EDINBURGH FESTIVAL ENDING, AND ROSSLYN CHAPEL,LINLITHGOWPALACE,MELROSE ABBEY AND MELLERSTAIN HOUSE

THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

The daily reviews of the festival, not necessarily the views of the author. 

The Fringe was over and the Edinburgh Festival still continued. There was a lecture series included with the festival. It was called Culture and Conflict. The overall tone of the Festival was an emphasis on World War I. August, is the 100th aniversay of Britain's entry in World War I. 

THE  PEACE TO END PEACE

Sir Adam Roberts , Senior Research Fellow in International Relations, Oxford University and Emeritus Fellow of Ballliol College, Oxford. Sir Roberts looked at the lessons that were learned, and not learned, from the "War to End War" resulting in the disatrous 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Basically Sir Roberts's lecture ccentered on the fact that self determination of individual governments should have been allowed. He felt that because of Versailles, World War II was begun. Also, this was the very reason there was no peace settlement after World War II. 

ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA 

The Concertgebouw Orchestra was founded in 1888, and received "Royal" in 1988. It has only had six chief conductors in its history. Since 2004, Mariss Jansons, from Riga, has been in this role. 

Their program - Brahms (1883-97). "Variations on a Theme by Haydn one of the best-loved tuned in the orchestral repertory. Thee variations follow in the major. Variation 5 is an excited 6/8 scherzo with much play of rapid repeated notes, leading into the "hunting" music of Variation 6. Variation 7 and 8 are colorful and imaginative. The finale has produced a complication of 

several versions of 1-8 within it. 

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) - "Tod und Verklarung" was first performed in June 1890. This is almost a biographical piece for Strauss. Two are associated with the physical collapse of the artist's body, and two with his spiritual and emotional transformation. "Dying is just as I composed it", he told his daughter. When the end came, he was not in isolation as he depicted in the tone-poem. With his family at his side, Strauss died quietly and peacefully in his sleep.

Enjoying a glass of Proseco at the interval. 

Rihm - Leonidas Kavakos is highlighted on the violin. Greek born Mr Kavakos ,, is a committed chamber muscian and recitalist. He performs regularly at the world's major venues and appears regularly at the Edinburgh Festival. He plays the "abergavenny" Stradivarius of 1724. 

The  piece by Wolfgang Rihm (1952) "Lichtes Spiel: Ein Sommerstuck " 

has written five pieces for violin and orchestra. In this piece the solo violin is supported simply by strings and pairs of flutes, oboes and horns. "A Summer Piece". 

UBU AND THE TRUTH COMMISSION

UBU AND THE TRUTH COMMISSION Written by Jane Taylor, directed by William Kentridge, and produced by the Handspring Puppet Company.

In 1996, after the first non-racial national election in South Africa, the Truth and Reconcillation Commission began its work. It was to solicit South Africans who considered themselves as agents,victims or survivors of human rights violations perpetrated in the apartheid era to testify before a nationa forum. Retrieve lost histories; make reparation to those who had suffered; and to provide amnesty for acts that were demonstrably political in intent. It's purpose was for national reconciliation. 

The play is based on the events of this time.

The puppetry as was used in "War Horse" , was a brilliant way to portray pain and suffering. Ubu's story, at one level , is a singular story; yet it gives an account of the relationships between capitalist ideology, imperialism, race, class and gender, religion and modernization in South Africa. 

A TRIP IN TO THE COUNTRY - THE SOUTHERN UPLANDS

A Beautiful region of abrupt and rolling hills, sheep pastures, forested valleys and soporific rivers, Souther Scotland is the home of rugby, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and spectacular castles and abbeys. For centuries the border was the flashpoint of hostility between Scotland and England. The monuments represent some of the best medieval and Renaissance architecture in Europe. 

ROSSLYN CHAPEL

Founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair, as the Collegiate Church of St Matthew, the Chapel took forty years to build. The beauty of its setting and the mysterious symbolism of its stonework have attracted,inspired and intrigued artists and visitors ever since.

As extraordinary as it is mysterious. There have never been so many carvings in such a small place. Every master mason had to do a turn here. Such are the variety of styles and subjects. Most curious of all are the carvings of New World plants.

They predate Columbus's transatlantic voyage by 100 years. The chapel has become extremely popular since featuring in "The Da Vinci Code". In a final climatic scene in the book, they all race to Roslin to seek out Rosslyn Chapel. Under the chapel is a spartan stone crypt with a deeper vault that may contain the "Holy Grail", or even Christ's head. The carvings represent the Knights Templar if left to intrepretation, however most of the engravings are mismatched puzzle pieces. 

The burial place of the 4th Earl, the first of a long line of St Clairs of Rosslyn to be buired outside the Chapel. 

LINLITHGOW PALACE

One of only four royal palaces in Scotland, Linlithgow was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and provided a temporary safe haven for Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite Rebellion. Solid and fortress like on the banks of Linlithgow Lock, the palace still looks majestic in its semi-ruined state. This was the finest building of its day, and the master masons have left a wealth of carvings.

Most engaging is the elaborate fountain in the center of the courtyard. 

MELROSE ABBEY

The tall lancet windows of this impressive ruin must have appeared  miraculous to medieval worshippers.

Today, it's hard to believe that such monuments could have been built as early as 1136. 

Over the centures, the abbey succumbed to pillage and war damage, and now stands as a beleaguered but romantic spot for the ghost of Robert the Bruce whose heart is believed to reside here. 

MELLERSTAIN HOUSE

Mellerstain is an outstanding example of 18th century Scottish architecture, the two wings being the works of William Adam, and the main building completed between 1770 and 1778 by his son Robert.

The Robert Adam interiors display exquisitely proportioned rooms embellished with classical plasterwork decoration, preserved in the original colours.

One of the finest creations is the library, a masterpiece of Classical style displaying a perfect balance of proportion,ornament and color. The ceiling preserved in its original colors is a magnificant example.

The furniture collection and paintings are viewed by collectors. Original wallpapers,hand-painted in the 18th and 19th centuries can be seen in the bedrooms;

costumes,fans,embroideries and documents are among the family  possessions displayed. 

The Baillie family , the 13h Earl of Haddington , his wife and three children currently reside in the West wing of the house. 

Moving on to  our next destination..........

MORE FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES AND VISITING THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA

The Festival continues. I attended three more "Fringe" performances, and two from the Edinburgh Festival. The Fringe is ending, and the Edinburgh International Festival goes on until the end of the month. 

RACE - by David Mamet - Pulitzer Prize winning playwright.

"Race" follows three attorneys, two black and one white who defend a white man charged with a violent crime against a black woman. Mamet has said "theme is race and the lies we tell each other on the subject". The acting was superb.

It was a real treat to see a professional play, written by Mamet, and acted in such a brilliant manner. It played on Broadway with Kerri Washington in 2009-2010....so it was certainly READY FOR BROADWAY

MEN IN THE CITIES - Chris Goode and Company in association with the Royal Court Theatre.

Three time Fringe First winner Chris Goode returns with an incendiary piece of expermintal storytelling that presents a challenging,radically humane portrait of how we live now. Mr. Goode brilliantly acts for 90 minutes as one man portraying the lives of 6 men and their different interactions in life, love, family, work, betrayal and death.

He captures the essence of the nature of man.

Unfortunately at the conclusion, Mr Goode spirals into a rant, that is very distracting and unnecessary to conclude his monologue. If he eliminated this bit it would be .....READY FOR BROADWAY

BIANCO- NoFit State Circus

- returning to the Fringe with sell-out shows, Bianco, NoFit State brings back their anarchic and totally immersive promenade circus in a burst of energy.

This was a fabulous "Cirque du Soleil" dance, acrobatic, trapeze, with the stage contantanly changing during the show, while the audience walked around the parameter of the acts.

The background band really charged up the performance.  ...this is definately READY FOR BROADWAY

THE INTERNATIONAL EDINBURGH BOOK FESTIVAL

I attended one event during this festival. It was a conversation with Hannah Berry,Pat Mills, Adam Murphy and Will Morris.

It was narrated by Denisa Mina. These authors were story creators that created comic books and stories of how the dystopian genre evolved to explore the idea of how individuals would cope with oppressive governments or post-apocalyptic worlds. It was interesting, but  it was not something that I really understood the subject or the media genre. 

THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

SWEET MAMBO - by Pina Bausch, director and choreographer. She was born in Solingen, Germany in 1940 and died in 2009 - 3 weeks after the death of Merce Cunningham. Embracing jazz, opera, folk and popular music, she created 46 pieces in her 36 year career, establishing her reputtion as one of the most significant choreographers of our time. Her theater comany is known as Tanztheater Wuppertal. "Sweet Mambo" uses only nine dancers (three men and six women). There is the raspy - voiced talkative and dismissively dominant actress; the volitile hysterical diva; and the nervous reserved woman.

All of these characters ran across the stage in long evening gowns with the men chasing them at various times. It was a genre of dance that I didn't understand. Ms Bausch was extremely talented and widely recognized for her works of dance genius, however I WALKED OUT.

HELEN LAWRENCE - from the Canadian High Commission to the United Kingdom.

This was an interesting stage setting. The actors were behind a movie screen. A black and white movie was shown over the actors creating the background, moving parts, and the set.

The camera panned in on the closeups of the actors which placed them live, in the black and white movie background. This created a "film noir" effect. The play and the theme of "Helen Lawrence" mark it out as a noir-inspired work. The murky postwar underworld is exposed, and the double-dealing characters hatch plans to improve their own situations in morally suspect ways. The heart of the story is a murder, a quintessential narrative feature of film noir. The action takes place in Vancouver in the 1940's. I really enjoyed this piece and I think it's READY FOR BROADWAY. 

The King's Theatre where "Helen Lawrence" was performed. 

ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA - This was Queen Elizabeth's yacht that the John Brown Shipyards personally built for her and Prince Phillip in 

1952. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip used this to visit many of their colonies until it was decommissioned in 1997. It is permanently docked in Edinburgh harbor, and is a tourist attraction.

The honeymoon suite for Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones 1960; 1973, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips; 1981, Charles and Diana; 1986 Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. 

This was Queen Elizabeth's Room with an adjoining room for Prince Phillip

The dining room hosted many prominent guests - Bill and Hillary Clinton and Nancy and Ronald Reagan to name a few. 

Friends visting from North Carolina in Edinburgh. 

AND WALKING AROUND THE STREETS OF EDINBURGH - This is where Sean Connery was born. He spent his childhood years here. He was across from the dairy. He delivered milk as a boy from this neighborhood. Sir Sean - you've come a long way!!

The center window is his house.

A view behind the building where I have been living in Edinburgh.....and a pub that I visited called the Royal ....