Gergiev’s Shostakovich in Munich

The tour forms part of the Gergiev’s Shostakovich joint project between Munich’s Philharmonie and the Mariinsky Theatre which began in November 2011. In the first stage of the cycle, the Munich Philharmonie performed Shostakovich’s First and Fourth Symphonies under the baton of maestro Gergiev, followed by the Fourteenth and the Fifth in December. Now the maestro will be joined in Munich by bass Mikhail Petrenko and the Mariinsky Theatre Chorus and Symphony Orchestra. 24 March will see performances of the Second, Third and Thirteenth Symphonies, followed by the Twelfth and Eighth the next day.

Gergiev considers the contribution of the great 20^th century symphonist to the treasure trove of classical music to be inestimable. The maestro has already presented series of Shostakovich’s symphonies in New York, London, St Petersburg and Vienna. Recordings of all fifteen of the composer’s symphonies in digital format are one of the priorities for the development of the Mariinsky label. To date, the label has released recordings of six of his symphonies as well as the opera The Nose.

German critics reacted to Gergiev’s first performances with a plethora of delighted reviews, calling the project one of the most outstanding events of the current concert season in Munich. Germany’s respected Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper commented that “Gergiev emphasises Shostakovich’s political ambivalence and poetry, following the score precisely. The result is amazing – there is no excess ballast whatsoever. It truly is magic.”

The Munich project will run in the 2011–2012 season and feature two parts including five concerts with the orchestra of Munich’s Philharmonie and four concerts with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra.