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Rome - patron of the arts
From the Kathakali dance-dramas to Scandinavian jazz. We go to the RomaEuropa Festival 2001 for an extravaganza of traditional and innovative arts from all over the world
Enthusiasts of the arts should head for Rome for the RomaEuropa Festival which will run until November 11th. The festival is a celebration of music, dance, theatre, cinema, literature and art and includes traditional, experimental and innovative interpretations. It's virtually impossible to do justice to the Festival's vast event programme which focuses on the connections between some of the cities represented: Berlin, London, New Delhi, Paris, New York, Rome and Vienna.
Theatre-lovers won't want to miss Uovo di bocca, the latest work from one of Italy's most incisive and innovative theatre companies - Societas Raffaello Sanzio, who were also behind recent successes Voyage au bout de la nuit from Céline (coming to Modena in March 2002) and Genesi. From the museum of sleeps, winner of the Premio Ubu for the best performance of 2000.
Kathakali dance is a classical dance-drama from Kerala in southern India. Performed mainly by males Kathakali is a highly stylised mix of mime and dance and is brought to RomaEuropa Festival courtesy of the Kalamandalam troupe. The performers all undergo arduous training and have perfect muscle control. They must be able to move their facial and body muscles almost imperceptibly to communicate the finest nuances of emotion. The Festival will close with two of the most important plays in the Kathakali tradition - the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Music is well-represented too with two minor festivals under the larger RomaEuropa umbrella. "Musica XXI", which has just finished, was dedicated to contemporary music while the "Festival nordico" is scheduled for the start of November and will see some of the most acclaimed Scandinavian jazz musicians take to the Roman stage. Expect to hear some innovative notes as jazz mixes with world music and technology to create a fresh new sound. An important new style of jazz playing has developed in Scandinavia and you can hear at RomaEuropa 2001 or, if you can't make it to the shows, on the Ecm label.
Theatre-lovers won't want to miss Uovo di bocca, the latest work from one of Italy's most incisive and innovative theatre companies - Societas Raffaello Sanzio, who were also behind recent successes Voyage au bout de la nuit from Céline (coming to Modena in March 2002) and Genesi. From the museum of sleeps, winner of the Premio Ubu for the best performance of 2000.Kathakali dance is a classical dance-drama from Kerala in southern India. Performed mainly by males Kathakali is a highly stylised mix of mime and dance and is brought to RomaEuropa Festival courtesy of the Kalamandalam troupe. The performers all undergo arduous training and have perfect muscle control. They must be able to move their facial and body muscles almost imperceptibly to communicate the finest nuances of emotion. The Festival will close with two of the most important plays in the Kathakali tradition - the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.Music is well-represented too with two minor festivals under the larger RomaEuropa umbrella. "Musica XXI", which has just finished, was dedicated to contemporary music while the "Festival nordico" is scheduled for the start of November and will see some of the most acclaimed Scandinavian jazz musicians take to the Roman stage. Expect to hear some innovative notes as jazz mixes with world music and technology to create a fresh new sound. An important new style of jazz playing has developed in Scandinavia and you can hear at RomaEuropa 2001 or, if you can't make it to the shows, on the Ecm label.