CULTURAL EVENTS IN ANDORRA (#398)
PICK OF THE WEEK: Andorra (Pyrenees)
Main places:
Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, San Julia de Loria, La Massana, Ordino, Encamp, Canillo, Pas de la Casa
REMINDER: CARNIVAL 2022
From Friday 25th to Monday, 28th February 2022
MUSIC
v Saturday, 12th February at 20h30 and Sunday, 13th February at 18h at the Lauredià Cultural and Congress Centre, Sant Julià de Lòria (Tickets: €32. Reduced price for holders of the Carnet Jove, the Targa Magna, for children under 18 and for friends of the Andorra Lírica Association: €27. For those going on the La Massana Gent Gran outing on Sunday it’s €12) Le Val d’Andorre The Valley of Andorra. Halévy’s Le Val d’Andorre is a Comic opera in 3 acts. In 1848 it premiered at the Parisian comic opera as ‘La vall d’Andorra’, with music by the French composer Jacques Fromental Halévy and a libretto by V. of St. George. This three-act comic opera, takes place in the valley of Andorra, which, for the vast majority of the Parisian public of the time, was an unknown place.
The opera takes place in the time of the King of France, Louis XV, who wants to recruit soldiers for the French army, which, in turn, generates a series of love stories between the main characters.
The premiere was quite successful, as evidenced by current reviews, including that of the French composer Hector Berlioz (‘Journal des Débats’). The play was later translated into several languages and performed in various parts of Europe (London, Germany, Milan, St. Petersburg, etc.). Interestingly, a Spanish version was made, which gave rise to a zarzuela, set to music by Joaquím Gaztambide, premiered in Madrid in 1852. The composer, JF Halévy, despite having a large number of written works (including Le Juive considered by Mahler to be one of the greatest operas ever created), has been recognized primarily for his teaching work; he was a professor of harmony, counterpoint and composition at the Paris Conservatory, where composers such as Charles Gounod and Georges Bizet passed through his classrooms.
v Sunday, 13th February at 12h30 at the café – teatre La Fada Ignorant (The Ignorant Fairy) Andorra la Vella. IV Andorra International Guitar Festival: Vermouth Concert: I Fratelli la Strada. Anna Garcia i Alba and Antonino D’Antoni have been I Fratelli La Strada since 2004. A multifaceted musical duo (mainly violin, guitar and vocals) that experiments and moves in the field of new folk with forays into the world of theatre, cabaret and puppetry. They are also the authors and composers of the soundtracks for numerous plays and short films.
v Monday, 14th February at 21h30 at Hotel Màgic, La Massana. (Free entrance) Celebrate Valentine’s Day with us at ‘Magic Mondays’ and with the best atmosphere! (See above for more info.) v Friday, 18th February at 21.30h at Comú Assembly Hall, Escaldes-Engordany. (Free activity. Limited places. Prior reservation required. See link at top. Four Flags in concert The alternative rock band presents their new album, Elements, in which they combine the most genuine sound of distorted guitars with electronics.
Musicians R. Sandrini, vocals C. d’Anunzio and L. Barreiro, guitars M. Campaña, bass M. Blanco, drums
DRAMA ❖ Saturday, 12th February at 19h at La Valireta Theater, Encamp (Admission: €8) “Chimpanzee” Theater show Presented by the Inevitables Company theatrical show. Marc, a 42-year-old trans man eight months pregnant, arrives at the gynecology clinic where he has to hold the inquisitive gaze of the other patients. This trigger prompts Marc to invite us to discover his story, where he will be the girl they called “marimacho” again; that teenager who felt observed and hated her breasts. He will revisit those moments when he discovered what his real identity was; we will see him struggling to accept himself, while at the same time face the distance of a father who does not understand him.
CINEMA
v Saturday 12th and Sunday, 14th February and Monday 14th to Thursday 17th February all at 19h30 at Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. Belfast. Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh Starring: Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe and Judy Dench. The Story: A semi-autobiographical film which chronicles the life of a working class family and their young son’s childhood during the tumult of the late 1960s in the capital of Northern Ireland. The film has 7 Oscar nominations.
2022 Cycle Mountain Cinema and Travel Series Ordino – La Massana
v Wednesday, 16th February at 21h in the Andorra National Auditorium, Ordino, (Free activity, free entry.) Menorca a Cegues/ Kayak no limits. Blind Menorca. This is the story of a feat that had never been done before. The press describes it as follows: “A young man from Girona with a visual and physical disability embarks on the circumnavigation of the island of Menorca in an individual kayak, guided by the voice of Rai Puig, a professional kayak guide. “The expedition lasted thirteen days and covered 160 km. A story of self-improvement full of values. Menorca a cegues is a one hundred percent professional production in Catalan that has travelled around the world. The documentary has won numerous awards and nominations at various international festivals and has been screened in countries such as the United States, India, China, Canada, Croatia and Colombia, with subtitles in Spanish, English and sign language.
• Isaac Padrós is an ambassador for the Eurofirms Foundation, a member of the Catalan Ecotourism Board and president of the Multicapacities Association.
• AWARDS: Kayak no limits. Blind Menorca has won the following festivals: Texas Champion Film Salon International Film Festival, The Impact Docs Awards in California, Toronto Beaches Film Festival, The Golden Age International Arthouse Film Festival (India), The Indie Fest Film Awards of California, Accolade Global Film Competition of California, Virgin Spring Cinefest of India, Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival, Terres Travel Film Festival, Films & Creativity of Amposta, and the Girona Film Festival, Best Film Category on Sustainability and Disability. And a finalist at the following festivals: Essex DocFest (USA), The International Outdoor Documentary Film Festival of China, Tourism Film Festival in Croatia and Indie Doc Pro in Barcelona.
CONFERENCES
Remember conferences are in Catalan unless stated otherwise v Wednesday, 16th February at 20h at the Town Hall, Escaldes-Engordany. (Free activity. Limited places. Reservations: Tel 80 22 55 or [email protected]) SUMMIS DESIDERANTES talk: the witch in the history of art. Witches, witches, witches … Although it is at the end of the medieval world where the image of the witch we know today begins to be built, its roots are older. We will analyse the figure of the witch throughout history and see how contemporary art vindicates her memory and her rebellious spirit. By Aurora Baena Garròs, art historian.
CHILDREN
v Saturday, 12th February from 10h – 11h30 at Atenea Espai d’Aprenentatge, Escaldes-Engordany (Admission: €18 child, cash payment. *Number of places: 12 places (children) or 6 places (families)
Contact address or phone number: 725 252 for registration: http://www.ateneaespai.com/reserves-2 ) Cooperative family board games, from 3 to 5 years old.
Do you want your kids to have fun playing cooperative board games? Throughout this workshop we want your kids to learn about new board games – what better way to do that while having a good time with your family? Games such as Little Cooperation and Woolfy, among others, enhance collaborative spirit, teamwork, and decision making.
❖ Saturday, 12th February from 16h – 17h30 at Atenea Espai d’Aprenentatge, Escaldes-Engordany (Admission: €18 child, cash payment) Cooperative family board games, from 6 to 8 years old. ( See more above.)
❖ Saturday, 12th February from 18h30 – 20h at Atenea Espai d’Aprenentatge, Escaldes-Engordany (Admission: €18 child, cash payment) Cooperative family board games, from 9 to 12 years old.
EXHIBITIONS
v New From Saturday, 12th February until Thursday, 10th March at La Peixera, Escaldes-Engordany. (Free entrance) JO-II. Until March 10th, Naiara Escabias will embark on a journey of self-discovery in La Peixera, (Goldfish Bowl) where she will spend much of the day accompanied only by herself, a mirror, her inseparable camera, a notebook and other artistic materials.
• The idea is to listen to herself, listen to what surrounds her and look around her from the perspective that La Peixera (A sort of glass box in the street next to the river) will give her, a cube of glass walls immersed in the noise of the river and the green of the nearby orchards.
• All this will give rise to a creative work consisting of a daily self-portrait as well as some dance performances with live music on days and hours that we will announce soon.
• The role of visitors can be as active as they wish. They will be able to write or paint in a notebook that they will find in La Peixera, they will be able to ask to be photographed while they are interrogated in front of the mirror, they will be able to undertake a dance with Naiara, they will be able …, whatever they want.
• Inauguration: The exhibition will open on Saturday, 12th February at 12 noon. The inauguration will consist of an explanation by the artist plus a performance of an introspective nature and recognition of the environment.
• Family workshops on Saturdays 12th, 19th and 26th February and 5th and 12th March, from 16h – 18h at the Espai Caldes Av. Carlemany, 8 Escaldes-Engordany 30 minute sessions (Limited places with prior reservation on tel. +376 890 897 or [email protected] ) Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9.30h – 13.30h and from 13h – 19h.
v NEW From Tuesday, 15th February to Tuesday, 15th March at Historic Centre of Andorra la Vella, Andorra la Vella. Materialize memory. Photographic exhibition of the last century of the Comú in the street, by Miquel Mercè.
v NEW: From Wednesday, 16th February to Friday, 11th March at the Espai d’Art, La Llacuna, Andorra la Vella. (Free activity) Nature body. Photographic exhibition by Dolonguevitch, which captures Marta Moran dancing in the middle of the natural landscapes of Andorra, to the music of Mireia Planas. During the month of the exhibition there will be a dance and music performance organized by Moran and Planas.
• Opening/ vernissage on Thursday, 17th February at 19h with Marta Moran, Mireia Planas, Romina Dolonguevich. v Until Saturday, 26th February at the Edifici l’Estudi, Ordino. (Free activity.) Exhibition “Believe it ” by Catalina Vargas Campos. Sample of watercolour drawings on paper recreating characters from the artist’s imagination.
• Meeting with the artist on Tuesday, 15th February, at 18h (advance booking at 324 558)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8h. – 20h. Saturday from 9 –13h. v Until Monday, 28th February at the Gallery Taranmana, Escaldes-Engordany. (Free activity) Pervivència (Survival) by Xandri. Exhibition and installation by the artist, who deals with and questions modernity in our modern society and the role of nature with elements such as fire, which burns the earth and allows its rebirth.
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday from 10h – 13h & 16h – 20h. Saturday: 11h – 13h & 16h30 – 20h. Closed Sunday and Monday. v NEW on these pages: Until 3rd March at the Exhibition Hall of the Pas de la Casa Tourist Office, Encamp ‘(Free activity) Epiphanies and false gods: Artistic exhibition of paintings by Alícia Luño. v New to these pages: Until Tuesday, 8th March at the Plaça de la Germandat, Sant Julià de Lòria. Materialize memory by Miquel Mercè. A photographic exhibition of the last century of the Comú in the street.
v Until 21st April at the fine art Galeria Alta above Anyós. (http://[email protected] Viewing by appointment only.) Joel Meyerowitz: License to See. Galeria Alta are proud to exhibit the legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz. Among Meyerowitz’s first important exhibitions were those at Eastman House, Rochester, in 1966, and “My European Trip” at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1968. A pioneer of street photography and colour, Joel’s extensive career spans decades from the bustling streets of New York City to the quiet corners of Italy.
v Until Monday, 7th March at the Studio of Miquel Mercè, Avinguda de les Escoles, 18, Escaldes-Engordany. (To register a visit or to find out more information please send an email to [email protected] ) Photography: Ikebana series, the new exhibition of summer photographs in the open house workshop. Opening hours: Mornings from 8.30h – 13.30h. Afternoons from 14.30h – 17.30h. v Until Sunday, 27th August, 2023 at the Casa d’Areny-Plandolit Museum, Ordino. (Admission: 2.5€. Free on September 25th and 26th.) Abracadabra: Illusionism and magic in Cal Plandolit. Discover one of the least known facets of the Areny-Plandolit family: the connection between some of its members with the world of magic, a field in which they stood out prominently on a Spanish and international scale during the first half of the twentieth century.
Culturally yours,
Clare.
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Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard
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Look here for the whole blog “Cultural events in Andorra with Clare Allcard
See also Andorra travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
