VI Festival Maslenitsa (Shrove-tide)07 February 2010 - 14 February 2010 SCHEDULE 07 February 2010 - 14 February 2010
At the Mariinsky Theatre and at the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall
Artistic Director of the Festival - Valery Gergiev
Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week, one of Russia`s most traditional festivals, was celebrated in style in the country`s pre-Revolutionary capital. Maslenitsa festivities entered every home and were welcomed by every family. The most august figures and officials, the intelligentsia and the city`s nobles all took part in the revelry. Throughout Maslenitsa, Tsaritsino Meadow and the Admiralty Gardens played host to folk celebrations, and in the city`s palaces and mansions there were parties and masked balls, with theatre playbills listing the finest productions.
Several years ago the Mariinsky Theatre returned to the wonderful tradition of Maslenitsa festivities. The Festival programme invariably includes wonderful productions, among them works based on fairy-tales as well as interesting vocal and instrumental programmes. Continuing the tradition of open-to-all celebrations established by the Imperial Theatres for Maslenitsa, the Mariinsky Theatre will be running a series of charity concerts. The Mariinsky Theatre and the University of St Petersburg have revived the ancient Russian tradition of Pancake Week, organising student balls for several years now, to bid farewell to winter. The University programme includes parties, dancing, music (with Mariinsky Theatre performers), pancakes, fireworks and, of course, the burning of the straw scarecrow of Maslenitsa.
Maslenitsa 2010:
Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera and Ballet theatre |
Mariinsky hall plan |
Mariinsky Slide Show |
Mariinsky 3D View |
About Valery Gergiev
ARCHIVE:
2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
2005
Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week, one of Russia‘s most traditional festivals, was celebrated in style in the country‘s pre-Revolutionary capital. Maslenitsa festivities entered every home and were welcomed by every family. The most august figures and officials, the intelligentsia and the city‘s nobles all took part in the revelry. Throughout Maslenitsa, Tsaritsino Meadow and the Admiralty Gardens played host to folk celebrations, and in the city‘s palaces and mansions there were parties and masked balls, with theatre playbills listing the finest productions.
Several years ago the Mariinsky Theatre returned to the wonderful tradition of Maslenitsa festivities. The Festival programme invariably includes wonderful productions, among them works based on fairy-tales as well as interesting vocal and instrumental programmes. Continuing the tradition of open-to-all celebrations established by the Imperial Theatres for Maslenitsa, the Mariinsky Theatre will be running a series of charity concerts. The Mariinsky Theatre and the University of St Petersburg have revived the ancient Russian tradition of Pancake Week, organising student balls for several years now, to bid farewell to winter. The University programme includes parties, dancing, music (with Mariinsky Theatre performers), pancakes, fireworks and, of course, the burning of the straw scarecrow of Maslenitsa.
This season, Russia’s oldest and much-loved celebration of Maslenitsa
will be celebrated at the Mariinsky Theatre in particular style, and it is
to be held under the banner of three giants in Russian music –
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky and Fyodor Chaliapin. For
the VI Maslenitsa festival, two premieres are
planned –one an opera and one a ballet. 7 February,
the opening of the festival at the Mariinsky Theatre, will see
the premiere of Jules Massenet’s opera Don Quichotte, dedicated
to the memory of Fyodor Chaliapin. Ferruccio Furlanetto, one of
the most renowned bass singers of our own time, has been engaged for
the lead role for the premiere performance. As well as appearing in
Massenet’s opera, Ferruccio Furlanetto will also be performing a recital
towards the close of Maslenitsa Week on 13 February. The
second premiere will be of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Pйtrouchka. It was
first performed during the saisons russes in Paris
in 1911. The choreographer was the legendary Michel Fokine.
Fokine’s ballet was staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1920 by Leonid
Leontiev. Today the Mariinsky Theatre is once again restoring this
wonderful ballet to its repertoire. Performances of Igor Stravinsky’s
works by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under Valery Gergiev open
the Maslenitsa concert programme. A festive musical soirйe at
the Concert Hall on 7 February will see performances with singing and music
including L’Histoire du soldat and Le Renard,
continuing with the Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, the piano
solo to be performed by Alexei Volodin. A special place in
the festival’s concert programme has been set aside for works by Sergei
Rachmaninoff. On 9 February, Denis Matsuev and the Mariinsky
Theatre Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Valery Gergiev) will be performing
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto (a transcription by Alexander Varenberg of
the great Russian composer’s Second Symphony). Additionally, Maslenitsa
Week will see performances of two works by Rachmaninoff –
the Spring cantata and the opera The Miserly
Knight. 2010’s Maslenitsa will be a festival of stars. As
well as highly acclaimed pianists, there will be stars of violin music including
Sergey Khachatryan and Vadim Repin, who will be performing in concert together
with Itamar Golan (piano), as well as stars of the Mariinsky Opera and
Ballet Companies
Maslenitsa 2010:
Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera and Ballet theatre |
Mariinsky hall plan |
Mariinsky Slide Show |
Mariinsky 3D View |
About Valery Gergiev
ARCHIVE:
2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
2005
SCHEDULE 07 February 2010 - 14 February 2010
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