A tribute to Berlioz

The Mariinsky Theatre is launching a major series of concerts dedicated to the music of the great French romantic composer Hector Berlioz. This project, scheduled to last almost a month, will feature appearances by internationally acclaimed music ensembles and soloists.
On Saturday 19 October the Mariinsky Orchestra, Artist of the Month Ekaterina Semenchuk and Olga Borodina will be conducted by maestro Gergiev in a performance of the symphonie dramatique Roméo et Juliette and the cantata La Mort de Cléopâtre. This programme will be performed at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. 

On Monday 21 October at the new Mariinsky Theatre (Mariinsky-II) there will be a concert performance of the epic opera duologue Les Troyens. The main roles will be performed by leading Mariinsky Opera soloists Sergei Semishkur (Énée), Vladislav Sulimsky (Chorèbe), Mikhail Petrenko (Narbal), Nikolai Kamensky (Panthée), Yekaterina Popova (Cassandre), Natalia Yevstafieva (Didon), Anastasia Kalagina (Ascagne), Zlata Bulychova (Anna) and Vladimir Felyauer (Priam). 

The Mariinsky Orchestra will then give three evening performances in a row at the Konzerthaus in Vienna. On 25 October Valery Gergiev will conduct the orchestra in a performance of Roméo et Juliette featuring Olga Borodina, Dmitry Voropaev and Yuri Vorobiev. 26 October will see a concert performance of the opera duologue Les Troyens (Sergei Semishkur as Énée, Alexei Markov as Chorèbe, Mlada Khudoley as Cassandre, Ekaterina Semenchuk as Didon, Nikolai Kamensky as Panthée, Anastasia Kalagina as Ascagne, Zlata Bulychova as Anna and Vladimir Felyauer as Priam). On 27 October Ekaterina Semenchuk will again appear as the last queen of Egypt in the cantata La Mort de Cléopâtre; the same evening will also see a performance of the symphony Harold en Italie, the solo viola played by Julian Rachlin.

Over eight evenings maestro Gergiev will conduct the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Hall. On 31 October and 14 November there will be performances of the Symphonie fantastique, the Waverley overture and the song cycle Les Nuits d’été (with British mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill in the solo). The playbills for the concerts on 1 and 12 November include the overture from the opera Benvenuto Cellini, La Mort de Cléopâtre with Karen Cargill and Harold en Italie with French violist Antoine Tamestit performing the solo. The programmes for 3 and 7 November include the dramatic legend La Damnation de Faust with Olga Borodina (Marguerite), Michael Spyres (Faust) and Ildar Abdrazakov (Méphistophélès). 6 and 13 November will see performances of the symphony Roméo et Juliette with Olga Borodina and Ildar Abdrazakov.

In Brno in the Czech Republic on 8 November and in Sankt Pölten in Austria on 9 November the London Symphony Orchestra will perform the Symphonie Fantastique, the Waverly overture and the song cycle Les Nuits d’été with Karen Cargill under the baton of maestro Gergiev.

On 10 November the Philharmonie Essen in Germany will host performances of the Symphonie fantastique, the Waverly overture and the cantata La Mort de Cléopâtre (soloist – Karen Cargill).

Dedicated to the music of Berlioz, the series of concerts will conclude in France, the composer’s homeland. On 16 November at the Salle Pleyel in Paris the London Symphony Orchestra will again perform the Symphonie fantastique, the Waverly overture and La Mort de Cléopâtre with Karen Cargill under the baton of Valery Gergiev, while 17 November will see a performance of Roméo et Juliette with Olga Borodina and Ildar Abdrazakov.