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Aix en Provence 2008 :  Mar Berry looks forward to this year's festival (MB)


2008 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the first Aix-en-Provence Festival. Then, as now, Cosí fan tutte was performed: then in the courtyard of the archbishop’s palace, under no less a conductor than Hans Rosbaud, now in the Théâtre de l'Archevêché on that spot. A new production, from Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami, of Mozart’s most ravishing opera will be mounted this year, a co-production with the English National Opera. Christophe Rousset conducts the Camerata Salzburg. Mozart and the ‘Year of European Intercultural Dialogue’ are also represented by the Wiener Festwochen’s production of the unfinished Singspiel, Zaide. Once again the Camerata Salzburg performs, this time under the baton of Louis Langrée. Director Peter Sellars has commented: ‘In Zaide, Mozart was attempting to construct a musical and dramatic bridge between Europe and the Muslim world, replacing the “menace” perceived on both sides with mercy and compassion.’

Sir Simon Rattle’s and Stéphane Braunschweig’s Ring cycle now reaches Siegfried. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra will be in the pit and the cast includes Ben Heppner – perhaps at last a Siegfried who can sing the role? – Sir Willard White, Anna Larsson, and Katarina Dalayman. The other operas being staged are Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa, Handel’s Belshazzar (strictly speaking, an oratorio), and a new work by Pascal Dusapin. His electro-acoustical Passion, a dialogue with Monteverdi commissioned by the Festival, will be directed by Giuseppe Frigeni. Franck Ollu conducts the Ensemble Modern Frankfurt and the cast includes the excellent Barbara Hannigan.

There will also be a numerous concerts. Highlights include the Berlin Philharmonic under Rattle in two programmes (Brahms, Dvořák, and Bartók; and three Haydn symphonies), the same orchestra in Smetana’s Má vlast, conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek, the SWR Symphony Orchestra under Sylvain Cambreling in Messiaen’s vast Turangalîla-Symphonie (it received its first European performance at Aix in 1950), Olivier Latry performing more Messiaen in the centenary of his birth on the organ of the Cathédrale Saint Sauveur, chamber concerts from ensembles drawn from the Berlin Philharmonic, and a recital by Karita Mattila. Three of Dusapin’s string quartets will be performed by the Quatuor Duodima. ‘Early music’ will be represented by William Christie conducting The Fairy Queen and French Baroque music from Christophe Rousset. The ‘intercultural dialogue’ proceeds with Arabic and Sephardic songs, a night of flamenco, and music from mediæval Spain.

The Festival d’Aix en Provence runs from 27 June to 23 July. Full details may be found at: http://www.festival-aix.com.

Mark Berry


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