Opening of the 227th Season of the Mariinsky Theatre and the 4th Season of the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre

On 28 September, the Mariinsky Theatre opened its 227th season with a performance of Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY’s opera Iolanta with Anna Netrebko in the title role under the baton of Valery Gergiev.
“90 minutes of absolute triumph” and “the magical sounds of Netrebko’s soprano voice make one’s soul melt” – these were some of the epithets awarded to Polish stage director Mariusz Trelinski’s production of TCHAIKOVSKY’s Iolanta, performed by the Theatre on tour in Baden-Baden this summer. Anna Netrebko was performing this opera for the first time in Russia. Other lead roles in the opening performance were sung by acclaimed bass Sergei Aleksashkin (King Rene) and young soloists including tenor Sergei Skorokhodov (Count Vaudemont) and baritone Alexei Markov (Robert).

On 29 September, the Ballet Company and the Concert Hall open their seasons. The ballet season opens with Shurale – one of the theatre’s recent premieres, a fairytale ballet choreographed by the legendary Leonid Yakobson, with Irina Golub, Mikhail Lobukhin and Alexander Sergeyev in the lead roles.
On 29 September, the Ballet Company and the Concert Hall open their seasons. The ballet season opens with Shurale – one of the theatre’s recent premieres, a fairytale ballet choreographed by the legendary Leonid Yakobson, with Irina Golub, Mikhail Lobukhin and Alexander Sergeyev in the lead roles.
The fourth season at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre opens with two evenings of music by Hector Berlioz: on 29 September there is the Requiem with Daniil Shtoda, and on 30 September there is a concert performance of Berlioz’ epic opera Les Troyens under the baton of Valery Gergiev, heralding the coming planned December premiere of a stage version. The soloists include YEkaterina Gubanova, Yekaterina Semenchuk, Sergei Semishkur and Alexander Gergalov. The performance begins at 18.00.

1 October at the Concert Hall will see an extremely important event in the musical life of St Petersburg – the presentation concert of the new organ. Installation of the French-made Daniel Kern et Fils organ (Strasbourg) began at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre on 20 July. The company Daniel Kern et Fils was established in 1953 by Daniel Kern’s father Alfred Kern with the direct support and involvement of Nobel Prize for Peace winner Dr Albert Schweizer. Since it was founded, the company has restored many historic French and German instruments – over one hundred organs have been refurbished and rebuilt. The unique skills of the Daniel Kern craftsmen lie in their mix of experience and traditions of French and German organ construction, which dates back many centuries. In Russia, for over one hundred years no French instruments have been installed, unsurpassed for their construction and the character of their sound. Now, with the completion of work to install the organ at the Concert Hall, organists will have the wonderful opportunity to perform French as well as German organ music in Russia.
The Theatre’s imminent premiere events include the return of George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony to the ballet repertoire (30 October), Jonathan Kent’s production of Richard StraussDie Frau ohne Schatten (16 and 18 November) and Hector BerliozLes Troyens (25 and 27 December), staged by Carlos Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus theatre group).