Tag Archives: Mariinsky Orchestra

Prom 68: Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky keep the Red Flag flying

Mariinsky Orchestra/ Gergiev **** Prom 68, Royal Albert Hall, 3rd September 2017 “Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.” In the Soviet Union, composers quickly learnt when to toe the Party line. After his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was condemned … Continue reading

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Tolstoy speed read: Ratmansky’s Anna Karenina with the Mariinsky Ballet

Shchedrin: Anna Karenina *** Mariinsky Ballet, Royal Opera House, 3rd August 2017 How does one condense a Tolstoy epic for the stage? Prokofiev squeezed War and Peace down to a four hour opera, although it still contains some 70 named characters in … Continue reading

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Tereshkina and Kim add fire to the Mariinsky Ballet’s dusty Don Quixote

Minkus: Don Quixote *** Mariinsky Ballet, Royal Opera House, 24th July 2017 The fireworks – when they came – were explosive, Viktoria Tereshkina and Kimin Kim igniting the Royal Opera House stage in a frenzy of effervescent footwork. Tereshkina whipped out her fouettés and Kim’s double tours … Continue reading

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An all-you-can-eat Prokofiev buffet from the Mariinsky

Prokofiev: Mariinsky Orchestra/Gergiev *** Cadogan Hall, 28th September 2016 When it comes to Prokofiev binges in London, Valery Gergiev’s got form. While his recent Proms marathon of all five piano concertos was variable, I hold fond memories of his symphony … Continue reading

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Augurs of Spring: strong Mariinsky double bill in Cardiff

Mariinsky Ballet: Concerto DSCH/Sacre **** Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 17th April 2016 It’s difficult to know what shocked Parisian audiences more when The Rite of Spring caused a near riot at its 1913 première: was it Stravinsky’s music – pounding dissonances … Continue reading

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