AUSTRIA
Easter classical music festivals, April 7-17, Vienna; April 8-17, Salzburg. Holding Easter festivals in Austria has a tradition of almost half a century. In Vienna, the traditional Easter festival Osterklang will open with a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. On April 11, the world-famous violinist Gidon Kremer and the orchestra he founded, Kremerata Baltica, will perform at the festival, and on April 13 and 15 the public will see a new production of Wagner's opera 'Parsifal'.
On the opening and closing days of the festival, Claude Debussy's opera 'Pelléas et Mélisande' will be performed, and the basis of the Easter concerts in Salzburg will be performances by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle. Special guest of the festival is the European Union Youth Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, performing Richard Strauss's symphonic poems 'Le Bourgeois gentilhomme' and 'Ein Heldenleben' (April 16). //www.osterfestspiele-salzburg.at
UNITED KINGDOM
La Linea Latin music festival, April 1-28, London. The organizers of this festival, which will be held in London for the sixth time, are rightly proud that it presents the full range of Latin music styles. The musicians taking part in La Linea are top stars. Judge for yourself: on April 1 Misia and Marietta Veulens will perform music in the fado style, on April 2 the famous Peruvian singer Susana Baca will perform, on April 4 – Lila Downs, known to the general public from the soundtrack to the film 'Frida', performing songs in the Mexican ranchera style, on April 8 – Louie Vega & His Elements Of Life, on April 10 – flamenco performed by Ojos de Brujo. The festival program also includes salsa parties and a Reggaeton Jam with popular DJs. //www.rfh.org.uk
Celebration of Shakespeare's birthday, St George's Day, London Marathon, April 23. April 23 will be rich in events. In Great Britain, the birthday of the great playwright and poet will be celebrated magnificently. According to a long-standing tradition, the basis of the celebration is a costume parade and performances of Shakespeare's plays.
In addition, on this day many British cities hold festivities in honor of the patron saint of England, St George. Spectators will be entertained by a costume battle with a dragon, performances by minstrels and traveling theaters.
Another important event of this day is the London Marathon. The course, 42 kilometers 195 meters long, starts in Greenwich, passes by the sailing ship 'Cutty Sark', the financial center, the Tower of London and ends at Buckingham Palace. This celebration of health and sport, in which more than 30,000 athletes and running enthusiasts participate, is accompanied by folk festivities on the occasion of the race, flowing from the streets into pubs, dancing and live music. //www.shakespeare-country.co.uk //www.london-marathon.co.uk
GERMANY
Ballet Week, April 17-24, Munich. This festival will open with three premieres by Italian choreographers Davide Bombana, Jacopo Godani and German choreographer Michael Simon (April 17, 18). In addition, the audience will see the ballet Limb's Theorem staged by William Forsythe, a choreographer who determined the development of ballet in the last decade of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century (April 19). Also on the festival program are 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Raymonda' and 'La Bayadère'. //www.bayerisches.staatsballett.de
Wine and gastronomy festival, April 21 - May 21, Trier, Koblenz. Ancient castles, hills and vineyards, a winding river, ancient cozy towns that have preserved monuments of the Roman era – these are all attractions of the famous Moselle Valley, where wonderful white wine has been made for centuries. In April, a wine and gastronomy festival will be held here, where you can taste many varieties of the best Moselle wine (including the famous Riesling) and enjoy local delicacies.
A true Moselle Riesling meets all the requirements that winemakers set for this variety. In the third year of aging, the wine is saturated with the aromas of its land, becoming refined and majestic. A moderate alcohol level is one of the components of this wine's success, as it is easy and pleasant to drink. The exquisite aromas of Moselle wine are extremely diverse: peach, apricot, cinnamon, black currant, mirabelle and bitter orange. //www.wein-festival.de
GREECE
Holy Week on the island of Patmos, April 20-23, Chora. John the Theologian was exiled by Emperor Domitian to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, where he had a vision of the final destinies of the world. The so-called 'Caves of the Apocalypse', like the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, have survived to this day. It is believed that the sacred rites performed on Maundy Thursday and the celebration of Easter have preserved their antiquity and purity on the island of Patmos. //www.gnto.gr
SPAIN
Semana Santa – Holy Week, April 9-16, Valencia, Cádiz, Málaga, Seville and other cities of Spain. Traditionally, during Holy Week, processions and concerts of sacred music ('saetas') take place on the streets of Spanish cities, and local residents united in 'temple brotherhoods' gather in the squares. From Palm Sunday to Easter, the streets are filled with people of different professions, Catholics and non-Catholics, taking part in processions that step by step revive the events of Holy Week. //www.turisvalencia.es, //www.semanasantaencadiz.com, //www.turismosevilla.org, //www.turismocostadelsol.org
Seville April Fair, April 25-30, Seville. Ten days after Easter, Seville will host the long-awaited April Fair. On the banks of the Guadalquivir, a city of market stalls and huge decorated tents will spring up. Fair life here will not stop for a minute: during the day – magnificent processions of riders and horse-drawn carriages (Paseo de Caballos), in the evening – bullfighting at Plaza de Toros de Maestranza de Caballeria, at night – flamenco and other pleasant Andalusian amusements. Sherry and national dishes, music and fun – around the clock. //www.sol.com/feria
ITALY
Scoppio del Carro festival, April 16, Florence. The main events of this festival take place on Piazza del Duomo, where a cart drawn by two white oxen arrives after traveling through the entire city from Via del Prato. On this cart they carry a dove-shaped rocket (Florentines affectionately call it "Colombina"), consecrated in the Church of the Holy Apostles. This very rocket is launched in front of the Baptistery, and its fire ignites many fireworks. The cart is accompanied by a procession of costumed revelers ready to joyfully celebrate the bright holiday of Easter. //www.mega.it/festival.popoli
Celebration of Rome's birthday, April 21-23; Blues Festival, April 22-24, Rome. Every year on April 21, proud Romans celebrate the birthday of the Eternal City, which, according to legend, was founded in 753 BC. On this occasion, residents and guests of Rome will be treated to a grand football match, Palio di Roma. The following days of the holiday are also packed to the limit: magnificent processions of gladiators, senators and priests, live music, theatrical performances, including bloodless exhibition fights of gladiators.
Another notable April event in Rome is the blues festival, which will feature Bo Diddley, John Hammond and The Blind Boys Of Alabama. //www.comune.roma.it //www.auditorium.com
CYPRUS
Procession on Saint Lazarus Day, April 15, Larnaca. On the eve of Palm Sunday and a week before Easter, the city of Larnaca and all Orthodox Cyprus celebrates the great miracle – the resurrection of Lazarus. On Lazarus Saturday, a solemn service is held in the Church of Saint Lazarus, and in the evening the icon "Christ raises Lazarus" is carried out of the church and a procession of the cross is held, accompanied by chants of the church choir. //www.visitcyprus.org.cy/
NETHERLANDS
Queen's Day, April 30, Amsterdam and other cities. At the very end of April, the Netherlands celebrates Queen's Day in a big way, whose symbols are tulips and the color orange. True, the reigning Queen Beatrix II was born on January 31, but the Queen Mother, Juliana, was born on April 30 and also handed over the throne to her daughter on April 30. On this day, a huge market is set up in the city where anyone can sell anything (they say you can buy expensive things for next to nothing), musicians play freely on every corner, people happily dance, eat and drink to the health of the Queen, shouting: "Orange forever!". //www.visitamsterdam.nl
Great Flower Parade, April 22, Noordwijk-Haarlem. The most unusual in scope and splendor flower parade is held annually at the end of April in the Netherlands. The parade (which consists of 20 huge floats with live flowers, each a masterpiece of design art) starts in the town of Noordwijk early in the morning, then passes through Sassenheim, Lisse, Hillegom, Bennebroek and finishes in the "flower capital" of the Netherlands – Haarlem. //www.haarlem.nl/smartsite3.htm
NORWAY
Garlic Week, April 23-27, Stavanger. The famous Garlic Week, which takes place in the Norwegian city of Stavanger, can safely be called the most unusual holiday of April. From April 23 to 27, residents and guests of Stavanger will be entertained with songs dedicated to garlic, incredible competitions, and the election of a Garlic Queen. And, of course, it will not be without dishes with garlic and from garlic. //www.cafe-sting.no
Metalheads' festival Inferno-2006, April 13-15, Oslo. While the whole of Europe is preparing for Easter, participants of the Inferno-2006 festival will shake the Norwegian capital with their gloomy sounds and lyrics. The annual festival of "hellish" music this year will feature Keep of Kalessin, Nightrage, Khold, Carpathian Forest, Usurper, Dismember, Susperia and other very significant figures of the metal world. Concerts will take place at Rockefeller Music Hall and the John Dee club. //www.infernofestival.net/lineup
FINLAND
Beer Festival, April 7-8, Helsinki. Finland's largest beer festival will be held in early April at the Cable Factory cultural center. The festival organizers say they have prepared a real "beer tour around the world" and promise to present every conceivable and inconceivable brand of beer from Europe, America, Africa and Australia. There will be separate competitions at the Helsinki Beer Festival for makers and lovers of cider and whisky. The best Finnish musicians will entertain festival guests. //helsinkibeerfestival.com
Jazz festival "April Jazz", April 26-30, Espoo. Not only the best Finnish jazzmen come to this festival, but also world-class stars. "April Jazz" will be held at the Espoo Cultural Center, which has a huge auditorium and good acoustics. This year the festival will feature Grammy Award winners – wonderful jazz singer Dianne Reeves (April 28), famous jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval (April 29) and renowned blues musician Mighty Sam McClain (April 30). //www.apriljazz.fi
FRANCE
Bullfighting, April 14-17, Arles. Famous bullfights are held in Arles in the ancient Roman amphitheater (the so-called "Arena"). It was restored in 1825, and the first bullfights took place as early as 1830. The fights are conducted both according to the rules of classic Spanish bullfighting and according to local rules. A feature of the local rules is that the bulls are not killed: the essence of the "fight" is to retrieve items attached by a ribbon to the bull's horns. After the performance, the bulls are returned to the herd, which grazes in the Rhone delta until the next competitions. //www.arenes-arles.com
Scallop Festival, April 29-30, Saint-Quay-Portrieux. The annual festival, held in the "capital of scallops," attracts crowds of gourmets. Baked scallop is served on the shell. By the way, the French themselves sometimes call scallops "shells of Saint James": perhaps that is why for many centuries the scallop shell has been considered a symbol of pilgrims and travelers. Festival visitors will be able to take part in all stages of preparing the shellfish: from catching scallops to eating them. //www.brittanytourism.com
CROATIA
Student Theater and Multimedia Art Festival "TEST!", April 2-9, Zagreb. First held in 2000, the student theater festival has become a prestigious European showcase of youth art. This time, the audience will be offered not only the best performances by student theaters from various countries and theater workshops, but also exhibitions dedicated to multimedia art, as well as club parties with fashionable DJs. //www.croatia.hr
CZECH REPUBLIC
Accordionists' Festival, April 20-23, Easter Concerts, April 9-23, Prague. The largest festival of accordion orchestras is a rare event in musical life, and therefore especially interesting. The Prague festival is considered the largest event of its kind in Europe. The festival's competitive program features both young ensembles and experienced professionals from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Norway, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
Another notable April event in the Czech Republic is the Easter concerts of choral and organ music (April 9, 16, and 23), which will feature the best Czech musicians. The concerts will be held at the Church of St. James. //www.accordion.cz //www.auditeorganum.cz //www.prague-info.cz
SWEDEN
Walpurgis Night, April 30 - May 1, Stockholm. In Sweden, they claim that Walpurgis Night is simply a welcome of spring, and with the huge bonfires lit across the country, the Swedes are supposed to scare away and repel witches who become active on the night of April 30 to May 1 and fly to the Sabbath. On the city streets, children and adults stroll until early morning, sing songs, and hold concerts. At dawn the fear disappears, but at night everyone is seized with mystical feelings and a sense of being privy to secret knowledge. In Stockholm, on this night you can go to the Skansen museum: it seeks to recreate the full version of Walpurgis Night celebration traditions. //www.visit-sweden.com
SWITZERLAND
Winter farewell festival Sechselauten, April 16-17, Zurich. In Zurich, spring is welcomed every year with the switch to daylight saving time and the Sechselauten festival ("Six Bells"). Since the 14th century, this has been announced at six o'clock in the evening by the bell of Grossmunster. The festivities will begin with a children's parade, folk music, performances by brass bands, and a colorful fair. And at six o'clock in the evening on April 17, a snowman symbolizing winter will be burned on a huge bonfire: the faster he melts, the longer and hotter the summer will be, according to Zurich residents. //www.zuerich.com
Nyuta KUKUSHKINA.
Gazeta.Ru