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Mariinsky News>2016>The Prokofiev Marathon unites two capitals

22 April 2016

The Prokofiev Marathon unites two capitals

On 23 April, the birthday of Sergei Prokofiev, in Moscow and St Petersburg there will be a Prokofiev Marathon, which will unite the capitals with a chronological series of concerts marking one hundred and twenty-five years since the composer’s birth.

The celebratory programme opens with a matinee concert by the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow (11:30). There will be performances of the First and Second Symphonies, Piano Concerto No 1 (with soloist Denis Kozhukhin), Violin Concerto No 1 (with soloist Leonidas Kavakos), the cantata They Are Seven and Scythian Suite (Ala and Lolly). The concert will feature the State Academic Moscow Regional Kozhevnikov Chorus. Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will then depart for St Petersburg, while in Moscow the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall will see the start of the Prokofiev Marathon (15:00). The soloists are Daniil Trifonov (Sonata No 1, Sonata No 3, Gavotte of three piano pieces from the ballet Cinderella), Katya Skanavi (Sonata No 2), Ilya Rashkovsky (Sonata No 4, piano pieces from the ballet Romeo and Juliet) and Denis Kozhukhin (Sonata No 5). At the close of the Moscow stage of the marathon there will be a performance of the Sonata for Two Violins, soloists to be announced.

Two hours later in St Petersburg at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre the Prokofiev Marathon continues (17:00). Five pianists from different generations and schools will present the composer’s late sonatas. The concert opens with Sergei Babayan who will perform Sarcasms. Sonata No 6 will be performed by Alexei Melnikov, Sonata No 7 by Denis Matsuev, Sonata No 8 by Sergei Redkin and Sonata No 9 by Andrei Korobeinikov.

The conclusion of the celebration will come with a Prokofiev Gala featuring the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev in St Petersburg at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre (21:00). The programme includes the Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, the Third Symphony, the Second Violin Concerto with Kristóf Baráti and the Second Piano Concerto with Denis Matsuev.

On this day Prokofiev’s music will be performed at all Mariinsky Theatre venues – from the historic Mariinsky Theatre and the Mariinsky-II and its chamber halls to the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in Vladivostok, presenting the composer’s legacy in all its variety. On the official website of the Mariinsky Theatre and in the foyer of the Mariinsky-II there will be exhibitions depicting the century-long history of productions of operas and ballets by Prokofiev at the Mariinsky Theatre (from 1916 to 2016). Theatre kiosks will be selling the special edition of Prokofiev at the Mariinsky which has been prepared for the composer’s anniversary.

On 24 April the series of celebratory performances continues at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. There will be a matinee of Prokofiev’s piano concerti: Daniil Trifonov will perform Piano Concerto No 3, Sergei Redkin will perform Piano Concerto No 4 and Sergei Babayan will conclude the cycle with Piano Concerto No 5. The Mariinsky Orchestra will also perform the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies (13:00). This will be followed by a performance of the cantata Alexander Nevsky and the oratorio Ivan Grozny featuring Olga Borodina (mezzo-soprano), Yulia Matochkina (mezzo-soprano), Mikhail Petrenko (bass) and stage and film actor Alexei Petrenko as the Narrator (17:00). In the evening at the Concert Hall there will be a performance of late works by Prokofiev. The programme includes the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies as well as the Concert Symphony for Cello and Orchestra with soloist Alexander Ramm (21:00). Valery Gergiev will be conducting the Mariinsky Orchestra throughout the day.

Festivities commemorating Prokofiev will continue throughout the year at all venues of the Mariinsky Theatre, including the Primorsky Stage in Vladivostok, and they will also form a core part of the anniversary XV Moscow Easter Festival at which the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev will be appearing in Tula, Oryol, Kursk, Smolensk, Vladimir, Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Votkinsk, Izhevsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Rostov on Don, Sochi, Krasnodar, Vladikavkaz, Astrakhan and Saransk. To mark one hundred and twenty-five years since the birth of Prokofiev Valery Gergiev will also be hosting projects in Italy, Sweden, China, the USA, Chile, Mexico, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Cuba.



Submitted on 25 August 2016, Thursday


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