I usually dedicate this column exclusively to pop and rock music news from malta and abroad, but being a lover of classical music and arts in general, including dance, I’ve decided to widen the scope of my scribbling by including an occasional wider perspective of the phrase ‘music matters’.
A series of events that caught my fancy recently has been the live broadcasts on a massive cinema screen of high art events such as opera and ballet at the Eden Cinemas in St Julian’s… just round the corner from what some may feel to be the infamous centre of party reveling and as far away from high art as can be: Paceville.
Actually, catching a high quality show direct from Moscow or London in the high quality surroundings of the Eden, usually on a weeknight when parking is not difficult (there’s also a car park available) and then being able to wander around a choice of after show venues for a drink or a meal actually works out pretty well I think.
The next event on the schedule is the ballet Giselle live from the Royal Opera House in London, on 19 January at 8.30pm. This will be the third production screened via satellite at the Eden following the well-attended Cosi Fan Tutte and The Nutcracker. Considering the huge amount of fans and students of all ages of drama, vocal training and dance in this country, I’m not surprised.
Giselle is one of the most influential of all romantic ballets, and one of the greatest and most popular works of the dance canon and of the Royal Ballet’s repertory. The title role presents the transcendental power of a woman’s love in the face of betrayal and is one of the most technically demanding and emotionally challenging roles in classical dance. In this production, Peter Wright’s sensitive staging in the atmospheric designs by John Macfarlane heightens the contrast as the story moves between the human and supernatural worlds. The choreography is by Marius Petipa, Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Peter Wright.
Simon De Cesare, general manager of the Eden Leisure Group, told me he is proud that the Eden is showing such fantastic content. “There is a significant local market that enjoys ballet and opera, and we can provide them with the opportunity to view the world’s best performances, live on one of Europe’s largest screens and with the optimal sound. It really is the next best thing to actually being there at a fraction of the cost.”
This production is suitable for all audiences. Price is €23 per ticket and parking at the Eden Car Park is included. Under-16s pay only €10. The full schedule for opera and ballets can be found at www.edencinemas.com. Tickets can also be purchased online.
U2 fans in a for a movie treat
A British film that deals with the origins of the band U2 is set to be a worldwide smash rivaling the international success of The Full Monty and Billy Elliott later this year.
Based on a true story, Killing Bono is set in Ireland and stars Ben Barnes as Neil McCormick, the music critic of The Telegraph newspaper who grew up in the same neighbourhood as the members of U2 and had formed a rock band at the same time as they formed. It is a film about the writer and critic’s youth during a period of political and social upheaval in 1970s Dublin, and his, as he describes it, life as a failed rock star.
The film, which will be released in British cinemas in April, is based on McCormick’s memoir I Was Bono’s Doppleganger. It follows Neil and Ivan, two brothers attempting to become rock stars as they watch their old school friends U2 become the biggest rock band in the world. The film will feature the last scenes ever filmed by Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlewaithe who died recently.
The trailer for the movie is available to watch online.