King Lear,Odissi Dance and the Sarod

The Edinburgh International Festival,first held a year after the end of World War II to promote cultural activities,has now became a symbol of European art and culture.

This year,India will be the star at the Edinburgh International Festival,which is looking East for inspiration

The Edinburgh International Festival,first held a year after the end of World War II to promote cultural activities,has now became a symbol of European art and culture. Now in its 64th edition,the festival has been given an Oriental slant and is working towards it is festival director Jonathan Mills. I am not sceptical. A sceptic would say that we are very happy to stay in our European paradigm and are not interested to explore Asian culture, quips Mill,on a Delhi visit,as part of his Asia tour to promote the new vision of the festival that will take place in Scotland from August 12 to September 4. Itll explore the cultural influence of Asia on Europe,and vice versa,as well as build a bridge between the two continents, he adds,pointing out that majority of the entries are from Vietnam,India,China,Indonesia,Japan and Korea.

A by invite only festival,this year will have four performances from India,besides an exhibition on traditional Indian textiles and a talk by author Shashi Tharoor. Pandit Ravi Shankar will return to the festival after 27 years,and will perform a concert based on the Evening Ragas. While Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will present the Morning Ragas,the Bangalore-based Odissi troupe Nrityagram Dance Ensemble will make its debut at the festival.

The programme might seem surreal,as the festival is known to abide to Western classical traditions,but Mills assures this is not a gimmick. I was curious to explore the time of the day concept in Indian classical music. The audience may not relate to it,but they will be interested. I want to highlight the importance of the atmosphere in Hindustani classical music. The time of the day you perform does not matter for a Beethoven symphony, says Mills,who has been shuttling between India and Scotland for four years now. The last five years were about shifting the centre of gravity of the festival away from Europe, says Mills,previously the artistic director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival and Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival.

Interpretations of Shakesperes work will also be part of the festival. The Shanghai Peking Opera will present Hamlet in an acrobatic manner and a Korean and Taipei-based group will present adaptations of King Lear and The Tempest.

The European performances have also been chosen keeping Eastern sensibilities in mind,like British composer Jonathan Harvey,who is deeply influenced by Buddhism. Amjad Ali Khans performance will be followed by an orchestra that will play the late French composer Olivier Messiaens symphonies,inspired by Hindustani rhythms and scales. When one plays Messiaens compositions,a trained European ear notices that it is different from usual European classical music. The similarity to Hindustani music becomes clear after hearing the latter, says Mills,who hopes to invite contemporary dance troupes from India in the forthcoming editions of the Festival. Next year,the theme of the festival will be on the lines of the Olympic Games in London.

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