The Slovenia Times

Dostoevsky, Jančar and Berlin Philharmonic to headline new season at Cankarjev Dom

Culture

Ljubljana - A guest appearance by the Berlin Philharmonic, a series of events marking the 200th anniversary of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and a production based on Drago Jančar's award-winning novel will be among the highlights of the new season of Cankarjev Dom, Slovenia's biggest cultural venue.

In view of the uncertainty surrounding the Covid situation, Cankarjev Dom is entering the new season tentatively, announcing its programme only through the end of February at Wednesday's press conference.

Last year, the centre was fully open for 66 days only, but it kept in touch with the audience throughout online. This year they hope to hold all of the events in-person, but they also have a B and a C plan ready, director Uršula Cetinski said.

In her foreword to the new season programme, dubbed Around the World without Suitcase, Cetinski says the centre has been the most active spiritual travel agency for more than four decades. "You don't need a suitcase, just a ticket."

On the spiritual tour of the world, the audience will delve into the secret of Dostoevsky with Lyudmila Saraskina, one of the biggest authorities on the Russian author, making a guest appearance for the occasion.

Several films based on Dostoyevski's books will be screened and the Croatian National Theatre from Zagreb will make a guest appearance with its production of The Idiot.

The highlight of the classical music concert season will be a guest appearance by the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Kirill Petrenko in February, while a concert by African diva Oumou Sangare in November will headline the world music programme and Maria Schneider Orchestra and Gregory Porter will be among the highlights of the jazz programme.

In a culmination of the Magnificent 7 subscription series, Drago Jančar's award-winning novel I Saw her That Night will be put on stage in a co-production of Burgtheater from Vienna, Yugoslav Drama Theatre from Belgrade, the Maribor Drama theatre and Cankarjev Dom. Directed by Janez Pipan, the production will premiere in January.

The series will be opened in October with a multi-media spectacle, the pop opera Sylvia, which sheds light on the life of US poet and writer Sylvia Plath.

After being held virtually last year, the Ljubljana International Film Festival is returning to the big screen for its 32nd iteration between 10 and 21 November. Director Simon Popek says women auteurs will prevail.

A scientific conference bringing together scholars from Ljubljana and Zagreb will be dedicated to Slovenian writer Josip Jurčič in the year marking the 140th anniversary of his death.

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