Romanian Cultural Centre
London
Dear RCC Members & Friends,
Welcome to the September – October 2008 edition of the RCC Diary.
As usual, we present information on Romanian culture in the UK. Some of the events listed below are organised or supported by us at the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London. As the purpose of this publication is to disseminate news about events taking place all over Britain, we always include information about matters which are not directly connected to the RCC, but which we think might be of interest to you, our readership.
The Romanian Cultural Centre (RCC) in London seeks ways to promote Romanian culture, in partnership with others, and through the efforts of Romanian artists.
I am sure you have your own mental image of Romania: perhaps to some of you it is a country characterised by some of the most impressive landscapes in Europe; or a place you visited as a tourist but returned as a friend. Maybe you know of Romania through some of its more famous denizens who are or were (not necessarily in order of importance) Dracula, Hagi, Ceausescu, Nadia Comaneci and the Cheeky Girls.
The work of the Centre is an attempt to redress a serious matter: that what many people do not know is that Romanian culture is as diverse and impressive as the country’s landscapes and that some of its cultural figures deserve to stand alongside the names of artists, musicians and composers with whom you will be more familiar.
One of our goals is to make British audiences aware of the depth and diversity of our cultural heritage, and the talents of those with Romanian roots. If we can interest concert halls, galleries, and the general public in Romanian cultural issues, we hope this will generate the demand to see more. With the talent on display in places such as Wigmore Hall, the Southbank Centre, the Barbican, and so many other bigger and smaller venues around the UK, I believe we cannot go wrong.
I hope that if you attend any of the events listed below, there will be other Romanian names added to the of your list: artists, musicians, composers, and playwrights who show there is so much more to Romania than a dead dictator, an un-dead Count, two sportspeople, and some very cheeky girls.
I hope that you will find the RCC Diary useful, and that it will guide you to as many events as you can manage. Fortunately for us all, the early onset of autumn brought with it a good crop of events: theatre, film, music, dance… Enjoy any or all of them!
Keep sending us info about your events and we shall mention them in the updated version of the Diary. Until then, I wish you all the best, and keep on supporting Romanian culture in the UK.
Best wishes,
Ramona Mitrica
Edited by: Ramona Mitrica & Mihai Risnoveanu
Special thanks: Anca Babes, Mike Phillips, Nicolae Ratiu, Oana Urcan, David Webster
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ROMANIAN DIARY: September – October 2008
12 September 2008 – CONCERT: Ghanaian-Romanian Hip-Hopper Wanlov the Kubolor
12 September 2008 – CONCERT: Paprika Balkanicus with Bogdan Vacarescu (violin)
13 September 2008 – CONCERT: Palinka, Transylvanian Village Music Live
13 September – 9 November 2008 – EXHIBITION: Mircea Cantor at Arnolfini Bristol
13 & 14 September 2008 – CONCERT: ‘Virtuozii Gorjului’ within the Thames Festival
14 September 2008 – CONCERT: Paprika Balkanicus with Bogdan Vacarescu (violin)
14 September 2008 – THEATRE: ‘Exit the King’ by Eugene Ionesco
15 September 2008 – CONCERT: Remus Azoitei (violin) and Eduard Stan (piano) at Wigmore Hall
16 September 2008 – CONCERT: Vlad Hirlav-Maistorovici (violin)
16-18 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: Fashion Label Rozalb de Mura at On|Off, London Fashion Week
20 September 2008 – CONCERT: Belcea Quartet Bartok Day at Wigmore Hall
20 September 2008 – CONCERT: Madalina Rusu (piano) at the Barbican
20 September – 30 November 2008 – EXHIBITION: Adrian Ghenie within the Liverpool Biennial
21 September 2008 – DANCE: Maria Baroncea within dancEUnion 3
29 September 2008 – CONCERT: Alexandra Dariescu (piano), within YCAT New Artists
4 – 31 October 2008 – THEATRE TOUR: ‘The Lesson’ by Eugene Ionesco
5 & 15 October 2008 – FILM: ‘The Death of Mr Lazarescu’
7 October 2008 – BALLET: Alina Cojocaru in ‘Swan Lake’
7 October 2008 – CONCERT: Belcea Quartet
7 & 12 October 2008 – FILM: ‘Ulysses’ Gaze’ with Maia Morgenstern
11 October 2008 – BALLET: Alina Cojocaru in ‘Manon’
11, 14, 16 & 18 October 2008 – OPERA: ‘La Boheme’ conducted by Christian Badea
13 – 18 October 2008 – RECITAL: Simona Mihai (soprano) within Jette Parker Young Artists
24 October 2008 – ROMANIAN STUDENTS MEETING
28 & 29 October 2008 – BALLET: Alina Cojocaru in ‘Three Short Works’
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Until 14 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: Romanian Artist Flavia Pitis within the BP Portrait Award
Until 17 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: Romanian Artist Silviu Pascalin within Illumini Show
Until 30 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: ‘Childhood Chromatics’ by Lorena Maria Lupascu
Until 7 October 2008 – FILM: ‘California Dreamin’ (Endless)’ by Cristian Nemescu
Until 8 October 2008 – FILM: ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’ by Cristian Mungiu
Friday 12 September 2008 – CONCERT: Ghanaian-Romanian Hip-Hopper Wanlov the Kubolor 19.30, ICA (Institute for Contemporary Arts) London, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH; Box Office: 020 7930 3647.
Tickets: £9 / £8 ICA Members in advance + £1 per ticket booking fee.
A man with a message, super-conscious Accra-based and Romanian-born hip-hopper Wanlov sings of ending war and sping climate change, taking the road less travelled and being true to yourself; he also makes you dance, and he puts his money where his mouth is (for one thing, much of his work supports young musicians in Ghana and Romania, the two countries where he was raised). We have been bouncing about to the new album, Green Card, and will be bouncing even more at the live show. This is catchy, uplifting music with its heart and brain in the right place. More on Wanlov on www.wanlov.com
Details on www.ica.org.uk
Friday 12 September 2008 – CONCERT: Paprika Balkanicus with Bogdan Vacarescu (violin)
20.00, Le Vagabond Boogaloo, Barden’s Boudoir, 36 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XJ; Tel. 020 7249 9557
Tickets: £7 on the door
Le Vagabond Boogaloo Club presents a night of Gypsy Licks and Latin Kicks, with Papprika Balkanicus and resident turntable vagabonds, Spindrift and Nelson Dilation.
Paprika Balkanicus is well known to lovers of world music as the band that is ‘the master of good atmosphere’. The line-up brings together a Romanian violinist, a Slovene bass player, a guitarist and two accordionists from Serbia, and nobody can bring about a toe tapping, foot stomping, hand clapping madness faster than they.
Paprika Balkanicus, aka the Balkan Storm, are: Bogdan Vacarescu (violin), Jozef Secnik (bass), Vlad Jocic (guitar), and special guests Milos Milivojevic and Zivorad Nikolic (accordion).
Saturday 13 September 2008 – CONCERT: Palinka, Transylvanian Village Music Live
21.00, Inn on the Green, 3 – 5 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL. Tel. 020 8962 5757, www.iotg.co.uk
Doors open 8.30 pm. DJ playing music from Romania and the Balkans until 01.00.
Entrance £7/£5 concessions.
Palinka was formed in London after the band members studied music in various villages of Romania and Hungary. Maria Zempleni on violin, Katalin Tamas on viola, Melinda McCarthy on double bass, and Krisztina Cseresnyes, an award winning singer from the region, are brought together by their shared passion: Hungarian, Romanian and Gypsy music from the remote villages of Transylvania.
Palinka, incidentally, is the most famous spirit drunk in Transylvania and the band spent most of July in Transylvania and Hungary to learn amazing new songs to bring you in London. Palinka can be seen playing outside Inn on the Green, in April, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJV6JyxSIeQ
More details on the band at www.palinka.co.uk
13 September – 9 November 2008 – EXHIBITION: ‘Mircea Cantor: The Need for Uncertainty’ at Arnolfini Bristol
Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA; Tel. 0117 917 2300 / 01. Gallery opening hours: 10.00-18.00, Tuesday to Sunday
Mircea Cantor’s installations address the notions of displacement and co-existent worlds. Beyond the suspenseful and highly contrived encounter, Cantor discreetly evokes the uneasy confrontation of ideology, people and culture. Cantor will present a new installation at Arnolfini comprising a number of sculptural components elaborating on the theme of uncertainty.
Mircea Cantor lives and works in Paris and Cluj, Romania.
Exhibition Free Tour!
A free tour of the exhibition, led by Suzanne Cotter, Acting Director and Senior Curator at Modern Art Oxford, will take place at 17.30 on Friday 12 September, followed by the exhibition preview. Booking recommended.
A fully illustrated catalogue featuring views of Cantor’s new work and an essay by Suzanne Cotter accompanies the exhibition. This show will also be presented at Camden Arts Centre, London, 13 February to 12 April 2009, and was presented at Modern Art Oxford from 2 April to 1 June 2008.
‘3 artists 3 spaces 3 years’: a collaboration between Arnolfini, Camden Arts Centre, and Modern Art Oxford.
Supported by The Ratiu Foundation / The Romanian Cultural Centre in London
Details on www.arnolfini.org.uk
13 & 14 September 2008 – CONCERT: ‘Virtuozii Gorjului’ at the New European Village, the Thames Festival
Riverside Walkway by Southbank Centre, London SE1
Free admission, all welcome.
Saturday 13 September at 17.15, Sunday 14 September at 17.30
A chance to see some of the finest crafts, and listen and dance to fantastic folk music, from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The guests from Romania are ‘Virtuozii Gorjului’ (the Gorj County virtuosi).
Details on www.thamesfestival.org
Sunday 14 September 2008 – CONCERT: Paprika Balkanicus with Bogdan Vacarescu (violin)
19.30, Quecumbar, 42-44 Battersea High Street, LondonSW11 3HX; Tel. 020 7787 2227
Tickets: £10 advance / £12 on the door. Limited tickets available. Advance bookings strongly recommended.
Paprika Balkanicus, aka the Balkan Storm, are: Bogdan Vacarescu (violin), Jozef Secnik (bass), Vlad Jocic (guitar), and special guests Milos Milivojevic and Zivorad Nikolic (accordion).
For bookings and directions, please visit www.quecumbar.co.uk or www.wegottickets.com/event/31760
Sunday 14 September 2008 – THEATRE: ‘Exit the King’ by Eugene Ionesco
19.30, The Lion and Unicorn Theatre Club, The Lion and Unicorn Pub, 42-44 Gaisford Street, London NW5 2ED; Tel. 08700 534 534
Tickets: £10
You have one hour and thirty minutes to live. “I’ll die when I want to – I’m the King – I’m the one to decide”. The biggest argument since time began: Is it will or fate that determines your destiny? Enter into a space of historical intrigue, where monks used to die and now kings refuse to die. Laugh, think, puzzle and ponder and exit confused!!!
Double bill with ‘School for Buffoons’.
Monday 15 September 2008 – CONCERT: Remus Azoitei (violin) and Eduard Stan (piano) at Wigmore Hall
19.30. Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP, Tel. 020 7935 2141
Tickets: £15.00 £13.00 £10.00 £8.00. Call the Wigmore Hall Box Office on Tel. 020 7935 2141 or book on-line at www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Programme:
George Enescu – Impressions d’enfance, op. 28 (Impressions of Childhood)
Johannes Brahms – Sonata in D minor, op. 108
George Enescu – Impromptu Concertant
Johannes Brahms – Scherzo from “FAE Sonata”
George Enescu – Sonata no. 3 “in Romanian Folk Character”, op. 25
Remus Azoitei has performed extensively across Europe, as well as North America, Japan and New Zealand. In 2001, Remus Azoitei became the youngest-ever violin professor in the history of the Royal Academy of Music.
Eduard Stan is hailed by The Strad as a “pianist who reveals a fine gift of restraint and an instinctive feel for balance”. Born in Romania, he emigrated to Germany in 1978, and has since performed across Europe and the US in venues such as Berlin Philharmonie, Musikhalle Hamburg and Salt Lake City Temple Square.
The artists have just completed the world’s first recording of the entire repertoire for violin and piano by Enescu. The first volume of this 2 CD collection has already attracted critical acclaim.
For full details on the concert, including complete programme notes by Evan Dickerson, please go to:
www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/rcc-events/2008/09/remus-azoitei-eduard-stan-wigmore-hall/
Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / The Romanian Cultural Centre in London
Tuesday 16 September 2008 – CONCERT: Vlad Hirlav-Maistorovici (violin)
19.30, Holy Trinity Sloane Square, Sloane Street, London SW1X 9BZ; Tel. 020 7730 7270
Romanian Violinist Vlad Hirlav-Maistorovici will perform, as part of the Mercury 4tet, a quartet newly formed by four students of the Royal College of Music, London, within the Chelsea Schubert Festival. The quartet’s members are Vlad Hirlav-Maistorovici (violin), Corentin Chassard (cello), Harry Cameron-Penny (clarinet), Antoine Francoise (piano)
Basically formed to play the well renowned ‘Quartet for the end of time’ by Olivier Messiaen, the quartet is now dedicated to the interpretation of the masterworks of the 20th century as well as any new expression of the contemporary music. Determined to give a new vision of the contemporary repertoire, the quartet is open to any interdisciplinary work with visual artists and comedians or dancers. Their next projects include the mercury plugged quartet, playing on electric instruments, Takemitsu’s quadruple concerto with orchestra: ‘Quatrain’ or Schoenberg’s ‘Pierrot Lunaire’.
Since Winter 2008, the Mercury 4tet was accepted to be part of Concordia Foundation International ensemble, which will lead them to perform in famous London venues such as St Martin in the Fields.
Programme: Alban Berg: adagio from Chamber Concerto, Sieben Fruhe Lieder; Toru Takemitsu: Quatrain II; Franz Schubert: Song selection, Arpeggione Sonata.
While studying in London, Vlad Hirlav-Maistorovici is supported by the Ratiu Foundation.
Details on www.chelseaschubertfest.co.uk
16-18 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: Fashion Label Rozalb de Mura at On|Off, London Fashion Week
The Royal Academy of Arts, 6 Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3EX
This event is for industry professionals only. See details of application for press and buyers on www.thedoll.org/onoff/
Romanian fashion label Rozalb de Mura was invited to take part this year in the 10th edition of On|Off, within London Fashion Week. Not only that the label’s creations will take part in a special exhibition, but Rozalb de Mura will tread the catwalk – a first for a Romanian label.
Launched at the beginning of 2006, it has already drawn professionals and avant-garde fashionistas from Romania and abroad. In designer Olah Gyarfas’s world, Hungarian deliciously mingles with Romanian words, reality with fiction, masculine with feminine, minimalism with a passion for details and tan sessions with an icy walk to St. Ana Lake in Transylvania.
Rozalb de Mura’s presence at On|Off is supported by the Ratiu Foundation
Saturday 20 September 2008 – CONCERT: Belcea Quartet Bartok Day at Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP; Tel. 020 7935 2141
Tickets: £12
This programme of the Belcea Quartet presents three special concerts in a day dedicated to the great Hungarian composer.
Programme:
11.30 – String Quartet No. 1; String Quartet No. 2
15.00 – String Quartet No. 3; String Quartet No. 4
19.30 – String Quartet No. 5; String Quartet No. 6
Timed to coincide with the release of their recording of these works on EMI and following the acclaimed Bartok readings that concluded their Wigmore Hall residency in 2006, the Belcea Quartet again performs what many regard as the most significant string quartet canon of the last century. Bartok’s quartets spanned 40 years and reflected the onset of two world wars. With the first pair of richly post-Romantic quartets leading to the bold innovations of Nos. 3 and 4 and a final mellowing in the last pair, the cycle combines folk material within complex frameworks and presents diverse new sounds and playing techniques, with poignancy and tragedy held in sometimes disturbing balance.
Details on www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Saturday 20 September 2008 – CONCERT: Madalina Rusu (piano) at the Barbican
18.00, Barbican Hall, Level G, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS; Box office 020 7638 8891
Free entrance.
Romanian pianist Madalina Rusu will perform on Saturday 20 September at the Barbican concert hall as part of the Rachmaninov Festival.
Born in Romania, Madalina Rusu’s early piano education was at the Music High School in Constanta and later at the University of Music in Bucharest. Since 2004, Madalina has been studying the piano with Professor Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
While studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Madalina Rusu is supported by the Ratiu Foundation.
Details on www.barbican.org.uk
20 September – 30 November 2008 – EXHIBITION: Romanian Artist Adrian Ghenie within the Liverpool Biennial
Various locations in Liverpool
Adrian Ghenie is a young Romanian painter whose works demonstrate his fascination with history and the trauma of dictatorship. The sources for his images are derived from a combination of his own personal memories and from historical books, archives and both documentary and fictional film. Adrian’s work is presented in Liverpool as part of ‘MADE UP’, the International Exhibition of the Biennial.
The weaving together of personal histories with collective memories makes for a psychologically disturbing encounter on the part of the viewer, who may experience a sense of unease or an uncanny jolt of recognition as they survey the paintings. While Ghenie may have derived inspiration from the dark times of the history of Europe in the 20th century, his attention to detail and ability to create convincingly real interiors for his protagonists finds its roots in Northern European Renaissance painting.
Details on www.biennial.com
Sunday 21 September 2008 – DANCE: Maria Baroncea within dancEUnion 3
18.00, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX; Box Office: 0871 663 2500
Also performing: Gianfranco Celestino (Luxembourg), Simo Kellokumpu Dance Company (Finland), Triin Reemann (Estonia), Ana Lujan Sanchez (Spain) & Dane Hurst.
An elegant work from the talented Gianfranco Celestino (Luxembourg) opens the programme, perfectly merging his skills as a pianist with his ability as a dancer. The evening also features dancers from Romania, Finland and Estonia. The performance closes with Ana Luján Sánchez (Spain) accompanied on stage by the mesmeric Dane Hurst (Rambert Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre), who recently won the UK Critics Circle National Dance Awards for Spotlight Male Modern Dancer.
Details on www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Monday 29 September 2008 – CONCERT: Alexandra Dariescu (piano), within YCAT New Artists
19.45, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX; Box Office: 0871 663 2500
Tickets: £10
Since 1984, the Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT) has been nurturing and promoting outstanding young classical musicians and chamber ensembles trained in the UK. This recital is given by this year’s newly selected YCAT musicians.
Programme:
Johannes Brahms Cello Sonata No.2 in F, Op.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Variations in D on a Minuet by Duport, K.573
Fryderyk Chopin: Piano Sonata No.3 in B minor, Op.58
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in A minor, Op.132
Also performing: Pei-Jee Ng (cello), Benjamin Frith (piano), Heath String Quartet
Alexandra Dariescu is a popular young pianist born in Romania. She completed her schooling in the UK and is currently a student at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. She has already performed widely internationally, has broadcasted on BBC Radio 3 and has won over twenty seven major competitions. Alexandra is particularly acclaimed for her playing of Chopin.
While studying in London, Alexandra Dariescu is supported by the Ratiu Foundation
Details on www.southbankcentre.co.uk
4 – 31 October 2008 – THEATRE TOUR: ‘The Lesson’ by Eugene Ionesco
Various locations in Scotland (see below)
The Lesson by Eugene Ionesco, in a translation by Donald Watson. Directed by Gerry Mulgrew, presented by Benchtour.
Thought-provoking yet funny, charming yet sinister, familiar yet bizarre. The Lesson is given by an ageing professor to his new, young, female student. She arrives as a keen and confident foil to his intense yet faltering manner, but the balance shifts throughout their exchange until their meeting takes a truly unexpected turn… ‘The Lesson’ is a fresh, bright and brilliant play by one of the foremost absurdist writers of all time. Ionesco’s writing changed the face of 20th century theatre and has inspired and excited generations of theatre-lovers.
Venues and times:
Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh – Saturday 4 October at 19.30; Box Office: 0131 6652240
Dundee Rep Theatre – Wednesday 8 October at 19.30; Box Office: 01382 223530
Woodend Barn, Banchory – Thursday 9 October at 19.30; Box Office: 01330 825431
Regal Community Theatre, Bathgate – Tuesday 14 October at 19.30; Box Office: 01506 433634
Tron Theatre, Glasgow – Wednesday 15 to Saturday 17 October at 19.30; Box Office: 0141 5524267
Cumbernauld Theatre – Friday 24 October at 20.00; Box Office: 01236 732887
The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen – Saturday 25 October at 19.30; Box Office: 01224 641122
Fortrose Community Theatre – Wednesday 29 October at 19.30; Box Office: 01381 621252
Dornie Hall – Thursday 30 October at 20.00; Box Office: 01599 544308
Rosehall Hall – Friday 31 October at 20.00; Box Office: 01549 441 291
Details on www.benchtours.com
5 & 15 October 2008 – FILM: ‘The Death of Mr Lazarescu’
20.00, NFT2 , South Bank, London SE1 8XT; Box Office:020 7928 3232
• ‘The Death of Mr. Lazarescu’
Feature film/Romania/2005/153 mins/colour/Romanian with English subtitles
Directed by Cristi Puiu. Starring: Ion Fiscuteanu, Luminita Gheorghiu, Gabriel Spahiu
A darkly witty, deeply felt chronicle of an ailing elderly man’s increasingly life-imperilling trips from one Bucharest hospital to another, this is one of the best films about mortality ever made. Film time and real time usually differ considerably. In this darkly witty, deeply felt chronicle of an ailing elderly man’s increasingly life-imperilling trips in an ambulance from one Bucharest hospital to another, Puiu cleverly paces his film to give the impression that events are happening in real time – a fitting ruse as this is one of the best films about mortality and our frighteningly fragile hold on life. Time continues, but – just like that! – it may do so without us.
Details on www.bfi.org.uk
Tuesday 7 October 2008 – BALLET: Alina Cojocaru in Swan Lake
19.30, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD; Box Office: 020 7304 4000
Tickets: £6-£130
Swan Lake is one of the most loved of all classical ballets. It has that magical combination of Tchaikovsky’s music, a compelling story of tragic romance and choreography that allows the very best dancers to show just how mesmerising they can be. The new Royal Ballet Season opens with a revival of Anthony Dowell’s romantic production whose designs were inspired by Imperial Russia of 1895, when the ballet was first performed. Against this atmospheric setting, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s choreography provides an opportunity to see great dance partnerships in the leading roles and the whole Company in the dance ensembles.
Details on www.roh.org.uk
Tuesday 7 October 2008 – CONCERT: Belcea Quartet
19.30, Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP, Tel. 020 7935 2141
Tickets: £12-£24
Programme:
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in Bb Op. 1 No. 1 ‘La chasse’; String Quartet in D Op. 50 No. 6 ‘The Frog’; String Quartet in F# minor Op. 50 No. 4; String Quartet in Eb Op. 64 No. 6.
The Belcea Quartet’s Haydn selection spans a period of almost 40 years, from the composer’s light, earliest essay in the form (c.1760) to the last of his second set of quartets premiered during the composer’s first visit to London in 1791.
Details on www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
7 & 12 October 2008 – FILM: ‘Ulysses’ Gaze’ with Maia Morgenstern
BFI Southbank, NFT1, South Bank, London SE1 8XT; Box Office:020 7928 3232
7 October at 19.40, 12 October at 15.00
• Ulysses’ Gaze’
Directed by Theo Angelopoulos. Starring Maia Morganstern, Erland Josephson, Harvey Keitel
Feature film / Greece-France-Italy /1995 / 177min / colour / English and Greek with English subtitles
Theo Angelopoulos’ fluid, meticulously choreographed epic, rhyming the turbulent history of the Balkans with that of film itself.
Angelopoulos’ acclaimed cinema-centenary epic rhymes the turbulent history of the Balkans with that of film itself, as a director (Harvey Keitel), back in Greece for a retrospective of his work, takes the opportunity to hunt down the first footage ever shot in the region. As he journeys from country to country, the film too embarks on a chronological odyssey, with Angelopoulos’ travelling shots often embracing several historical eras.
Details on www.bfi.org.uk
Saturday 11 October 2008 – BALLET: Alina Cojocaru in ‘Manon’
12.30, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD; Box Office: 020 7304 4000
Tickets: £5-£280
Kenneth MacMillan’s three-act ballet Manon is not just one of the great showpieces of The Royal Ballet, for whom it was created, but also now of the classical ballet repertory worldwide. The famous story follows the young girl Manon, torn between her impetuous love for the student Des Grieux and her desire for wealth and comfort as a kept woman of a rich man. These two central roles are showcases for the skill and dramatic power of any dancers, and this time round there will be the extra thrill of catching several debuts from up-and-coming young stars of The Royal Ballet.
Details on www.roh.org.uk
11, 14, 16 & 18 October 2008 – OPERA: ‘La Boheme’ conducted by Christian Badea
19.30, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD; Box Office: 020 7304 4000
A lost key, an extinguished candle and an accidental touch in the dark. So begins one of the great, tragic romances of all opera as the cold hands of the fragile seamstress Mimi warm the heart of the poet Rodolfo in lyrical seduction. Puccini’s gloriously tuneful work follows their story through a year from that first meeting through jealous separation to a poignant death-bed reconciliation. A fine cast of names familiar from previous Royal Opera performances is under the expert baton of Christian Badea, a conductor especially noted for his interpretations of Puccini.
Details on www.roh.org.uk
13 – 18 October 2008 – RECITAL: Simona Mihai (soprano) within Jette Parker Young Artists
Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD; Box Office: 020 7304 4000
Once again, the Jette Parker Young Artists take over the Linbury for a week of events.
The week will include a Monday lunchtime recital featuring all the singers on the Programme, individual recitals accompanied by JPYAP Artistic Director David Gowland and the now traditional Juke Box on 18 October, where the audience in the morning themselves select the programme for the evening’s concert from the opera, operetta, musical and recital repertory, including ensembles from Le Pecheurs de perles, L’Elisir d’amore, Cosi fan tutte and La boheme.
Born in Bucharest, soprano Simona Mihai studies first at the Academy of Music in her home town, then continued her studies at the Royal College of Music in London and the Benjamin Britten International Opera School, with Kathleen Livingstone, as a Queen Mother Scholar. In 2005, she made her Italian operatic debut at Teatro Massimo, Palermo. Simona has performed at the Royal Opera House, Royal Danish Theatre, as well as other prestigious stages.
During summer 2008, Simona appeared as Virtue, in Glydenbourne’s production of The Coroanatioan of Poppea.
While studying in London, Simona Mihai was supported by the Ratiu Foundation
Friday 24 October 2008 – ROMANIAN STUDENTS MEETING
16.00-22.00, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH
Entry by invitation only.
For details and registration, please go to www.romanianstudents.co.uk (use Internet Explorer)
28 & 29 October 2008 – BALLET: Alina Cojocaru in ‘Three Short Works’
19.30, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD; Box Office: 020 7304 4000
Tickets: £4-£220
This is the perfect chance to discover The Royal Ballet and classical dance: three entrancing works, a host of Company Principals on stage, the skill of the corps de ballet – and special pricing for the best seats in the theatre.
The Three Short Works comprise George Balanchine’s ‘Serenade’, ‘L’invitation au voyage’, by the choreographer and former Royal Ballet dancer Michael Corder, on music by Duparc, and ‘Theme and Variations’ by Balanchine, set to music by Tchaikovsky.
Alina Cojocaru stars in ‘L’invitation Au Voyage’ and ‘Theme and Variations’
Details on www.roh.org.uk
Until 14 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: Romanian Artist Flavia Pitis within the BP Portrait Award
The National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE; Tel. 020 7312 2463
Once again, the prestigious BP Portrait Award has selected in the long-list a Romanian artist. This year, Flavia Pitis has an entry with the portrait ‘Buti’.
The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, promoting the very best in contemporary portrait painting. An annual competition aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop the theme of portraiture in their work, the Award is open to everyone aged 18 and over in recognition of the outstanding and innovative work currently being produced by artists of all ages. With a first-prize of £25,000 the exhibition has proved the launch pad for the careers of a number of successful portrait artists.
The previous Romanian entries in the competition were both by Ana-Maria Micu, in 2006 and 2007.
Details on www.npg.org.uk/live/bpmenu.asp
Until 17 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: Romanian Artist Silviu Pascalin within Illumini Show
Crypt Gallery, St Pancras Church, Euston Road, London NW1 2BA
Free Admission, all welcome. Opening times: daily 11.00-19.00. Opening Night: Thursday 4 September, 18.00-21.00.
Romanian artist Silviu Pascalin will take part in the Illumini Show curated by Jane Webb, which will be on show at the Crypt Gallery in London.
An electrifying new exhibition with a difference, starting with a opening night on the 4 September, which is complimented with a full evening of free live entertainment from fire performers, stilt walkers, jugglers, light shows, and performance artists, working with illumination taking place through out the crypt. This is no PV night, this is an evening where everybody is welcome. Illumini will not just showcase art it will entertain, introducing all communities that may not normally visit the arts to a different approach.
Illumini brings together a variety of artists, all sharing a passion for the subject of light. Set in the famous St Pancras crypt, these impressive pieces of artwork come to life in this unusual building. Come along to experience the illuminatory and dazzling effect this diverse collection of artwork has on the crypt’s dark environment.
Travel down abandoned corridors and venture into secret recesses to explore a wide variety of artwork. The pieces range from photographs and paintings depicting light, to sculptural works that literally glow; at once transforming the crypt’s murky and shadowy atmosphere like never before.
Illumini is supported through a grant of the Ratiu Foundation.
Details on www.stpancraschurch.org
Until 30 September 2008 – EXHIBITION: ‘Childhood Chromatics’ by Lorena Maria Lupascu
Kenneth More Theatre, Oakfield Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 1BT
This exhibition by the 12-year-old Romanian artist Lorena-Maria Lupascu provides a glimpse into a childhood world of spontaneity, colour and experimentation. Lorena’s work is a fusion of wild creativity and studied observation. The work included here reflects the diversity of her interests and styles. Lorena is also a talented pianist and violinist and her love of music is clearly evident in many of her paintings and drawings.
Lorena’s paintings exude optimism and joy, and in a world of so much cynicism it is a heartening experience to look at her work.
Until 7 October 2008 – FILM: ‘California Dreamin’ (Endless)’ by Cristian Nemescu
Various cinemas nationwide
For a full list of dates and cinemas’ contacts, please go to www.artificial-eye.com/californiadreamin/where.php
• California Dreamin’ (Endless)
Feature film/Romania/2007/Fiction/colour/155’/Romanian and English dialogues, with English subtitles
Directed by Cristian Nemescu. With: Armand Assante, Razvan Vasilescu, Jamie Elman; Maria Dinulescu, Ion Sapdaru, Alex Margineanu, Andi Vasluianu
Distributed by Artificial Eye. Also available on Artificial Eye DVD from Movie Mail, Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, Hmv.com. Prices start at £11.99
Set against the backdrop of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the film explores the impact that the arrival of the American soldiers has on the tiny village community: historical experience, corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency and romantic interest concur in a mayhem battle of wills with tragic consequences for the village but not for the Americans. At the end of five intense days, the train resumes its journey leaving behind broken hearts, shattered dreams and a civil war. A cinematic tour de force, as well as a poignant and hilarious comment on parochialism, intercultural clashes, and Romania’s long-term fascination with America.
“California Dreamin’ is an epic satire, with both modern-day Romania and US foreign policy firmly in its sights”. (Nick Roddick, London Film Festival)
Awards: ‘Un Certain Regard’ Award, Cannes 2007; Satyajit Ray Prize, 51st Times London Film Festival 2007
Until 8 October 2008 – FILM: ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’ by Cristian Mungiu
Various cinemas nationwide
For a full list of dates and cinemas’ contacts, please go to www.artificial-eye.com/4months/where.php
• ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’
Feature film /Romania/2007/113 min/Romanian with English subtitles
Directed by Cristian Mungiu. Starring Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov
Distributed by Artificial Eye. Also available on Artificial Eye DVD from Movie Mail, Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, Hmv.com. Prices start at £11.99
‘Screen realism rarely achieves such a vivid texture of a country and a time as this excruciatingly tense drama, the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes this year, about two young women living in an all-female dorm in 1980s Romania. The story takes place over one long night. Vague Gabita is pregnant and wants an illegal termination, but she has been dilatory about arrangements with the criminal abortionist. When her staunch friend and room mate Otilia tries to straighten things out she is made to pay her own price to make sure it happens. An extraordinary odyssey of desperation and terror ensues, against a grim environment of quasi-Soviet officiousness. […] Director Cristian Mungiu’s superb arthouse nail-biter is convincing in every way, especially in the piercing performance of Anamaria Marinca as Otilia.’ (Nick James)
‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’ is released in UK cinemas through Artificial Eye (www.artificial-eye.co.uk).
You can read more about the film (including Director’s notes and blog, in Romanian and English) at www.4months3weeksand2days.com