Carnegie Hall presents Maestro Valery Gergiev leading the Mariinsky Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater in two of Hector Berlioz’s epic works this winter, beginning with a performance of his symphonic work, Roméo et Juliette, on Tuesday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The program will feature vocal soloists including mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova, tenor Dmitry Voropaev, and bass Evgeny Nikitin.Three weeks later, Mr. Gergiev returns with the Mariinsky Orchestra and Chorus for a performance of Berlioz’s opera Les Troyens over two nights in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Part I: The Siege of Troy from Les Troyens on Tuesday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m. features Ekaterina Gubanova as Cassandre, Oksana Shilova as Ascagne, Elena Vitman as Hécube, Sergei Semishkur as Énée, Alexei Markov as Chorèbe, Nikolai Kamensky as Panthée, Timur Abdikeyev as Priam, and Sergei Skorokhodov as Helenus.
The opera continues the following evening, Wednesday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m., with Part II: The Trojans at Carthage featuring Nikolai Kamensky as Panthée, Dmitry Voropaev as Hylas, Ekaterina Semenchuk as Didon, Zlata Bulycheva as Anna, Oksana Shilova as Ascagne, Sergei Semishkur as Énée, Daniil Shtoda as Iopas, and Yuri Vorobiev as Narbal.
Roméo et Juliette is one of Berlioz’s most original works, and reflects a number of influences, most notably William Shakespeare’s play of the same name. Berlioz saw his future wife portray the role of Juliet in a production of the play in 1827 and soon became obsessed with both the actress and the play. Just 20 years later, in 1847, at the Bolshoi Theatre in St Petersburg, together with the orchestra of the Board of Imperial Theatres and guest musicians who had traveled with him, Hector Berlioz conducted the Mariinsky Orchestra in his Roméo et Juliette dramatic symphony for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Written between 1856 and 1858, Les Troyens was Berlioz's largest and most ambitious work. He also wrote the libretto based on Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid, though he never saw the opera performed in its entirety during his lifetime.
Artist Information
Valery Gergiev’s inspired leadership as Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theater has brought universal acclaim to this legendary institution. Together with the Mariinsky Opera, Ballet, and Orchestra, Mr. Gergiev has toured in 45 countries including extensive tours throughout North America, South America, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Jordan, and Israel. Maestro Gergiev is currently principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, and principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. He is founder and artistic director of the Stars of the White Nights Festival, the Moscow Easter Festival, the Gergiev Rotterdam Festival, the Mikkeli International Festival, and the New Horizons Festival, a contemporary music festival in the new Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall.
Born in Moscow to Ossetian parents, Mr. Gergiev studied conducting with Ilya Musin at the Leningrad Conservatory. At age 24, he was the winner of the Herbert von Karajan Conductors’ Competition in Berlin. He made his Mariinsky Opera debut one year later, in 1978, conducting Prokofiev’s War and Peace. In 2003, he led a considerable portion of 300th anniversary celebration of the founding of St. Petersburg by Peter The Great and conducted the globally televised gala attended by 50 heads of state. Also in the fall of 2003 he opened the Carnegie Hall season with the Mariinsky Orchestra, the first Russian conductor to do so since Tchaikovsky conducted the first-ever concert in Carnegie Hall. Mr. Gergiev is the recipient of the Dmitri Shostakovich Award, the Golden Mask Award, the People’s Artist of Russia, and the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award. In 2005, he won the Polar Music Prize (Sweden) for exceptional international performance and leadership and was made a Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. In 2006, Mr. Gergiev received Japan´s highest award—the Order of the Rising Sun—as well as the Silver Medal, the highest award of Valencia, Spain. He is also the 2007 winner of the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour (France). Maestro Gergiev last performed with the Mariinsky Orchestra and Chorus at Carnegie Hall as part of his a nine-event Perspectives series during the 2007–2008 season.
The Mariinsky Orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras in Russia. Its history dates back to the days of the St Petersburg Imperial Orchestra, covering a period of over two hundred years. In the distant past, the orchestra of the Board of Imperial Theatres emerged and developed its activities under two conductors. The first of them was composer Caterino Cavos (principal conductor of the Russian Opera Theatre from 1803 and, from 1832, director of the Imperial Theatres' Orchestras). The Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra has played a role in countless Russian premieres as well as the first Russian performances of European operas and ballets including works by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, operas by Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Serov, Rubinstein, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rossini, Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Strauss, Auber, Meyerbeer, ballets by Drigo, Pugni, Asafiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Soloviev-Sedoi and Petrov. In 1978 the Mariinsky Theatre (then the Kirov) appointed Valery Gergiev Assistant Conductor, making him General Director in 1996. With the Maestro Gergiev's arrival, the orchestra's repertoire expanded significantly. The orchestra has performed every symphony by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Mahler, and Beethoven, among many others.
Program Information
Tuesday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
MARIINSKY ORCHESTRA
Valery Gergiev, Music Director and Conductor
Ekaterina Gubanova, Mezzo-Soprano
Dmitry Voropaev, Tenor
Evgeny Nikitin, Bass
Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater
Andrei Petrenko, Chorus Master
HECTOR BERLIOZ Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17
This concert is underwritten by Yoko Nagae Ceschina.
This concert and the Choral Classics series are made possible, in part, by an endowment fund for choral music established by S. Donald Sussman in memory of Judith Arron and Robert Shaw.
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Tuesday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
MARIINSKY ORCHESTRA
Valery Gergiev, Music Director and Conductor
Ekaterina Gubanova, Mezzo-Soprano (Cassandre)
Oksana Shilova, Soprano (Ascagne)
Elena Vitman, Mezzo-Soprano (Hécube)
Sergei Semishkur, Tenor (Énée)
Alexei Markov, Baritone (Chorèbe)
Nikolai Kamensky, Bass (Panthée)
Timur Abdikeyev, Bass (Priam)
Sergei Skorokhodov, Tenor (Helenus)
Additional artists to be announced
Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater
Andrei Petrenko, Chorus Master
HECTOR BERLIOZ Les Troyens, Part I: The Siege of Troy, Op. 5
This concert is underwritten by Yoko Nagae Ceschina.
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Wednesday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
MARIINSKY ORCHESTRA
Valery Gergiev, Music Director and Conductor
Ekaterina Semenchuk, Mezzo-Soprano (Didon)
Zlata Bulycheva, Mezzo-Soprano (Anna)
Oksana Shilova, Soprano (Ascagne)
Sergei Semishkur, Tenor (Énée)
Daniil Shtoda, Tenor (Iopas)
Dmitry Voropaev, Tenor (Hylas)
Yuri Vorobiev, Bass (Narbal)
Nikolai Kamensky, Bass (Panthée)
Additional artists to be announced
Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater
Andrei Petrenko, Chorus Master
HECTOR BERLIOZ Les Troyens, Part II: The Trojans at Carthage, Op. 5
This concert is underwritten by Yoko Nagae Ceschina.
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
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Ticket Information |
Image from top of release: Valery Gergiev (Photo by Jennifer Taylor)