CINEMA DIRECT: The Icing on Andorra’s Cultural Cake

Clare-AllcardCINEMA DIRECT

The Icing on Andorra’s Cultural Cake.

This week, on Thursday, 30th March at 20.15 at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, we can, for just 15€, enjoy Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly coming to us directly from London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, (where, at the moment, tickets range from 95 – 205 pounds each).

The life-enriching phenomenon of opera and ballet for all, was originally brought to Andorra in 2014 by the Catalan company, Cinemes Guiu. Montse Guiu herself sent out personal invitations for the opening night. It proved to be a delightful evening with Montse there to welcome us and, during the interval, to ply us with traditional Catalan refreshments of coca (sweet cake) and Muscatel. The inaugural audience was small but, once the concept had been grasped, the idea took root and spread.

What a change this has wrought to Andorra’s cultural scene. In the 1930s the population of Andorra stood at some 5,000 souls. Cultural activities were nearly all traditional and home grown. This tiny country, isolated high in the Pyrenees, could not afford the orchestras, dance groups and choirs that the cities of Toulouse and Barcelona could call upon – and they probably didn’t want them either! Instead, each village held its own annual festival, usually during the summer months, filling the village squares with feasting, dancing and music.

Today these traditional gatherings are as popular as ever. But, in the 1980s, prestigious international festivals began to appear. They were led in 1983, by The International Narciso Yepes Festival, founded by the dazzling classical guitarist, Yepes himself. Over the years such world stars as Yehudi Menuhin, Victoria de Los Angeles, Jose Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa  have all performed here. This was followed in 1984 by Escaldes-Engordany’s International Jazz Festival where such favourites as Fats Domino, Miles Davis and B.B. King appeared. For the past 23 years The International Festival of Music and Dance has run throughout the winter months bringing Andorra such treats as Elton John and Cecilia Bartoli. Lately we have been entertained by a small group from the Ballet of St Petersburg and the Bad Boys of Dance from the United States, but we couldn’t afford a whole professional opera or ballet company.

Which is where Cinema Direct steps in to fill the gap and, in my opinion, goes even further than that. I think I actually prefer it. For opera and ballet on the big screen has definite advantages over the live performance. Okay, the ambiance isn’t as cool but you get to see the performers up close, their expressions, their voice and dance technics. How they manage to sing whilst lying on their deathbeds – which is where the majority of the heroes and heroines seem to end up! Also the 30 minute intervals pass by in a flash as the various world-class companies fill the time with interviews with their stars, directors and backstage workers. Fascinating stuff. Do give it a try. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Culturally yours,

Clare

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