It is no exaggeration to suggest that the line-up for this summer's Malta Arts Festival would grace one of Europe's finest arts festivals such as Salzburg or Edinburgh. The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts has pulled out all the stops to bring over an A-list array of artistes to this year's event.
The main emphasis in 2008 is undoubtedly on theatre, but there is also a significant amount of music (of many genres), dance, art exhibitions, a wine festival and even a street party to look forward to.
On the theatre front our cup runneth over! The high point is probably the visit of London's Globe Theatre Touring Company. They will present their acclaimed production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in the Argotti Gardens on July 14 and 15 at 9 p.m. Directed by Elizabeth Freestone, this scaled-down company has drawn excellent reviews from the media wherever it has played.
Local theatre is represented by two productions. Firstly tonight and tomorrow evening at 9 p.m, The Pardon Beggars (see page three) will be staged in the theatre-in-the-round at St James. Another local offering will be Peter Busuttil's direction of a theatre project in homage to our most celebrated playwright Francis Ebejer. This will be performed on July 7 and 8 at 9 p.m in the courtyard of the Auberge de Castille.
The third locally produced theatre project will be a German/ Maltese collaboration. It will comprise four evenings, from July 8 to 11, of Anton Chekhov's Vaudevilles. They will be staged at La Vittoria Bastion - Ospizio - Floriana, and will be under the direction of Stephan Baumecker.
The Odin Teatret from Denmark return to this year's festival with two offerings. Firstly with White as Jasmine, a solo performance by the distinguished Danish actress Iben Nagel Rasmussen. This will be performed at the MITP Theatre in Valletta, as will Odin's second production Ester's Book, a two-hander with Ms Rasmussen again and Uta Motz. White as Jasmine plays on July 16, while Ester's Book will be performed one day later.
One of the highlights of the musical programme will be the appearance of the English tenor Ian Bostridge. Together with his accompanist Julius Drake Mr Bostridge will present an evening of German Lieder in the Palace Courtyard on July 9 at 9 p.m. Mr Bostridge is right up there with our own Joseph Calleja as one of the leading tenors of his day. It needs just one more to reconvene the concept of the three tenors concerts. Perhaps either Josè or Placido would like to make up the number?
Other musical highlights at this year's Malta Arts Festival include the world-renowned cellist, Italian Enrico Dindo, who together with his chamber quartet Solisti de Pavia will give a concert in the Palace Courtyard this evening. They will play works by Corelli, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Haydn and Molinelli.
More music in The Palace Courtyard tomorrow evening, when the Alter Ego Ensemble from Rome play works by American contemporary composers.
On July 7, at the same venue, the brilliant young Italian pianist Pietro De Maria gives a piano recital of music by Chopin, Gershwin, Scarlatti and Clementi.
Dance is represented with performances by Puerto Flamenco and Ballet National de Marseille. Puerto Flamenco will perform in the Argotti Gardens on July 11 and 12, while the French ballet company will take over the Opera House Ruins this coming Sunday, for one night only.
This year the Malta International Jazz Festival is also being incorporated into the Arts Festival and takes place also in Argotti Gardens tonight and tomorrow.
The lighter side of the music scene is represented by the acoustic duo Chasing Pandora, who perform at La Vittoria Bastion in Floriana on July 16. There will also be A Tribute to the Stars, produced by Spiteri Lucas Entertainment on July 11 and 13 in the Opera House Ruins.
We haven't covered all the goodies in this article, but I hope we've managed to whet your appetite for what lies ahead in what promises to be an outstanding Malta Arts Festival 2008.
The main emphasis in 2008 is undoubtedly on theatre, but there is also a significant amount of music (of many genres), dance, art exhibitions, a wine festival and even a street party to look forward to.
On the theatre front our cup runneth over! The high point is probably the visit of London's Globe Theatre Touring Company. They will present their acclaimed production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in the Argotti Gardens on July 14 and 15 at 9 p.m. Directed by Elizabeth Freestone, this scaled-down company has drawn excellent reviews from the media wherever it has played.
Local theatre is represented by two productions. Firstly tonight and tomorrow evening at 9 p.m, The Pardon Beggars (see page three) will be staged in the theatre-in-the-round at St James. Another local offering will be Peter Busuttil's direction of a theatre project in homage to our most celebrated playwright Francis Ebejer. This will be performed on July 7 and 8 at 9 p.m in the courtyard of the Auberge de Castille.
The third locally produced theatre project will be a German/ Maltese collaboration. It will comprise four evenings, from July 8 to 11, of Anton Chekhov's Vaudevilles. They will be staged at La Vittoria Bastion - Ospizio - Floriana, and will be under the direction of Stephan Baumecker.
The Odin Teatret from Denmark return to this year's festival with two offerings. Firstly with White as Jasmine, a solo performance by the distinguished Danish actress Iben Nagel Rasmussen. This will be performed at the MITP Theatre in Valletta, as will Odin's second production Ester's Book, a two-hander with Ms Rasmussen again and Uta Motz. White as Jasmine plays on July 16, while Ester's Book will be performed one day later.
One of the highlights of the musical programme will be the appearance of the English tenor Ian Bostridge. Together with his accompanist Julius Drake Mr Bostridge will present an evening of German Lieder in the Palace Courtyard on July 9 at 9 p.m. Mr Bostridge is right up there with our own Joseph Calleja as one of the leading tenors of his day. It needs just one more to reconvene the concept of the three tenors concerts. Perhaps either Josè or Placido would like to make up the number?
Other musical highlights at this year's Malta Arts Festival include the world-renowned cellist, Italian Enrico Dindo, who together with his chamber quartet Solisti de Pavia will give a concert in the Palace Courtyard this evening. They will play works by Corelli, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Haydn and Molinelli.
More music in The Palace Courtyard tomorrow evening, when the Alter Ego Ensemble from Rome play works by American contemporary composers.
On July 7, at the same venue, the brilliant young Italian pianist Pietro De Maria gives a piano recital of music by Chopin, Gershwin, Scarlatti and Clementi.
Dance is represented with performances by Puerto Flamenco and Ballet National de Marseille. Puerto Flamenco will perform in the Argotti Gardens on July 11 and 12, while the French ballet company will take over the Opera House Ruins this coming Sunday, for one night only.
This year the Malta International Jazz Festival is also being incorporated into the Arts Festival and takes place also in Argotti Gardens tonight and tomorrow.
The lighter side of the music scene is represented by the acoustic duo Chasing Pandora, who perform at La Vittoria Bastion in Floriana on July 16. There will also be A Tribute to the Stars, produced by Spiteri Lucas Entertainment on July 11 and 13 in the Opera House Ruins.
We haven't covered all the goodies in this article, but I hope we've managed to whet your appetite for what lies ahead in what promises to be an outstanding Malta Arts Festival 2008.