Hungary brings a rich dowry to its reunion with Europe
By Vanora Bennett for The Times


REMEMBER Europe? The old innocent Europe of fairytales, empires and cuckoo clocks? Or the nightmare Europe of plots, ethnic hatreds and religious wars, with its forests full of graves?

The darker side of that old culture was summoned back to life in London at the weekend, accompanied by the mournful wails and bursts of mischievous happiness of Jewish music. The ballet Purim — The Casting of Fate, at Queen Elizabeth Hall, told the Old Testament story of Esther, the beautiful young Jewish wife of the King of Persia, whose bravery saves the Jews from a plot to exterminate them.

click for more

<small>[ 02 December 2003, 01:07 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>