For the first time after an interval of twenty years Kyiv saw and heard the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra and Choir conducted by the legendary Maestro.
The October 19 concert at the Ukraine Palace will be long remembered by Kyiv residents and guests to the capital. It was a true feast for music lovers, courtesy of the Edweiss Co. The program was gorgeous as the St. Petersburg performers dedicated it to the noted conductor Konstantin Simeonov (born in Ukraine) whose talent had flourished at the Kyiv Conservatory. He had worked in the northern Palmyra, the Mariinsky Theater, in the 1960s-1970s. Critics called him the Russian Herbert von Karajan.
Gergiyev and his performers offered excellent renditions of Tchaikovsky’s overture to Romeo and Juliet, cantata Alexander Nevsky for choir and orchestra (with soloist Kateryna Semenchuk), and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The choice of the compositions was no coincidence; they topped Simeonov’s repertoire (his work was closely connected with Ukraine and Russia).
The Ukraine Palace does not provide the best symphony audience (the acoustic characteristics are known to leave much to be desired), so the organizers had to turn to the firm Zinteco to take care of the audio equipment. A large screen was mounted onstage, so the audience could see the performance in every detail. The Mariinsky orchestra and choir under Gergiyev’s able guidance rank with the world’s leading performing groups, and are best described as a music trendsetter.
“We’re happy to perform in Kyiv,” Valery Gergiyev said after the concert. “Half a year ago [Russian Ambassador] Viktor Chernomyrdin asked me to find time to give a concert in Ukraine. He didn’t have to talk me into it, although I could find only a one-day opening in my schedule. I’ve just flown in from New York, and I enjoy performing in Kyiv. This concert is the beginning of our creative cooperation with Ukraine. I do hope that the current innuendoes and a degree of coolness in the [bilateral] relationships will disappear. We will come on tour more frequently and your skilled performers will visit St. Petersburg.
“Only a third of our musicians took part in this concert. The Mariinsky Theater opened its season on October 10, and part of the musicians stayed in New York, as we also opened a season at the Metropolitan Opera. I promise that you will see the whole troupe.
“On the way to Kyiv the musicians and I tried to recall the last time we visited the Ukrainian capital. It was in 1982 and I conducted Wagner’s Lohengrin. The Kyiv audience was very warm and appreciative. Perhaps this was a coincidence, but that opera was staged by Simeonov, and we dedicated the concert to him.
“I’m fortunate to have known the great conductor personally. Konstantin Simeonov was an excellent representative of the Kyiv school in our city. He was a great maestro and a charming person. He made a strong and daring director of the Mariinsky Theater. And he was a gifted performer. Simeonov didn’t fit into the Soviet system with its rigid standards. I started on my career seeing him as the best example. The maestro was an excellent and remarkably erudite storyteller. I still remember his stories about Borys Liatoshynsky. In fact, Simeonov introduced me to the works of that excellent Ukrainian composer. Simeonov staged Shostakovich’s Katerina Izmailova in Kyiv (the composer thought it one of his best works). He showed me the score with his corrections and amendments, which he made contrary to Shostakovich’s concept, thus enhancing the characters. That stage version made not only Ukraine proud. When staging Katerina at the Mariinsky, I meant it as a tribute to Simeonov, so I invited the late Kyiv stage director Iryna Molostova as the conductor’s co-author. That opera could be described as a cultural bridge between our countries.
“I’ll present National Opera Director Petro Chupryna with a copy of the book Tema Sud’by. Dirizher Kostantin Simeonov. Vospominaniya. Pisma. Materialy [The Theme of Destiny. Conductor Kostantin Simeonov: Recollections, Letters, Materials], so he’ll remember this performance. The book was published by the Mariinsky Theater.
“I hope that our companies will quickly establish fruitful cooperation. Jointly we’ll be able to raise our art to a greater height. I promise that there will be no obstacles but quick response on our part. We’ll be able to solve creative and organizational problems in terms of theatrical exchange. I understand practically every word in Ukrainian, so we won’t need an interpreter. We’ll serve a great cause together.”
Valery Gergiyev admitted in parting that he had flown over Kyiv 40-50 times a year, and that from now on he would not only make stopovers, but also appear in concerts with the Mariinsky troupe.
“I was enchanted. A fantastic performance, sparkling with mastery, so diversified, so subtle and heartfelt. Gergiyev is a unique phenomenon,” said Bohdan Kotorovych, violinist, artistic director of the ensemble Kyiv Soloists, not even trying to conceal his excitement. “I left the concert charged with fresh inspiration. Their program is so well constructed: Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Prokofiev. The choir and the orchestra are great. And I was very impressed by the soloist Kateryna Semenchuk’s voice. I’ve just attended a great holiday of music.”
One can only marvel at Valery Gergiyev’s energy. He flew in from New York through Prague, landing Sunday 12:45. There was a rehearsal during the day, and a concert at night. He flew to St. Petersburg at 6:00 on Monday.
Gergiyev is immune to the star syndrome. He is self-disciplined and punctual. He has a life schedule reaching years ahead. Living at this tempo is hard, especially for a creative individual. Being at the head of a large performing group, working to keep it in the lead does not make it any easier. Gergiyev works miracles on stage, and he appears to be a skilled and incredibly charming interlocutor.
