Going out with Magill - April 1978

The Dublin Arts festival, music, theatre, restaurants and pubs

 

Dublin Arts Festival

Following cautious beginnings, the Dublin Arts Festival is establishing itself as a major event in the life of the city and this year's festival promises to enhance its reputation considerably.

It begins on Friday April 2 I and goes on until the end of the month. This year it is being run in conjunction with the Friends of Mediaeval Dublin, which has been campaigning against the connstruction of Corporation office blocks on the richest Mediaeval site in the city, Wood Quay.

There is a strong emphasis this year on Mediaeval Dublin with related exx,hibitions, lectures, tours and shows. But in addition there are lectures on modern architecture in the city, jazz, classical, folk and traditional Irish music conncerts, with outdoor dancing, music and walks.

The exhibitions include Mediaeval Titles (at Stephenson Associates, Bride

Street), Social Life in Mediaeval Dublin (the National Museum, Kildare Street) and the Life and Works of Samuel Beckett (the new Arts Block, TCD).

The lectures include "The Changing Face of Mediaeval Dublin" by Howard Clarke (at Old St. Audoen's Church, 8.00 p.m. Tuesday April 25), "Modern Architecture in Dublin" by Brian Hogan (Same time and venue on Thurssday April 27), and "The Irish Drama of Europe from Yeats to Beckett" by Katherine Worth (Graduates Memorial Building, TCD, 4.15 p.m. Friday April 28).

Several walking tours of the city are being held during the festival, many concentrating on mediaeval Dublin but others on more modern areas of the city, such as: Rathmines/Ranelagh area (Wed. April 26, 7.00 p.m., assemble Porto bello House), and Dublin North City Writers Tour (Sat. April 29, 11.00 a.m., assemble St. Saviour's Church, Dominick Street).

Concerts include: Concorde/20th.

Century Chamber Music, Proinnsias o Duinn, conducting (Wed. April 26, 8.00 p.m. Colaiste Mhuire, Parnell Square), American and British Traaditional and Contemporary Music with Ewann McCall and Peggy Seeger (Thurs. April 27, 8.00 p.m. Colaiste

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GOING OUT WITH MAGILL - MUSIC in April 1978

THE GIANTS OF ITALIAN opera, Verdi, Rossini, Puccini and Donizetti are represented at the Spring Season of the Dublin Grand Opera Society openning in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin on March 27 and in the Cork Opera House on March 28.

Old favourites, Rigoletto (Verdi) and Turandot (Puccini) return, along with Ernani (Verdi) which was previously staged in Dublin in 1965 to critical acclaim.

Rossini's L' Ataliana In Algeri (The Italian Girl) is being performed for the first time by the DGOS. The story involves Isabella's (The Italian Girl) search for her lover Lindoro, who has been enslaved in Algiers and is one of the most vital and gayest of Rossini's operas.

Also for the first time the DGOS is staging Donizetti's La Figlia (The Daughter of the Regiment), which sounds interesting and is reportedly one of his brightest and catchiest operas, first written for the Parisienne stage, a detail nowadays entirely ignored by Italian opera lovers.

You can hire back boxes for six for £25 at the Gaiety or book seats at prices rancing from £4.50 (dress circle) to £1.70 (upper circle). For those innterested, the Gala Night is Thursday April 6 when dress circle seats cost £1 extra. On the night of Saturday April 8 an Italian supper will be held in St. John's Hall, Clyde Road, Ballssbridge. We are informed there will be vocal items by members of the casts. Entrance fee £4 and contact Dublin 337150 for reservations.