  |
||||||
|
|
Miskolc Opera Festival – Bartók +A Festival of Music, Song and Dance in a Northern Hungarian City
In 2000, an ambitious plan was born in Miskolc, a city in eastern Hungary. Its aim was to put the town on the musical map of the world, on a par with Bayreuth, Salzburg.
In the words of the organisers: "The main aim of the festival is to encourage cultural co-operation between Hungarian artists and artists within the European union" and to "… integrate the creativity and public access to culture and celebrate the broadening of EU and Hungarian cultural horizons." Bridging PointThe festival also aimed at being a bridging point: "a Gateway to the East", not only physically/geographically, between western and Central/Eastern Europe, but also musically, featuring musicians, composers and dancers from both east and west. Bartók +Thus was born the Bartók + festival, the "+" standing for another internationally renowned composer or style of music. A different "+" composer/s or form of music is selected each year. Some of the musicians featured in the eight years of the festival thus far have been Verdi, Puccini, Mussorgsky, Donizetti, and Tchaikovsky. Featuring Diverse Groups and WorksThe festival showcases artists and groups from Central and Eastern Europe, and introduces them to the diverse audience who now pour into the city from all corners of Europe and farther afield. It also attracts dancers from The Bolshoi and Kiev Ballet, stars of the Scala, and other notables from the western world. One of the most interesting things about this festival is that it not only presents new talent, but it also stages some of the lesser known or more unusual works from popular composers which are not usually seen or heard in Budapest or in the other great opera houses. Format of the FestivalThe format of the festival each year features ballet, opera, orchestral presentations, chamber music, choral compositions, and films of Bartók and the featured composer/s works. The programme run for ten to fifteen days, and there are usually over 40 offerings to select from. Even the young and the young at heart are catered for with children’s performances, puppet shows, and storytelling sessions. Locations for Festival EventsLocations in Miskolc are as varied as the performances. The delightful opera house in the main street of Miskolc takes pride of place, of course, and behind it is the summer theatre. There is the possibility, for keen music fans, of seeing/hearing back to back performances, with a short break (for coffee and snacks!) in-between. Venues also include churches, the synagogue, the caves of Aggtelek, the thermal baths, and the Coburg mansion in Edelény, a village some 30 kms to the north of Miskolc. The Palace Hotel of Lillafüred has also been a memorable setting for a chamber music evening. Attendance Increasing Each YearThe success of the festival over its years can be judged from the attendance figures: in 2001, the festival attracted 31,400 visitors, while the 2004 Bartók + Tchaikovsky saw the figures jump to 90–100,000 guests. This year even more are expected as the reputation of the Misloc Opera Festival, and its lovely setting in the foothills of the Bukk Mountains to the east of Hungary, grows. Associated Festivals and ActivitiesIf the music alone isn't enough to delight you, at the same time there’s also a wine festival and a street market of Hungarian handicrafts, while not far from the city centre there’s the spectacular Diógyor Castle and museum, and the amazing Miskolc-Taploca thermal waters cave baths.
The copyright of the article Miskolc Opera Festival – Bartók + in Hungary Travel is owned by Christiane Birkett. Permission to republish Miskolc Opera Festival – Bartók + in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
