Barcelona’s summer of scenic arts
- Series: Kunst
The GREC festival in Barcelona has become a tradition in the city’s hot summers. Theatre, dance and music take over the city for a month and a half, until July 31st.
One of the principal cultural events which take place in Barcelona during the summer is the Grec Festival, the city’s annual date with theatre, dance, music and circus. The festival is named after its main venue: the Greek Theatre in Montjuïc, where most of the shows are held, including the opening sessions. The event, which has become a reference in the cultural european festivals, supports local production on the one hand and presents the most interesting works from abroad on the other hand.
In its 35th edition, the opening ceremony was performed by a Catalan dance company for the first time. La muntanya al teu voltant (The mountain around you, by the Gelabert Azzopardi company), marks a crucial moment in the history of the festival, as the Catalan audience saw their traditional dance (the “Sardana”) turned into a breath-taking contemporary dance. Thus, with the help of orchestral arrangements, the national spirit was uplifted with a performance that gave the spectators goosebumps.
With regards to the concerts, one of the most emotional moments occurred during Noa’s encore on Saturday 16th, when local idol and icon of the Catalan folk culture Joan Manuel Serrat unexpectedly appeared to perform his classic and most successful hit Mediterraneo, along with the Israeli singer. Another concert worth mentioning was Goran Bregovic’s Wedding & Funeral Band, whose exciting fusion of modern rock and traditional balkan tunes never fails to expand their roots across new audiences.
Other important events in the Festival include Peter Brook, whose adaptation of "The magic flute" to the theatre takes one of Mozart’s most famous operas to present a free piano version, featuring a cast of voices to produce a feeling of great intimacy, in an atmosphere that sets direct contact with the audience.
This year’s guest country is France, hence the presence of up to 18 artists such as Joël Pommerat (Cercles / Fictions and Le petit chaperon rouge) , Patrice Chéreau (I am the wind) or Olivier Cardot (Un mage en été), among others, who contribute to expand the festival’s international spirit.
Once again, Barcelona has turned into a huge stage for a month and a half, spreading a cosmopolitan and vibrant energy throughout the city with a wide variety of spectacles to offer a unique chance of experiencing a fully different summer.
As for the remaining shows (the festival comes to its end on July 31st), some of the most attractive events include jazz master Keith Jarret’s concert or the play Tragèdia, a visual poem based upon The Birh of Tragedy, by Nietzsche.
One of the principal cultural events which take place in Barcelona during the summer is the Grec Festival, the city’s annual date with theatre, dance, music and circus. The festival is named after its main venue: the Greek Theatre in Montjuïc, where most of the shows are held, including the opening sessions. The event, which has become a reference in the cultural european festivals, supports local production on the one hand and presents the most interesting works from abroad on the other hand.
In its 35th edition, the opening ceremony was performed by a Catalan dance company for the first time. La muntanya al teu voltant (The mountain around you, by the Gelabert Azzopardi company), marks a crucial moment in the history of the festival, as the Catalan audience saw their traditional dance (the “Sardana”) turned into a breath-taking contemporary dance. Thus, with the help of orchestral arrangements, the national spirit was uplifted with a performance that gave the spectators goosebumps.
With regards to the concerts, one of the most emotional moments occurred during Noa’s encore on Saturday 16th, when local idol and icon of the Catalan folk culture Joan Manuel Serrat unexpectedly appeared to perform his classic and most successful hit Mediterraneo, along with the Israeli singer. Another concert worth mentioning was Goran Bregovic’s Wedding & Funeral Band, whose exciting fusion of modern rock and traditional balkan tunes never fails to expand their roots across new audiences.
Other important events in the Festival include Peter Brook, whose adaptation of "The magic flute" to the theatre takes one of Mozart’s most famous operas to present a free piano version, featuring a cast of voices to produce a feeling of great intimacy, in an atmosphere that sets direct contact with the audience.
This year’s guest country is France, hence the presence of up to 18 artists such as Joël Pommerat (Cercles / Fictions and Le petit chaperon rouge) , Patrice Chéreau (I am the wind) or Olivier Cardot (Un mage en été), among others, who contribute to expand the festival’s international spirit.
Once again, Barcelona has turned into a huge stage for a month and a half, spreading a cosmopolitan and vibrant energy throughout the city with a wide variety of spectacles to offer a unique chance of experiencing a fully different summer.
As for the remaining shows (the festival comes to its end on July 31st), some of the most attractive events include jazz master Keith Jarret’s concert or the play Tragèdia, a visual poem based upon The Birh of Tragedy, by Nietzsche.
Photos: Josep Aznar
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