Valery Gergiev, who succeeds Colin Davis, led the London Symphony Orchestra in a program of Stravinsky, Debussy and Prokofiev at Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow.
Photo: Nikita Infantyev
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Gergiev Plays Moscow as London Symphony Orchestra’s New Conductor
Valery Gergiev played in Moscow last weekend in his first performance as the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, continuing a flood of orchestra highlights in the Russian capital this summer. The English musicians played in Moscow most of what Mr. Gergiev’s home Mariinsky Theater is doing, but in quite a different vein.
On Sunday, Valery Gergiev, who succeeds Colin Davis, led the London Symphony Orchestra in a program of Stravinsky, Debussy and Prokofiev at Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow. Another Russian, the dynamic Vladimir Yurovksy takes over the London Philharmonic Orchestra this fall from Kurt Masur. In another change in London, Esa-Pekka Salonen becomes principal conductor at Philharmonia Orchestra.
The London Symphony Orchestra was last in Moscow back in 1979. There are still musicians in the orchestra who went to that tour and now can’t help being amazed at the changes Russian has come through.
Gergiev spent his first six months in London creating a magical mix of Stravinsky and two other Neo-Classical giants, Prokofiev and Debussy.
The London orchestra sounded in Moscow more convincing in an ingenious Neo-Classical score than the Mariinsky Theater which seems to be interpreting it rather note-to-note. The, incisive and atmospheric account of Stravinsky’s “Petrouchka” swept the concert hall. Yet, it seemed that the London musicians were braking in the places where the St. Petersburg orchestra was rushing through. Perhaps, it is just a question of time for Mr. Gergiev to make the musicians forget about orchestra safety rules.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 18, 2007
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