Edinburgh International Festival

[bluestateprommer]

Announcement today from the EIF that they're going al fresco for this summer:

https://www.eif.co.uk/festival-guide/news-and-blogs/2021-festival-goes-outdoors

"Taking place from 7 to 29 August, the 2021 International Festival will use bespoke, temporary outdoor pavilions in iconic, easily accessible spaces throughout the city to safely reunite our artists and audiences to rediscover the magic of live performance.

Our temporary outdoor pavilions, found at three locations including Edinburgh Park and the University of Edinburgh’s Old College Quad, will feature covered concert stages and socially distanced seating to create a beautiful setting for audiences to safely enjoy live music, opera and theatre once more."

For those unable (or uncomfortable) to attend in person:

"While we are looking forward to the prospect of bringing the Festival City to life once more, we appreciate that not everyone will be able to attend our performances in person this year. To ensure that everyone can enjoy a slice of the magic, wherever they are in the world, we will release a selection of high-quality streamed performances, free of charge, during each week of the Festival."

No program details yet, but all to be told in due course:

"Full details of our 2021 programme, which spans opera, orchestral and chamber music, theatre and contemporary music, will be announced on Wednesday 2 June."

This news got coverage in The New York Times today:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/arts/edinburgh-international-festival-coronavirus.html

"...the organizers are still waiting for a decision from the Scottish government about how many people will be allowed to attend. But the ongoing pandemic and the limits it has placed on international travel mean it will have a different flavor from normal.

'In terms of the people onstage, we’re not going to be flying in a big dance company from the U.S., or an opera company from Paris,” [EIF director Fergus] Linehan said. “But there are individual artists coming.'"

It may well be that FL and the EIF organizers are still finalizing artists and don't have everyone lined up just yet, so that they want to wait until June 2 to disclose the full roster. A further comment from Linehan emphasizes the above point about "going small" in terms of featured ensembles:

"We can’t have that many musicians onstage, and we can’t have those big choral bits"

It ends with this rueful note:

"His festival won’t make any money, he said, but that didn’t matter. 'This is a really momentous moment for us,' Linehan said, adding: 'It's really important we get back to live performance.'"

The article also notes, however, the context of the COVID-19 situation in Scotland:

"Coronavirus cases have fallen rapidly in Scotland this spring thanks to an extended lockdown and a strong vaccination program. On Monday, there were only 199 new cases reported among a population of around 5 million, and no deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to Scottish Government figures.

But many restrictions are still in place, including on cultural life. Museums cannot reopen until Apr. 26. Other cultural activities cannot restart until May 17 at the earliest, and even then, only with small audiences."

[bluestateprommer]

The EIF announced their program for this summer last Wednesday, with details on the classical music offerings here (organized alphabetically, which totally scrambles chronological order):

https://www.eif.co.uk/whats-on/category/classical-music

The pdf of the brochure has a passage about Radio 3 relays:

https://eif-c3.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Documents/Brochures/2021-Edinburgh-International-Festival-Brochure-Download.pdf?mtime=20210601125035&focal=none

"BBC RADIO 3 CONCERT BROADCASTS

As the International Festival’s official broadcast partner, BBC Radio 3 makes the International Festival’s music offerings available to everyone through a major series of broadcasts. The station connects audiences with remarkable music and culture, and its relationship with the Edinburgh International Festival is a key part of that, offering audiences throughout the UK and across the world the chance to hear 12 concerts from the Old College Quad and five concerts from Edinburgh Academy. All BBC Radio 3 recordings are also available for 30 days after broadcast on BBC Sounds."

I'll have some separate remarks in the eventual post on the Forum Calendar re: The Proms, with respect to the EIF offerings and what the R3 selections might be.

[pastoralguy]

I’m finding it extremely difficult to get excited about this years EIF. The venue for the chamber concerts is in The Quad of Old College, Edinburgh University. It’s a glorified tent, open to the elements and close to a very busy main road. Coupled with the fact that the ticket prices are pitched at between £28 and £32 for what amounts to an hour of music makes these concerts very undesirable no matter who is performing.

[bluestateprommer]

Caught up with the first week of R3 delayed relays from the EIF. IMHO, the pick of the first week is a wonderful recital by Mari Eriksmoen and Daniel Heide. ME provides quick introductions to the selections, albeit with a slight party foul in forgetting to mention by name the most obscure composer on the program, Agathe Backer Grøndahl, whereas she had mentioned the other 3 more famous composers by name. It was probably unintentional and unconscious that she forgot to mention ABG, but still telling in its way. Anyway, the quality of her singing is what matters, and she is well worth a listen. I'd recently watched the OperaVision video (now taken down) of Pelléas et Mélisande from Geneva, with ME as Mélisande, so I was unwittingly primed in advance for this EIF recital.

The first of the EIF relays provided a chance to hear the rediscovered Piano Trio of Leokadiya Kashperova, which Donald Macleod had mentioned as being first performed late last year on R3. I'd missed that at the time, so it was nice to get a second chance here. Perhaps a bit prolix, but still worth a hearing, and nice that it's been rescued from oblivion. Pat Kop channeled her inner Harnoncourt in the Beethoven sonatas program, as you might expect (and as mentioned in the Forum Calendar thread, R3 snipped the Schoenberg from the concert for this relay, partly to keep it all within 1 hour, presumably).

Taking a cue from pg's last point, I thought about the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival lunchtime concerts, which are at about the same price point in USD (~$40 or thereabouts) for an hour or so of music. In pre-pandemic times, I had a similar feeling, in terms of "value for money". However, with the pandemic still on-going, maybe I'm a bit more forgiving now. I went for 3 lunchtime concerts in Santa Fe on my last trip there (1st trip in 2 years, to state the obvious), and obviously paid full price for those concert tickets. In parallel, I'm planning to send the American Friends of the EIF a modest donation to help, in my very small way, especially with videos from this year's EIF that are available, and pending videos that will be available in due course.

[bluestateprommer]

Starting to catch up with the EIF lunchtime concert relays on BBC Sounds (in bsp's annual futile attempt to jump-start discussion about these concerts, given that they almost always get lost in the shuffle at this time of year, Master J.'s thread on the Sharon Kam & Enrico Pace concert being the honorable exception that proves the rule), with a listen to the Ronald Brautigam / Esther Hoppe / Christian Poltera recital from earlier this week. Fine, fine, recital, definitely worth a listen (although I wonder if the sound through my laptop seemed a bit bass-heavy), in case no one here had yet heard it.

[eighthobstruction]

....I am very much enjoying this EIF Concert https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_three as I watch and wait for my freezer to defrost. Bruce Liu aided by a very good sound engineer [I think]....Rameau and Chopin....

[Ein Heldenleben]

....I am very much enjoying this EIF Concert https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_three as I watch and wait for my freezer to defrost. Bruce Liu aided by a very good sound engineer [I think]....Rameau and Chopin....

His playing of the Don Juan Fantasy is so incandescent I suggest putting a radio in front of the freezer to aid the process. Those chromatic minor thirds…..

[Cockney Sparrow]

There was a report in The Times that the Philadelphia Orchestra protocols required orchestra and chorus to wear a mask at all times in the performance of Beethoven's 9th. The Times is behind a paywall. The article below doesn't include the information that in a ballot the Edinburgh Festival Chorus declined to wear a mask when singing, and that accounts for the change of program.

https://operawire.com/edinburgh-international-festival-announces-program-change-for-philadelphia-orchestra-concert/

[cloughie]

His playing of the Don Juan Fantasy is so incandescent I suggest putting a radio in front of the freezer to aid the process. Those chromatic minor thirds…..

He could do with Francesca then he could have had the assistance of Dante’s Inferno!

[Pulcinella]

There was a report in The Times that the Philadelphia Orchestra protocols required orchestra and chorus to wear a mask at all times in the performance of Beethoven's 9th. The Times is behind a paywall. The article below doesn't include the information that in a ballot the Edinburgh Festival Chorus declined to wear a mask when singing, and that accounts for the change of program.

https://operawire.com/edinburgh-inte...estra-concert/

I don't think that this is the article you're referring to (no mention of Beethoven 9 that I spotted on a quick skim through), but this article, which is mainly about YN-S, appears in today's Times, and I'm allowed to share it:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/is-yannick-nezet-seguin-the-most-right-on-conductor-in-classical-music-cpqzdk69j?shareToken=7334c1c267798ee8e2d7b03c12c146fe

[Cockney Sparrow]

I don't think that this is the article you're referring to (no mention of Beethoven 9 that I spotted on a quick skim through), but this article, which is mainly about YN-S, appears in today's Times, and I'm allowed to share it:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i...d7b03c12c146fe

I should have been clearer. The linked article refers to the change of programme content, but didn't mention the reason. The Times report of August 19th - "US orchestra’s facemask demand silences choir" :

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-orchestras-facemask-demand-silences-choir-xkvljt0sc

[Pulcinella]

I should have been clearer. The linked article refers to the change of programme content, but didn't mention the reason. The Times report of August 19th - "US orchestra’s facemask demand silences choir" :

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...hoir-xkvljt0sc

Ah!
In the Scottish section, which I don't usually read.

Here's a link to the full article (I hope):

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/us-orchestras-facemask-demand-silences-choir-xkvljt0sc?shareToken=98b22a867e3ac7803e921be977c033bb

[pastoralguy]

Mahler. Symphony No.3.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Thomas Søndergård with The RSNO’s Youth Chorus and the Edinburgh Festival’s Chorus.

The Orchestra and the Choirs were absolutely at their peak last night with a radiant solo from Soprano Linda Watson.

The Mahler was preceded by a short work by James MacMillan in memory of a young player from the RSNO who died in tragic circumstances.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, someone obviously thought that in the name of inclusion, it would be a good idea to bring two people with profound learning difficulties to a sold out concert of one of the longest works in the repertoire. They shouted out during the poignant MacMillan work and then continued to call out during the quietest moments in the Mahler. It seems to have been recorded by the BBC but I doubt it’ll be suitable for broadcast.

What should the Hall’s management do? Had they been asked to leave I’m now sure it would have been reported widely in the media and a scandal would have ensued. However, 2,500 people were made to feel on edge as they waited for the next outburst.

It reminded me of an RSNO concert where someone thought that a babe in arms would enjoy an opportunity to hear Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Of course, inevitably, the baby did what babies do and cried all the way through the slow movement. The baby’s creator seemed completely oblivious to the disruption it was causing and didn’t feel it was necessary to remove said baby. After the interval, the family unit was moved to the most expensive seats where it managed to make an unscored contribution to Beethoven’s Seventh.

[Cockney Sparrow]

As a policy - tickets to the rehearsal? (and not sitting near the performers). Does equality legislation really outweigh the wishes of the individual (or perhaps, their carer) as against the essence of the occasion and the interest of a whole hall of paying audience. I find it hard to believe - a balance of interests, and indvidual assessment of the situation is usually called for in the legislation and in court Judgements.

You are right to be aggrieved.

[Master Jacques]

Does equality legislation really outweigh the wishes of the individual (or perhaps, their carer) as against the essence of the occasion and the interest of a whole hall of paying audience. I find it hard to believe - a balance of interests, and individual assessment of the situation is usually called for in the legislation and in court Judgements.

Quote from a letter in the August issue of Opera, from Jane Monari:

[people] stick their noses in the air and insist that this is ‘high art’. That it is ‘important’ and ‘artistic’ and ‘beautiful’ ... That their ‘high art’ is more important than my humanity … their ‘high art’ does not acknowledge that ...

There it is, in a nutshell. Rights ('humanity') trump responsibility (to 'high art'), at least according to current Anglo-American social norms. This isn't the first such trouble at this year's Festival, with even alternative comics getting steamed up about it:

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/matt-forde-crying-baby-show/

Personally, I suppose I'm conflicted. I wouldn't like to think of anyone being excluded from concerts for any reason, and I heartily dislike the "sacred silence" which attends most of them. I remember once being disapprovingly shushed at the Festival by a pearl-festooned lady, for daring to laugh out loud at one of Haydn's symphonic jokes. Most professional musicians are quite hardened to unexpected vocal contributions, and learn to "zone it out" as easily as carers have to.

Yet I am discomforted by the obvious discomfort of people around me, who obviously expect concentrated quiet, and who have an equal "right" to enjoy the concert in their way. If a large proportion of the audience needs silence, then perhaps democracy should rule. It's a thorny one.