# Prokofiev 125th Birthday Gala at Mariinsky



## Samuel Kristopher

I had the great opportunity to spend two days at the Mariinsky concert hall on Saturday and Sunday to watch some of the best performances I've seen since moving to Russia. Whatever might be said about this country, one cannot deny that they do classical music well.









The first remarkable thing for me is simply how devoted Valerie Gergiev and the performers are to their craft. This was the playbill for the two performances:

Saturday 9pm
- Symphony No. 3
- Violin Concerto No. 2
- Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution
- Piano Concerto No. 2

Sunday 1pm
- Symphony No. 4
- Piano Concerto No. 3
- Piano Concerto No. 4
- Piano Concerto No. 5
- Symphony No. 5

Not to mention that, after the Sunday performance, the orchestra still had to play the Alexander Nevsky Cantata, Symphony No. 6, Concerto for Cello, and Symphony No. 7 as well. I couldn't help thinking that there mustn't be many places on earth where one is treated to such dedication. No surprise that Sergei Redkin tweeted something like "pray for the orchestra".









I was worried that, with so much to do, the orchestra would be exhausted and that it would show, but once again I was blown away. Gregiev led Symphony 3 and the Violin Concerto (with Kristof Barati) spectacularly, but the Cantata and 2nd Piano Concerto (with Denis Matsuev) was like some religious experience for me. I hadn't known much about the Cantata before watching - only a summary Wikipedia read, but it wasn't necessary to enjoy Prokofiev's thorough soundscape. We heard sirens, gunshot(s?), accordions, and a guest appearance from Lenin himself! I think I found a new appreciation for the power of a large choir as well - a truly memorable performance.

Then came Matsuev (my phone camera decided to stop working to my great disappointment). I was very excited, having seen him perform Tchaikovsky's concertos last year and also having listened to quite a number of different interpretations of the concerto, and I wasn't disappointed. Whereas Yuja Wang brought technical virtuosity to the piece, Trifinov brought his plodding profundity, Matsuev brought power, energy, and what I can only describe as totality to the work. There were a few mistakes during the wicked cadenza but the effect was no less powerful as the orchestra surged back in at the end - I felt like I was standing behind aircraft engine. By the conclusion of the piece, it was almost 1am and Matsuev was literally red in the face.









Sunday's performance was naturally not quite as edge-of-one's-seat exciting as the previous night, but it was a pleasure to see Trifonov play the 3rd concerto, Redkin follow up with the 4th concerto for left hand, and Trifonov's masterful teacher Babayan play the 5th. We actually saw them before the show, in a little convenience store near the theatre, but my wife threatened to divorce me if I forced her to endure the shame of asking for a photo >.> I admit, I wasn't as pleased with Trifonov's 3rd concerto as I had expected to be. After seeing him play Rachmaninoff's Preludes and loving the emotion and colour he had brought to it, I had high expectations this time. Unfortunately, although he often appears to be putting massive amounts of energy and momentum into his playing, the piano was consistently quiet and slightly monotonous, which I felt detracted somewhat from the peculiarity and irony of the piece itself. Redkin's rendition of the 4th drew the largest applause, with the audience giving a standing ovation for a good 5 minutes until he came back for an encore.

All in all, this weekend just gone was one of my favourite classical music experiences ever, and my appreciation for the Russian musical tradition doesn't cease to multiply.


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## Pugg

I do have this DVD from Russia, noting wrong with that either.:tiphat:


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## Jeffrey Smith

Thank you for the report.

A member of the other music forum to which I belong heard the Nevsky via a streaming service, and reported wierd dynamic and tempo choices, and intonation issues. I don't think he realized it was part of a marathon... but going by his report, the orchestra and chorus were probably overextended by then.


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## Samuel Kristopher

Quite possibly. They played Nevsky at 5 o'clock, and our 4 hour performance had only finished about 10 minutes beforehand. Then again, I know Gergiev isn't loved by all (his interpretations _and_ his political positions). I'm not interested in his politics, but I also don't think he led any of my favourite recordings. I mostly respect him though for his contribution to music here in St. Pete and around the world, building new theatres and music schools, working to make music encouraging and accessible for newer generations, and popularising composers like Prokofiev outside of Russia.


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