XI Festival "Maslenitsa (Shrovetide) at the Mariinsky" (16 February 2015 - 22 February 2015)
At the Mariinsky Theatre and at the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall
Artistic Director of
the Festival - Valery Gergiev
The festival presents thegreatest operas and ballets based
on Russian fairytales at theMariinsky Theatre, masterpieces of Russian
symphony music and vocal programmes at theConcert Hall. Thefestival
strives to revive thetraditions of thesecular Maslenitsa
celebrations with vivid and colourful performances, balls and concerts that are
open to all.
Russias most ancient and beloved festival of Maslenitsa
(Shrovetide) was celebrated on agrand scale
inthepre-Revolutionary capital. Themerriments of
Maslenitsa visited every home and every family. Thearistocracy,
government officials, theintelligentsia and city residents at large were
all involved. InTsaritsino Park and at theAdmiralty there were
public celebrations throughout Maslenitsa week, palaces and townhouses
hosted dances and masked balls and theatre playbills dazzled with
thetitles of thefinest productions.
Several years ago
theMariinsky Theatre returned to thewonderful tradition of
Maslenitsa celebrations. Thefestival programme invariably
includes thefinest productions, among them works based on fairytales as
well as vocal and instrumental programmes. Continuing thetradition of
open-to-all performances, which were run by theImperial Theatres during
Maslenitsa, theMariinsky Theatre will be running aseries of
charity concerts.
Reviving theprimordially Russian tradition of
Maslenitsa student balls, theMariinsky Theatre and theSt
Petersburg University have, for several years now, been inviting students to
take part inbidding farewell to winter.
Theprogramme of
theuniversity ball includes public entertainment, dancing, music
(featuring Mariinsky Theatre performers), pancakes and fireworks.
Last
season thefestivals motto was Igor Stravinsky. Audiences had
theopportunity to see abroad ranging retrospective of
thecomposers music.
Valery Gergiev said that Maslenitsa
itself inRussia is aphenomenon, I believe, that is dear to us all on
some subconscious level. We didnt see with our own eyes thestunning
festivities of theearly 20thcentury, when theyoung
Stravinsky was probably enchanted by theatmosphere of Maslenitsa.
It is not by chance that one can sense inso many of his
works thebiting frost, thesnow, themerriment, probably
very tasty food and agood time had by all. And he was able to convey this
very well inhis wonderful music. Maslenitsa at
theMariinsky is also afestival of stars. Regular participating
performers include theacclaimed pianists Denis Matsuev and Alexei Volodin
and therenowned violinists Sergey Khachatryan and Vadim Repin.
TheMaslenitsa music festival, which brings together folkloric
traditions and thesociety glamour of theImperial theatre, will be
taking place this season at theMariinsky Theatre and theConcert Hall
for theseventh time.