The Mariinsky Theatre’s tour of Italy

On 2 February the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra arrived in Modena following transport problems due to recent heavy snowfalls that have gripped the north of Italy. While waiting for flying conditions to improve the orchestra was forced to spend an extra day in Munich, from where some of the musicians finally arrived via Rome and others via Milan. Despite the hindrances and the delay, the concert took place at 9 o’clock at Modena’s Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti. Valery Gergiev was conducting.

The Teatro Comunale was built in 1841 and was designed by Court architect Francesco Vandelli; to this day it is a focal point of the town’s cultural life. Over the years the theatre has staged every major opera by the great Italian composers, among them Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini and Gioachino Rossini. In 2007 the theatre was named after Luciano Pavarotti in memory of the outstanding tenor who was born in Modena.

The orchestra set off for Turin straight from Modena, where on 3 February there was a performance at the concert hall of the  Centro Congressi Lingotto, a former factory once owned by Italian auto giant Fiat. When it was redesigned, the factory was transformed into a multifunctional venue housing a hotel, conference hall, cinema, restaurant, art gallery, a tropical Garden of Wonders and the Auditorium Giovanni Agnelli, named in honour of the founder of the car company and great Italian industrialist. The grand opening of the Auditorium took place in 1994 and featured the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Claudio Abbado. Designed by Renzo Piano and seating an audience of one thousand, nine hundred and one, the hall is famed for its excellent acoustics and lighting.

The theme chosen for the two week Italian tour is the love story of Romeo and Juliet. In both cities the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under maestro Gergiev will be performing Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s fantasy overture Romeo and Juliet, highlights from Sergei Prokofiev’s eponymous ballet and Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique.