AUSTRIA
Resonanzen Festival, January 20-28, Vienna. After a break of several years, the festival of medieval and baroque music Resonanzen has resumed in Vienna. This year's festival theme is solemn and even pompous: 'Splendor, Brilliance, and Glory.' As part of Resonanzen, which is held at the Konzerthaus, two evening concerts can be attended every day. On January 21, the Micrologus ensemble will perform baroque music; on January 22, music by Claudio Monteverdi will be performed by the Vivante ensemble; on January 25, a concert of 16th-century lute music performed by Paul O'Dette will take place; and the festival will conclude with a concert by the orchestra and choir Les Arts Florissants performing music by Antonio Vivaldi. //konzerthaus.at
January festivals at Austrian resorts, Filzmoos, Seefeld, Kitzbühel. A faint hope that winter will still come to Austria's resort towns remains, and therefore, traditional January festivals are being prepared for the delight of winter sports enthusiasts. From January 18 to 21, international winter polo competitions will take place in Kitzbühel. This sport is often called 'cavalry dance' or even 'horse ballet.' Competitions are usually attended by entire families.
The traditional international hot air balloon festival in Filzmoos gathers balloonists from around the world. It is scheduled for January 13-20, but the most spectacular will be the night competitions on January 14 – with concerts, fireworks, and dancing until dawn. And on January 27 in Seefeld, the famous snow and ice sculpture festival will open, with international teams of sculptors participating. //www.kitzbuehelpolo.com //www.filzmoos.at //feratel-seefeld.concentrator.net
Mozart Week, January 26 – February 4, Salzburg. Mozart's birthday in his hometown is traditionally celebrated for a whole week at the Mozarteum concert hall. Musical concerts with world-class stars will take place there. This year, Mozart Week will be held in an unusual musical format, as in addition to Mozart's own music, works by György Ligeti, Alban Berg, John Cage, Olivier Messiaen, Giacinto Scelsi, Pierre Boulez, and Jörg Widmann will be performed. //www.mozarteum.at //ru.salzburg.info
GREAT BRITAIN
International festival "Celtic Connections", January 17 - February 4, Glasgow. For the 14th time, this largest festival, which annually gathers thousands of fans of Celtic culture from around the world, will take place in Glasgow. It will open with a real torchlight procession through the city center and live music concerts on several stages. The festival program includes about 200 concerts (10-12 daily), so choosing favorite music and performers will be quite easy. Among the participants of this year's "Celtic Connections": Mary Chapin Carpenter (January 18), Clannad (January 19), Anna-Wendy Stevenson's and The McDades (January 23), Chumbawamba (January 29), and many other distinctive Scottish groups. The festival will also feature thematic exhibitions and craft fairs. //www.celticconnections.com
Winter beer and ale festivals, January 5-7, Derby; January 12-13, Exeter; January 25-27, Cambridge. January festivals of local breweries are common, as the English are very proud of their 'live' ale. It is said that its main advantage is taste, and each barrel of ale has its own character and temperament. Specialists in real beer and ale also believe that real beer and ale should 'emit light.' There is a huge variety of ale types: from light brown, light and sweetish in taste to bitter and almost black 'winter' varieties. The festival organizers promise that more than 150 varieties of beer and ale will be presented, each with a corresponding snack. //www.ussc.cam.ac.uk //www.camra.org.uk
International festival of pantomime and clowning, until January 28, London. For 30 years, only the best clowns, mimes, magicians, and illusionists have performed at the London International Mime Festival. This year, the festival will open with the presentation of a new program by French dancer and acrobat Jean-Baptiste André (January 13-15). Among the interesting festival events are the plastic comedy of the absurd performed by the American group Rainpan 43 (January 16-28), the play "Hysteria" performed by the British Inspector Sands and Stamping Ground Theatre (January 18-21), which specializes in combining plastic art and visual effects, and an acrobatic show by the French company Mathurin Bolze Company (January 24-27). The festival will end with a performance by the Spanish puppet theater (January 26-28). //www.mimefest.co.uk
GERMANY
Tanztage Festival, January 3-14, Berlin. The contemporary dance festival Tanztage Berlin is an excellent launching pad for young talented dancers and choreographers. The festival features two main dance directions: modern dance, combining elements of fantasy and eroticism, and improvisational dance. The festival is very popular with professionals and the public, as it reflects new trends in contemporary dance. Concerts will take place at Berlin's Sophiensaele. //www.tanztage-berlin.de //www.tanztage.de
Dog sled races, January 27-28, Todtmoos. Every year at the end of January, international dog sled racing competitions turn the sedate and respectable resort town of Todtmoos in southern Germany into an exciting and frivolous one. Participants from various European countries gather for these competitions. Spectators can place bets and hope for a win, or simply enjoy the sight: dog races on snow are very spectacular. //www.todtmoos.de
DENMARK
VinterJazz Festival, January 26 - February 4, Copenhagen and other cities. The VinterJazz Festival is considered the most important musical event of winter in Denmark. This year, residents and guests of various Danish cities will attend 70 live jazz concerts for every taste. Festival participants include: Marilyn Mazur, Maria Montell & Thomas Clausen, Monday Night Big Band, Caroline Henderson, Brazilian Boots, and Bass Desires. Some of the most interesting events are promised to be the retro ball (January 27) and the evening in memory of Frank Zappa (January 29). More details about the VinterJazz program can be found on the festival's official website. //www.vinterjazz.dk
SPAIN
Feast of the Epiphany, January 5-6, various cities in Spain. The Feast of the Epiphany in Spain is celebrated in a very distinctive way: festive processions take place in all large cities and villages, involving almost the entire local population. The length of such processions reaches several kilometers. Mummers, brass bands, drummers – all this creates a festive fairy-tale atmosphere of waiting for a miracle. //www.costadelsol.sopde.es //www.cadizturismo.com //www.la-palma-tur.org
Classical Music Festival, until March 2, Canary Islands. The success of this classical music festival is confirmed by the fact that it fills halls year after year and will be held for the 23rd time. So not only beaches and carnivals, but also serious classical music is a hallmark of the winter-spring season in the Canaries. In 2007, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, chamber orchestras from Helsinki and Berlin, Italian pianist Alberto Nose, the Bratislava Chamber Choir, and other musicians will perform in seven cities of the Canary Islands. //www.festivaldecanarias.com
ITALY
Feast of the Epiphany, January 5-6, various cities in Italy. The Feast of the Epiphany is considered a kind of preparation for the upcoming carnival season in Italy. According to legend, on this night the good witch Befana descends on her broom into the house through the chimney and leaves gifts for children in their stockings. For obedient and good children – candy, candles, sweets, and for naughty ones – pieces of black coal or stones. Each city has developed its own traditions for this holiday, but obligatory elements are mummers and fairs. In Rome on January 6 there is an Epiphany one-day fair where sweets and souvenirs are sold, and a festive camp is set up in the city center. In Venice, there is a costumed boat procession along the city canals. And in Florence on this day there is a procession of the "Three Wise Men," greeted by bagpipers and children's choirs. The holiday is celebrated throughout the country and is accompanied by many festivals, parades, and concerts. //www.turismovenezia.it //www.comune.messina.it //www.epifaniainfriuli.com
Chocolate Festival, January 19-28, Florence. In addition to continuous tastings of the best Tuscan chocolates, including handmade ones, this Florentine festival has many more surprises for visitors: thematic exhibitions dedicated to chocolate production, daily music shows with Latin American groups, comic competitions, parades, and a masquerade ball "Chocolate Night." The festival will be held as part of the cultural initiative "Florentine Winter." //www.invernoafirenze.it //www.fieradelcioccolato.it
CYPRUS
January holidays and festivals, Paphos, Ayia Napa and other cities. One of the most beloved holidays in Cyprus after Christmas is Epiphany ("Agion Epifanon" or "Fota"). The ancient traditions of the holiday have been preserved in Cypriot villages, and partly in cities, especially coastal ones, where you can see rituals of driving away evil spirits – kalikadzars – with Epiphany water, and reenactments of the baptism ceremony in sea waters.
The most ancient traditions are also preserved during the fair at the Agios Neophytos Monastery, located near the city of Paphos. You can see the frescoes and iconostasis of the monastery, and then visit the local fair where unique handmade items are sold, on January 24-25.
And it is also worth recalling that the festival "Cultural Winter" continues in Ayia Napa. You can attend Sunday concerts of classical music (January 25) and jazz (January 4), as well as the folk group Lygaria, whose repertoire includes only ancient Cypriot songs and dances (January 11). //www.cyprustourism.org //www.agianapa.org. //www.thepharostrust.org
NETHERLANDS
36th International Film Festival, January 24 – February 4, Rotterdam. At the end of January, the 36th International Film Festival will take place in Rotterdam, with more than 300 directors from around the world participating. The detailed program of documentary and fiction competition films will be published on the festival's official website on January 19. As part of the festival, numerous exhibitions related to cinema will be held in Rotterdam, discussions and meetings with directors and actors will be organized. //www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com
Cheval Passion Horse Show, January 17-21, Avignon. Every year at the Avignon Parc des Expositions at the end of January, fans of equestrian competitions gather. Over five days (from January 17 to 21), they will watch various equestrian competitions (jumping, dressage, polo), and also have the opportunity to ride horses and carriages themselves. In addition, Cheval Passion visitors can visit a salon featuring the best world horse breeds. The festival will end with a large final concert where winners will be announced, and a horse parade. //www.cheval-passion.com
Snow Sculpture Festival, January 8-14; International Comedy Film Festival, January 16-21, Alpe d'Huez. At the height of the ski season, the resort town of Alpe d'Huez hosts important festivals: snow sculpture and comedy films. The snow sculpture festival will feature both professional teams of sculptors and amateurs. A few days later, the city will host the 10th International Comedy Film Festival. This year, the festival jury will be headed by the famous actor, director and screenwriter Antoine de Caunes. //www.alpedhuez.com
CROATIA
Carnival, January 17 - February 21, Rijeka. Residents and guests of Rijeka will experience 36 carnival days in January-February. This carnival has an ancient tradition, whimsically combining European and local rituals (the most interesting, perhaps, are the bell-ringers' competition and the comic marathon in pagan masks). Among the traditional January carnival events are the ceremonies of choosing the Carnival Queen and handing over the symbolic keys to the city (January 18), the opening of fairs on the city's main squares, and the comedy theater festival. The main events of the carnival – the masquerade ball, children's and adult carnival parades – will take place in February. //www.ri-karneval.com
CZECH REPUBLIC
"Prague Winter" Festival, January 2-7, Prague. The musical festival "Prague Winter" will be held for the 35th time. The program of this festival traditionally focuses on classical music genres: opera, ballet, symphonic and chamber music. However, this year the organizers have placed an emphasis on opera performances, so audiences will be able to see Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni", Dvořák's "Rusalka", Verdi's "La Traviata", Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", Janáček's "Jenůfa", and Prokofiev's "Cinderella". The genre exception at the festival will be a performance by the jazz-baroque quartet Agnes Convent (January 3). //www.praguewinter.com
Days of European Cinema, January 25 – February 4, Prague. This festival was first held in 1994 as a "one-time" event with a very specific goal – to introduce the country's residents to new European films from the last five years. It turned out that audiences were very eager to get acquainted with European films, so it was decided to continue this winter film festival. This year, according to the organizers, the central event will be the screening of computer films with special effects. //www.eurofilmfest.cz
SWEDEN
Snow Festival, January 23-27, Kiruna. For over 10 years now, the small Swedish town of Kiruna has been hosting a snow festival at the end of January, with both professional sculptors and amateurs participating. Naturally, their works are evaluated in different categories and nominations. The conditions are the same for everyone: from a cube of ice or snow measuring 3 by 3 meters, they must carve a work of art using only hand tools. The theme of the 2007 festival is "Space." //www.snowfestival.se
Cod Festival, January 19-21, Helsingborg. In essence, the Cod Festival in Helsingborg is an unconventional and exciting three-day fishing event. In Sweden, this festival is considered the most popular and prestigious among fishermen, their fans, and lovers of good fish cuisine. Participating is becoming more profitable, as the main prize is already €7,000. However, if in 2007 they beat last year's record (a single cod weighing over 23.5 kg), the prize will increase even more and triple. The competition conditions are simple: for three days, professionals and amateurs of deep-sea fishing go out to sea at 9 a.m. and return at 3 p.m. The catch is weighed and evaluated (each cod must be at least 45 cm in size). //www.havsfiske.wasa.net
SWITZERLAND
Snow Festival, January 15-20, Grindelwald. Sculptors from around the world will gather for the World Snow Festival in Grindelwald to bring their fresh creative projects to life. Spectators will be able not only to observe the creative process but also to communicate with the masters and even help them create sculptures. On the last day of the festival, the jury will announce winners in various categories (idea, image, originality, etc.). The snow festival will end with musical concerts and folk festivities. The theme of the upcoming festival is "Fantastic Plants and Animals." //www.grindelwald.com
Schlitteda Festival and Other Festivals, January 15, St. Moritz. In some Swiss towns and villages (including St. Moritz), an ancient tradition of winter sleigh rides has been preserved. It is called Schlitteda. No one remembers where this custom came from, but once a year, men and women dress in old-fashioned clothes, decorate the "family" sleighs and horses, and a procession accompanied by musicians sets off on a journey through the surroundings. No less interesting in St. Moritz will be the non-folklore but "civilized" snow festivals: a car rally (January 11-13), snow polo (January 14-21), and a gastronomic festival (January 29 – February 3). //www.stmoritz.ch
Nyuta KUKUSHKINA.
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