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Nicola Benedetti tells the story of the Edinburgh International Festival, today looking at the ways in which the festival has made an impact over the years.

From its earliest days the Edinburgh International Festival has offered its audiences spectacle in a variety of ways. In this episode, Nicola focuses on some of the must-see moments in opera, music, dance and theatre which have dazzled audiences over the years. She also looks at the collaborative projects that were unique to the Festival, from a 1948 revival of the satirical morality play The Three Estates, first performed in 1552, to Scottish Opera's award-winning Ring Cycle in 2003, as well as some of the more comic moments of creative programming, from Anna Russell to Alan Cumming. With contributions from performers Alan Cumming and Karine Polwart, and former directors Fergus Linehan, Jonathan Mills, Brian McMaster and Robert Ponsonby.

15 days left to listen

56 minutes

Last on

Sat 17 Aug 2024 13:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Sanctus from Requiem

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Choir: London Symphony Chorus. Conductor: Colin Davis.

  • John Adams

    Harmonium III Wild Nights

    Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony. Choir: San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Conductor: John Adams.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Swan Lake

    Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.

  • AntonΓ­n DvoΕ™Γ΅k

    Rusalka 'Cury Mury Fuk'

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.

  • Richard Wagner

    Götterdämmerung, Act III: Siegfried's Funeral March

    Conductor: Mariss Jansons. Orchestra: Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Elijah Op 70 He That Shall Endure to the End

    Choir: Edinburgh Festival Chorus. Director: Stephen Doughty. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Paul Daniel.

  • Alan Cumming

    Ladies who Lunch

    Singer: Alan Cumming.

  • Karine Polwart

    Labouring and Resting

    Singer: Karine Polwart.

  • John Williams

    Theme from Jurassic Park

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.

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  • Sat 17 Aug 2024 13:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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