RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
distant 1969, Živojin Zdravković was the festival’s first conductor, while the opening was marked by the sounds of Dragutin Gostuški’s symphonic poem “Belgrade”. At that time, and over the first few decades of the festival’s existence, a fanfare announced its opening from the bal- cony of the National Theatre, while BEMUS’s ceremonial flag flew in Pi- oneers Park. Over the more than five dec- ades of its existence, this Belgrade festival has been marked by the guest performances of almost all world-famous symphony, opera and ballet ensembles and soloists. As such, Belgrade has hosted the Vi- enna Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philhar- monic, with famous conductor Her- bert von Karajan etc. The always magical Bolshoi Theatre was a guest in 1982, with performances of the operas Boris Godunov, Eugene On- egin and Verdi’s Requiem in a Sa- va Centre that was packed to the rafters. The early 21 st century saw this Belgrade festival welcome the performance of the famous Peking Opera, which was founded in 1790. Great excitement also awaited the start of the jubilee 40 th edition of BEMUS, which was marked by the premiere performance of the late Isidora Žebeljan’s opera The Mar- athon Family. The 40 th BEMUS al- so marked the increased inclusion of jazz music in the programme. Then came another anniversa- ry, in the form of the 50 th BEMUS, which proved to be a real treat for lovers of classical music. Belgraders once again received an opportuni- ty to hear the always original Nigel Kennedy, who also closed last year’s BEMUS with two spectacular con- certs. This Belgrade festival has al- so hosted Vanessa-Mae, and there’s no doubt that it will be a great host for figures who’ve yet to make it big. That’s because, as we shouldn’t for- get, this event has also opened the doors of its concert halls to up-and- coming young musicians, which is why it was at BEMUS that Stefan Milenković had his first solo con- cert, when he was just 14.
OCTOBER CELEBRATION OF THE CLASSICS Games of musical greats in Belgrade The concert of Jonas Kaufmann, one of the top contemporary tenors, marks the start of the month during which the Serbian capital is transformed into a lively and song-filled stage for music and dance
Ovogodišnji BEMUS održava se od 1. do 26. oktobra This year’s BEMUS runs from 1 st to 26 th October
T he performances of Jonas Kaufmann pack halls and delight audi- ences worldwide at the world’s most prestigious halls, from the Metropolitan Opera to Covent Garden, where he has per- formed more than 70 roles. At the opening of the 56 th BEMUS, Belgrad- ers will be able to experience his ma- jestic voice and enjoy the most beau- tiful tenor arias and unforgettable music of films. He will be accompa- nied at the 1 st October concert by the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jochen Rieder, who is himself a regular guest of the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls, including Milan’s La Scala or New York’s Carnegie Hall. Founded in 1969, BEMUS is among Serbia’s longest standing music festivals. It is today one of the most recognisable festivals of classical music in Southeast Europe, and it primarily owes its positive reputation to the presentation of attractive local and foreign artists. Festival organisers also pay special attention to exclusive productions of contemporary music and stage
productions, which often strive to achieve alternative artistic results. The festival emerged as the result of an endeavour to bring top world and local music artists to the Bel- grade audience, while it is found- ed on man’s primal need to play. This year's concept and the slogan of the 56 th Bemus were inspired by the Olympic Games, as a symbol of the human spirit and achievement that dates back centuries. This au- tumn, the audience will witness the games of greats of the world mu- sic scene, who will visit the Serbi- an capital and – as is the case every year – leave another mark on Bel- grade’s rich and sumptuous tradi- tion of performance. Over the course of its existence, Bemus has followed the fate of Bel- grade, while carefully constructing its own place on the international music scene. The story begins pre- cisely 55 years ago, on the 25 th an- niversary of Belgrade’s liberation at the end of World War II, when it was decided to establish a music festival that would announce this important date in the best possi- ble way. Back in the now already
72 | Beograd » Belgrade
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