metropolis m

One of the largest programmes in Festival’s 70-year history. Festival debuts include Jonas Kaufmann, Jude Law, Mouse on Mars, The Nile Project, Carol Ann Duffy and Rufus Norris. New works from Romeo Castellucci, Boris Charmatz, Robert Lepage, Wael Shawky, Alain Platel, Julian Rosefeldt (with Cate Blanchett), Pierre Audi and Ivo Van Hove

 
FOCUS: DEMOCRACY
Artists bring work exploring the urgent issues about democracy, from London’s National Theatre’s new play about Brexit, to Richard Nelson’s trilogy The Gabriels which climax on Election Night in the USA last year, to Peter Sellars’ and Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray’s picture of Americans disenfranchised from America’s democratic processes, with Romeo Castellucci making a new work inspired by Alexis de Tocqueville’s still relevant Democracy in America. Dieudonné Niangouna and Thomas Bellinck offer different insights into the challenges facing refugees coming to Europe. Wael Shawky, Bouchra Khalili and the Russian team of Dmitri Koerliandski and Boris Joechananov with Octavia. Trepanation look at contemporary politics as they return to key moments of history. Julian Rosefelst with Cate Blanchett start from 52 manifestos by key artsits, with Dan Hurlin approaching futurism through puppetry and a new opera using Gilbert & George’s ‘anti manifesto’ approach to politics. The focus on democracy embraces new work by artists, debates and talks, allowing everybody a voice in this urgent debate.
 
FOCUS: INDONESIA
This focus celebrates new work and new music in many forms, from the great Garin Nugroho to new radical voices – Nova Ruth, Jogja Noise Bombing, Ruang Suara’s programme of composers working with the Ensemble Modern, Jompet Kuswidananto’s opera installation and Sinta Wullur’s Temple of Time in the Holland Festival Proms.
 
Ruth Mackenzie said: ‘The Holland Festival has a great tradition of making history showcasing new talent as well as world famous artists, sharing urgent issues, offering a place for provocation, as well as analysis, comfort and joy. Our festival and its international artists since 1947 have helped us face the future, and today we need the Holland Festival more than ever.‘
 
FOCUS: GEORGE CRUMB
George Crumb is this year’s Composer in Focus. At 90 years old, he is still one of America’s great radical voices, innovating musically and exploring American roots from old songs to the influence of John Cage. The Ragazze Quartet with the Video Collective 33 1/3, Slagwerk Den Haag and the Ives Ensemble play a cross-section of Crumb’s work, including his ‘electric string quartet’ Black Angels and A Journey Beyond Time (American Songbook III), sung by Claron McFadden. Christine Chapman plays An Idyll for the misbegotten as part of this year’s campaign Save the French Horn. The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra are performing his orchestral work A haunted landscape at the Holland Festival Proms. Margaret Leng Tan is performing the European premiere of Crumb’s brand new piano cycleMetamorphosis.
 
Stockhausen preview
In December 2016 Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera and the Hague Royal Conservatoire announced their partnership to produce Aus LICHT, the largest ever performance of scenes from all 7 of Stockhausen’s cycle of operas LICHT, The 3 day cycle Aus LICHT will have its premiere in the 2019 Holland Festival, but this year the Holland Festival will preview a scene – given its world premiere at the Holland Festival in 1996 – ORCHESTER-FINALISTEN fromMITTWOCH AUS LICHT (the complete opera was given its world premiere in London 2012 Festival as part of the cultural programme for the Olympic Games, directed by Ruth Mackenzie).
 
Free work in public spaces 
This year the Holland Festival is again presenting work free of charge in public spaces. The young collective åyr’s installation I’d Rather Be Outside will be on the Museumplein. Boris Charmatz’ new performance danse de nuit is being staged on Anton de Komplein in the South-East district of Amsterdam. For twenty-one days The Parliament of Things is building a parliamentary décor in various public spaces in the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. Traditionally, the festival shows an opera on the big screen in Park Frankendael, this year will be Salome by Dutch National Opera.
 
Unexpected places
A number of performances are also being staged at unexpected locations in the city. Dutch director Dries Verhoeven’s Phobiarama will be staged at the Mercatorplein in the West district of Amsterdam. Deckchairs of À l’ombre des ondes by musician duo Kristoff K. Roll will be located on the waterfront of the IJ. The Indonesian noise collective Jogja Noise Bombing is giving guerrilla concerts throughout the city, as well as Boris Charmatz and the artists listed above doing free work.
 
Summary
The Holland Festival is presenting a total of 50 productions in the main programme, with 142 performances/concerts and 36 context programs, including 17 world premieres and 32 Dutch premieres. The festival runs from 3 to 25 June 2017. Tickets are on sale at www.hollandfestival.nl.