This Sunday sees the start of a fortnight tour by the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre in the U.S.A. Our Orchestra will present twelve concerts, all conducted by Valery Gergiev, in seven cities within the Eastern part of the country. A one-week residency of five concerts at the acclaimed Carnegie Hall in New York (Stern Auditorium, Perelman Stage) will become a remarkable part of this tour. In fact, the entire tour is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Gustav Mahler, marking 150 years since his birth. Each concert of this tour will feature symphonic works by Mahler whilst New York audiences will get a rare chance to listen six symphonies by the composer who has greatly redefined and influenced the whole genre of a Symphony in the 20th century. The complete cycle of Mahler’s Symphonies has been performed twice at the Mariinsky Concert Hall in St Petersburg by our Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. Three cities of the U.S. tour this month will also see performances of the Third Piano Concerto by Rachmaninov, performed by Denis Matsuyev together with our Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. This concerto has been performed by Denis, to the highest acclaim, in Canadian cities and on the U.S. West Coast within the framework of our North American tour earlier this year.

Denis Matsuyev, who will play with our Orchestra whilst on this tour, works with our theatre on a wide range of cultural and educational initiatives taking part in numerous tours, festivals and concerts of our theatre in St Petersburg, in Russia and abroad as well as in our forthcoming recordings on the Mariinsky Label. Next time in St Petersburg Denis Matsuyev will be playing at the Mariinsky Concert Hall on 1 November as a soloist with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. Notaby, this will be an evening of all-Rachmaninov program featuring genuine music favourites.

Almost all Symphonies by Gustav Mahler were recorded live on CDs by the London Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev throughout the concert season 2007/08 at the Barbican in London. They were released on the LSO Live, London Symphony Orchestra own recording label. Recordings of Symphonies Nos. 2 & 8 feature vocal soloists from the Mariinsky Theatre.

A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.

— Gustav Mahler

On 14 & 15 October, for the firs  time in the new season, we shall present Anna Karenina, the ballet that receieved its premiere six months ago during the X-th International Mariinsky Ballet Festival. This premiere has become a remarkable event in the world of ballet. Two Mariinsky prima ballerinas Diana Vishneva and Ulyana Lopatkina will be starring in the title role during the two evenings this month, like it was back in April at the first two performances of this production. Both dancers present a remarkable reading of the dramatical character of Anna Karenina, although each one’s interpretation is absolutely unique, because it comes from their individuality and rich spirit of an actress, dancer, woman... Even most demanding ballet fans were unable to give their preference to either of the ballerinas. Without doubt, performances of such dancers as Diana Vishneva and Ulyana Lopatkina even further extends  and enriches the story and emotional lines behind the novel by Lev Tolstoy, performed with the expressive means of music and dance.

Our theatre works within the framework of extensive rehearsal schedule in preparation to Leoš Janáček’s opera The Makropulos Affair.

More details to follow in the next issue of our e-newsletter.