionisotti (Agave); Ewan Hooper (Cadmus) and Ralph Riach (Tiresias), The Bacchae is already one of the hottest tickets in Edinburgh.

Across town Vienna Schauspielhaus’ poetic, comic and at times grotesque Poppea, directed by Barrie Kosky, opens at the Royal Lyceum Theatre at 7.30pm

Opera at EIF opens at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre with a sumptous traditional production of Montervdi’s L’Orfeo directed by Gilbert Deflo, conducted by Jordi Savall and with a world class cast.

The performance is part of a strand entitled Orpheus – the journey, sponsored by Lloyds TSB Scotland, the Festival programme explores myths in art through the last 400 years and considers the relationship between words and music, through music, dance, opera and theatre

The Dance programme begins with Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu bringing hip hop, belly dancing and ballet against a spectacular backdrop of flying elephants, swimming tigers and statues that come alive to the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre in On Danse, sponsored by Standard Life.

The Edinburgh International Festival’s programme of music begins in the grandest style at the Usher Hall with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra led by conductor Neeme Järvi with a programme that includes Sibelius’ Symphony No 4 and De Falla’s ballet music The Three Cornered Hat.

The excitement continues on Sunday with the first of the Festival’s popular Conversations with Artists series, this year taking place at The Hub, home of the Edinburgh International Festival. At 4.30 pm dancers from Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu willl discuss On Danse (which continues its run at The Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre that evening).

A second performance of brilliant burlesquery in Poppea rounds off the weekend at the Royal Lyceum.

While the opening weekend of Edinburgh International Festival on Sunday evening sees a rare performance of Vivaldi’s Orlando furioso – a work re-energised for the modern age by Conductor Jean Christophe Spinosi. Featuring a cast or word leading soloists including Sonia Prina, Jennifer Lamore and red hot French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky.

For full details please see www.eif.co.uk or call 0131 473 2000