Download The Mariinsky Orchestra

The Mariinsky Orchestra
(formerly the Kirov Orchestra)
The Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre (which celebrated the Mariinsky
Theatre’s 225th Anniversary in 2008) enjoys a long and distinguished history as one of
the oldest musical institutions in Russia. Founded in the 18th century during the reign of
Peter the Great and housed in St. Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theatre since 1860
(named in honor of Maria, wife of Emperor Alexander II), the Orchestra entered its
“golden age” in the second half of the 19th century under the musical direction of Eduard
Napravnik. Napravnik single-handedly ruled the Theatre for more than half a century
(from 1863-1916) and under his leadership, the Mariinsky Orchestra was recognized as
one of the finest in Europe.
The Mariinsky Theatre was also the birthplace of numerous operas and ballets
which are regarded as masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries and presented world
premiere performances of works by Glinka, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov,
Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Khachaturian.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was closely associated with the Mariinsky Theatre, not
only conducting the Orchestra, but also premiering his Fifth Symphony, Hamlet fantasy
overture and Sixth Symphony. Sergei Rachmaninoff conducted the Orchestra on
numerous occasions, including premieres of his Spring Cantata and the symphonic poem
The Bells. The Orchestra also premiered music by the young Igor Stravinsky, such as his
Scherzo Fantastique and the ballet The Firebird.
Throughout its history, the Mariinsky Theatre has presented works by Europe’s
leading opera composers: the world premiere of Verdi’s La forza del destino, the first
Russian performances of the complete Wagner’s Ring cycle, Tristan und Isolde, Die
Meistersinger, Parsifal, and of Richard Strauss’ Elektra, Salome, Der Rosenkavalier and
Berg’s Wozzeck.
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Numerous internationally famed musicians have conducted the Orchestra, among
them Hans von Bülow, Felix Mottl, Felix Weingartner, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Otto
Nikisch, Willem Mengelberg, Otto Klemperer, Bruno Walter, Erich Kleiber, Hector
Berlioz, Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg.
Renamed the “Kirov” during the Soviet era, the Orchestra continued to maintain
its high artistic standards under the leadership of Yevgeny Mravinsky and Yuri
Temirkanov. Now in the post-Glasnost era the Theatre has reclaimed the Mariinsky name
and under the leadership of Valery Gergiev has forged important relationships with the
world’s greatest opera houses, among them the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera
House at Covent Garden, the San Francisco Opera, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and
La Scala, Milan and the concert halls of New York, Vienna, London, Paris, Salzburg,
Berlin, Tokyo and Beijing as it has entered into its second “golden age”. Apart from
extensive touring with the Opera and Ballet Companies, the Orchestra has performed
throughout the world to international acclaim, and has been acknowledged in the London
press as one of the ten best orchestras in the world. The success of the Orchestra’s
frequent tours has created the reputation of what one journalist referred to as “the world’s
first global orchestra”.
In 1998, the Orchestra made its debut tour of China, a historic first, with a
performance in the Great Hall in Beijing that was broadcast to fifty million people in the
presence of President Jiang Zemin. It was the first time in forty years that a Russian
orchestra had played in China. Its fourth visit to China took place in December 2007 as
the Opera and Orchestra became the first foreign artists to appear in the new opera house
and concert hall in Beijing.
Under the baton of Valery Gergiev, the Orchestra has recorded exclusively for
Universal Phillips and Decca Classics since 1989. Since 1992 the orchestra has made 14
tours of North America including a 2006 celebration of the complete Shostakovich
symphonies and a 2008 cycle of the Stage Works of Prokofiev. In the winter of 2010 the
orchestra will make its 15th tour of North America celebrating works of Berlioz and in the
fall of 2010 its 16th tour celebrating the Gustav Mahler centennial.
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November 2006 marked the grand opening of the Orchestra’s new home at the
Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall. The only theatre and concert venue of its kind in
Russia, the Concert Hall is on the site of the historic Set Workshop that had served the
Mariinsky for over a century and created some of its most famous productions. The
Concert Hall’s acoustics, the work of Yasuhisa Toyota, have brought accolades ranking it
alongside the world’s finest modern concert venues such as Lucerne, Sapporo, Berlin’s
Philharmonie, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus and Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles.
Now in its new home the orchestra records on its own “Mariinsky Label” with
several releases since May 2009 including Shostakovich “The Nose” and Symphonies
Nos. 1 & 15, a Tchaikovsky disc of short pieces, Shchedrin “The Enchanted Wanderer”,
and Rachmaninoff Piano Concerti No. 3 and “Paganini Variations.” The label’s first two
recordings received five Grammy Nominations including Best Opera Recording (The
Nose), Best Classical Album (The Nose), Best Orchestral Performance (Symphonies 1 &
15) as well as nominations for engineering and producer.
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CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...the real stars of this show were Valery Gergiev's orchestra..."
The New York Times
"Valery Gergiev drew thrillingly vivid playing from his orchestra and set a pace that was
leisurely yet sacrificed nothing of the work's insistent drive."
The New York Times
"...the orchestra often justifiably became the center of attention; Mr. Gergiev led the
accomplished players with a sense of breadth and vigor..."
The New York Times
"...artistic director and chief conductor Valery Gergiev drew brilliant and stylish playing
from the Kirov Orchestra. Gergiev's conducting was linear and poetic...."
New York Newsday
"Valery Gergiev, the Kirov's brilliant conductor and artistic director, led his forces in a
reading that sounded the depths of this powerful work...."
New York Post
"...the playing of the Kirov Orchestra was superb throughout."
New York Daily News
"...Gergiev presides over an eloquent orchestra."
New York
"Gergiev masterfully illuminated the full richness of the instrumental writing....The
orchestra sounded spectacular."
The Wall Street Journal
"Gergiev roused his orchestra to the fulminating heights of Tchaikovsky's finest operatic
score...."
The Voice
"Valery Gergiev is extraordinary---simply one of the most exciting podium talents in
years."
San Francisco Examiner
"Conductor Valery Gergiev and the Kirov orchestra are remarkable."
The Guardian
"[The Fiery Angel] provides a showcase for...that remarkable orchestra, and it allows
Gergiev to demonstrate his own ability to shape, balance, and propel a large and difficult
score."
The Record
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"Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra showed a new facet of their talent with a notably pure,
flowing, almost prayerful interpretation of Mussorgsky's operatic score."
The Houston Post
"All aspects of the production exude theatrical dynamism and exquisite artistry and much
credit goes to the Kirov's artistic director and chief conductor, Valery Gergiev. He and
his orchestra infuse every phrase with vivid motivation...."
USA Today
"Conductor Valery Gergiev makes even the less-interesting music seem great and the
undeniably great passages stupefying."
USA Today
"Gergiev and his colleagues performed Tchaikovsky's music as it always should be
played, with romantic sweep and passion but also with careful attention to detail."
The Record
"...some of the most refined orchestral playing I have ever heard in the opera house. The
performance, directed with great elegance and suppleness by conductor Valery Gergiev,
was astounding. For the connoisseur of orchestral playing, this was an unforgettable
experience."
The Glasgow Herald
"...I doubt whether the Bolshoi could have matched the Kirov's casting in the leading
roles, nor in Gergiev's incandescent firing of the wonderful Kirov orchestra. Gergiev
conducts Tchaikovsky in the mold of the legendary Mravinsky, taut and fast, eschewing
sentimentality yet capable of the most songful lyricism--unanimously expansive phrasing
by the glorious cello section- -and instrumental tenderness. The oboe and horn solos
challenged the vocal beauty of the heroine in Tatyana's famous letter scene. A great
performance."
London Sunday Times
"For his final festival, Frank Dunlop has offered a 'mini-festival' comprising virtually all
the dramatic works of Modest Mussorgsky....a week of genuine musical value. But the
real credit for the achievement goes straight to the Kirov Opera and its superb musical
director, Valery Gergiev."
The Sunday Times, Edinburgh
"The conductor was Valery Gergiev, who is responsible for the entire Kirov program
here. Dedicated Mussorgskian that he is, he achieved a superb luminosity and sweep."
Financial Times
"Valery Gergiev handles the score with a keen ear for color, and the production as a
whole carries you with it by so faithfully concentrating on Mussorgsky's epic musical
vision."
The Daily Telegraph
"The Kirov has been transformed by the energy and determination of its young music
director, Valery Gergiev. Audiences should expect anything conducted by Gergiev to be
exciting."
Observer
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"Under Gergiev's dynamic direction, the orchestral playing was vibrant and thrilling."
The Sunday Telegram
"The orchestra, under the Kirov's musical director Valery Gergiev, moves as if with a
single mind and always with purposeful passion."
The Times
"The music is lush and lyrical, constantly aglow with the glitter of percussion. Even
those who had no idea what was going on must have been riveted by the superb quality of
the orchestral playing under Gergiev."
Financial Times
"Valery Gergiev conducted a performance of bounding panache."
The Times
"Under Valery Gergiev's conductorship, the entire cast--and the Kirov's eloquent
orchestra--perform with conviction."
The Scotsman
"I've never heard it [Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition] more gripping or intense--or
played with such stunning unity of concentration. Or, indeed, so big: great fleets of
strings respond with awesome precision to Valery Gergiev's clockworkly aquiver
stickwork."
The Glasgow Herald
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