SPLIT SUMMER FESTIVAL BEGINS

SPLIT, July 14 (Hina) - The 46th Split Summer Festival commenced on Friday night with the very first performance of the opera "Judith" by Frane Barac.#L# A famous actor, Boris Dvornik, declared the festival open. Mayor of the biggest Croatian coastal city, Ivan Skaric, addressed the audience and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic who attended the opening ceremony. A particularly interesting points of the opening was the performance of dancers and singers from Argentina and Mongolia. Argentinean guests played a traditional dance with whips. Besides, a Split rap band "The Beat Fleet" commented, in its particular manner, on the city's social life. At the end of the ceremony the flag of the festival was hoisted and will wave until the end of this event, scheduled for August 14. During the one-month-long festival, 51 plays, operas and ballet performances will take place in Split. In addition, a score concerts will be played and Split citizens can also attend performances given by street theatres. Vienna's Boys and the Bartok Quartet from Budapest will participate in the festival as well. (hina) ms