Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival
Encyclopedia
The Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival (in Turkish: Aspendos Uluslararası Opera ve Bale Festivali) has been organized by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet
directorate since 1994 with international participation by opera
and ballet
companies from several different countries. The festival is held annually each June and July in the two thousand year old ancient Roman Aspendos Theatre
of Aspendos
, near Antalya
, Turkey
. The theatre is noted as one of the best preserved antique theatres in the world, with many original features of the building remaining intact.
the Ankara State Opera and Ballet (a popular opera such as Aida
) and the Mersin State Opera and Ballet with La Bayadère
by Léon Minkus, Carmen
(Georges Bizet
), and Carmina Burana
by (Carl Orff
).
Other companies included the Zürich Ballet, the İzmir State Opera and Ballet (which presented Jivago/Zhivago by Alexander Borodin
), and the Deutsche Oper Berlin
with The Magic Flute
Turkish State Opera and Ballet
The State Opera and Ballet is the national directorate of opera and ballet companies of Turkey, with venues in Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Mersin, Antalya and Samsun...
directorate since 1994 with international participation by opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
companies from several different countries. The festival is held annually each June and July in the two thousand year old ancient Roman Aspendos Theatre
Roman theatre (structure)
The characteristics of Roman to those of the earlier Greek theatres due in large part to its influence on the Roman triumvir Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Much of the architectural influence on the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings...
of Aspendos
Aspendos
Aspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. It is located northeast of central Serik.- History :...
, near Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The theatre is noted as one of the best preserved antique theatres in the world, with many original features of the building remaining intact.
Past performances
As an example, in 2006, a wide variety of productions were presented by companies such asthe Ankara State Opera and Ballet (a popular opera such as Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
) and the Mersin State Opera and Ballet with La Bayadère
La Bayadère
La Bayadère is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. La Bayadère was first performed by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on...
by Léon Minkus, Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
(Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
), and Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana (Orff)
Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana...
by (Carl Orff
Carl Orff
Carl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
).
Other companies included the Zürich Ballet, the İzmir State Opera and Ballet (which presented Jivago/Zhivago by Alexander Borodin
Alexander Borodin
Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...
), and the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
with The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
See also
- Turkish State Opera and BalletTurkish State Opera and BalletThe State Opera and Ballet is the national directorate of opera and ballet companies of Turkey, with venues in Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Mersin, Antalya and Samsun...
- AntalyaAntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
- List of opera festivals
- Canadian Ballet FestivalCanadian Ballet FestivalThe Canadian Ballet Festival was an annual event staged in Canada from 1948 to 1954 that brought together various Canadian dance companies to generate public interest in classical dance. Prior to the festivals, it was difficult for professional Canadian dancers to earn a living by practicing their...
- International Ballet Festival of HavanaInternational Ballet Festival of HavanaThe International Ballet Festival of Havana , is a ballet festival held in the Great Theater of Havana, Cuba every two years...
- USA International Ballet CompetitionUSA International Ballet CompetitionThe USA International Ballet Competition, or USA IBC, is one of the world's top competitions for ballet. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, this competition is attended by dancers from all over the world to represent their country for bronze, silver, or gold medals in a variety of categories of...