On 28 September, the Mariinsky Theatre opened its 227th season
with a performance of Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY’s opera Iolanta with Anna Netrebko in the title role under the baton of Valery
Gergiev.
“90 minutes of absolute triumph” and “the magical sounds of
Netrebko’s soprano voice make one’s soul melt” – these were some of the epithets
awarded to Polish stage director Mariusz Trelinski’s production of TCHAIKOVSKY’s Iolanta, performed by the Theatre on
tour in Baden-Baden this summer. Anna Netrebko was performing this opera for the first time in
Russia. Other lead roles in the opening performance were sung by acclaimed bass
Sergei Aleksashkin (King Rene) and young soloists including tenor Sergei Skorokhodov (Count Vaudemont) and baritone Alexei Markov (Robert).
On 29 September, the Ballet Company and the Concert Hall open their seasons.
The ballet season opens with Shurale – one of the theatre’s recent
premieres, a fairytale ballet choreographed by the legendary Leonid Yakobson, with Irina Golub, Mikhail Lobukhin and Alexander Sergeyev in the lead roles.
On 29 September, the Ballet Company and the Concert Hall open their seasons.
The ballet season opens with Shurale – one of the theatre’s recent
premieres, a fairytale ballet choreographed by the legendary Leonid Yakobson, with Irina Golub, Mikhail Lobukhin and Alexander Sergeyev in the lead roles.
The fourth season at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre opens with
two evenings of music by Hector Berlioz: on 29 September there is the Requiem with Daniil Shtoda, and on 30 September there is a concert
performance of Berlioz’ epic opera Les Troyens under the baton of
Valery Gergiev, heralding the coming planned December premiere of a stage
version. The soloists include YEkaterina Gubanova, Yekaterina Semenchuk, Sergei Semishkur and Alexander Gergalov. The performance begins at 18.00.
1 October at the Concert Hall will see an extremely important event in the
musical life of St Petersburg – the presentation concert of the new organ.
Installation of the French-made Daniel Kern et Fils organ (Strasbourg)
began at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre on 20 July. The company
Daniel Kern et Fils was established in 1953 by Daniel Kern’s father
Alfred Kern with the direct support and involvement of Nobel Prize for Peace
winner Dr Albert Schweizer. Since it was founded, the company has restored many
historic French and German instruments – over one hundred organs have been
refurbished and rebuilt. The unique skills of the Daniel Kern craftsmen
lie in their mix of experience and traditions of French and German organ
construction, which dates back many centuries. In Russia, for over one hundred
years no French instruments have been installed, unsurpassed for their
construction and the character of their sound. Now, with the completion of work
to install the organ at the Concert Hall, organists will have the wonderful
opportunity to perform French as well as German organ music in Russia.
The
Theatre’s imminent premiere events include the return of George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony to the ballet
repertoire (30 October), Jonathan Kent’s production of Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten (16 and 18
November) and Hector Berlioz’ Les Troyens (25 and 27 December),
staged by Carlos Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus theatre group).