An anorexic Edinburgh summer from its exiting festival chief
NewsFergus Linehan, whose directorship has not been renewed after eight impressive years, has just released details of summer 2022, its 75th anniversary.
At a glance, it’s pretty thin stuff.
Only one staged opera and that is Rusalka imported from Garsington.
There will be two concert performances of Salome and Fidelio.
The Philadelphia Orchestra will be in residence with Yannick Nézet-Séguin over four concerts, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Florence Price’s First.
Scottish Ballet’s Coppélia, reinvented for the digital age by UK choreographers Jess and Morgs.
Contemporary music from jazz legend Herbie Hancock, electronic artist Squarepusher, Afro-Puerto Rican rapper Princess Nokia, spoken word artist and rapper Kae Tempest; Detroit techno icon Jeff Mills; Scottish duo Arab Strap; Romanian folk group Taraf De Caliu, and US singer songwriter Ezra Furman.
Visiting orchestra include the Bergen Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Les Siècles, Hespèrion XXI, Helsinki Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra with the world premiere of Daniel Kidane’s Orchestral Dances.
Where are the frontline European orchestras and challenging continental productions?
This is borderline anorexic.
It is much more difficult to import European orchestras to the UK due to the new Brexit bureaucracy. And a performance at the Edinburgh festival is not worth the huge cost and hassle.
“Anorexic”? Absolutely not cool.
I’m surprised that you’ve omitted the Philharmonia (a world class London orchestra) has a residency of 6 performances.
I am looking forward to a wonderful festival full of great music! See you there,
GB
Unfortunate terminolgy.
Slim pickings in the Barbican’s new season too.
“Where are the ‘Frontline European Orchestras” ? Two of them will be there in Edinburgh, of course: The Czech Philharmonic and Les Siècles. Of course, prior to the lunacy of Brexit, the Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestra were indeed frontline European Orchestras.
Please don’t use anorexia as a metaphor in this way. It’s a serious disease – incredibly bad taste.
“Where are the frontline European orchestras….?”
You don’t consider the Czech Philharmonic to be a frontline European orchestra, Norman?