Festival ao Largo 2018, a Living Square

Almost halfway through, but what rests is worth going to: at Largo de São Carlos, on Opera House noble square, the nights are erudite, unmissable and free of charge.

 

It is one of the most charismatic squares in the city of Lisbon, with the facade of the São Carlos National Theater as a backdrop. Outdoors, and cooled by the sea air night, we will be able to see, for free, dance and music spectacles played by bigger names of the national and international artistic panorama.

 

This article comes late, I admit, but better late than never, I am sharing with you what I will not miss at the Festival ao Largo, there is still much to see and hear.

Already on the 17th the night will be animated with "Opera and Waltzes" by theOrquestra do Conservatório Regional de Artes do Montijo. It will be a musical journey through Europe, from the eighteenth, nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, with waltzes from the Viennese brothers Johann and Joseph Strauss, and the work of another extraordinary Viennese, Mozart, of which we will hear a Don Giovanni aria. From Rossini and Donizetti there will be arias from the Barber of Seville and the Elixir of Love, and many others from the same spirit and epoch.

 

 

Orquestra do Conservatório Regional de Artes do Montijo, will offer a "Operas and Waltzs" night, at noble São Carlos Opera House square. Photo by David Rodrigues.

 

On the night of the 18th, Solistas de Lisboa will bring Shostakovich's Two Pieces to Strings Octet and Mendelssohn's Octet. On the 19th will be the L.U.M.E. (Lisbon Underground Music Ensemble) who occupy the stage. They are 15 experienced players in jazz and classical music, who are inspired by thebig bandconcept, updating this discourse in an intelligent and ironic way.

The Solistas de Lisboa ensemble, to ear at july 18.

 

The nights of 20 and 21 will be Russian. TheOrquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, which celebrates a respectable 25 years of activity, will play Russian works on this concert, by Glinka, Tchaikovski, Mussorgski or Glazunov, and in the end will be us, the public, that will get a gift.

The Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, wich celebrates 25 years of career

 

The dance closes the Festival ao Largo, on the nights of 26, 27 and 28. On stage to be seen always the Companhia Nacional de Bailado. The oeuvre Toccata and Fugawas created by Ambra Senatore for 18 dancers, and there the choreographer meticulously portrays humanity and its respective failures.

The ballet Hermann Schmermanwas premiered in 1992 at the New York Ballet, after being choreographed for 5 dancers. Four months later, for the Frankfurt Ballet, Forsythe created an additional duet for this ballet. Since then it has been appeared in several world wide, both in its full version or just the duet. It's apparently a man-woman competition, but for the choreographer it's just a simple piece about dancing.

The Companhia Nacional de Bailado offers 3 night on a row on enchantment and dancing. Picture by Nuno Simão.

 

The last ballet is the Raymonda - III Act, which premiered in January 1898 in the great Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, and which has remained in its repertoire until today, having been revisited by several choreographers.

In this act is celebrated the marriage of Raymonda with the knight Jean de Brienne after the return of this one of the Crusades. And without warning, a surprise guest, Abderrakhman, a Saracen emir, tries to kidnap Raymonda.

 

Always at 9:30 p.m., in Largo de São Carlos. I promise that for next year I will arrive on time and I will bring the complete program. Now go, take out the tuxedo out of the mothball, or get a good iron press on the silk tail.

 

More info here.

 

Images from the event website.