The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!

One of the oldest orchestras in Russia, the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra (alternately known as the Kirov Orchestra depending who was in power) is more than 200 years old.

It will be in concert 8 p.m. on Oct. 18 at CSUN's Valley Performing Arts Center.

The orchestra dates back to the St. Petersburg Imperial Opera Orchestra founded at the behest of Catherine the Great of Russia in 1783. Among the orchestra's achievements since 1803 were productions of Mikhail Glinka´s opera A Life for the Tsar, and the Russian premieres of operas by foreign composers – Cimarosa´s Horatii and Curiatii (1815), Weber´s Der Freischütz (1824), Bellini´s I Capuletti e i Montecchi and Rossini´s Semiramide (1835) and Le Compte Ory (1838). Other significant productions included Hector Berlioz conducting two concerts, performing his Roméo et Juliette dramatic symphony for soloists, chorus and orchestra in 1847, Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmilla in 1842.

Along with the Mariinsky Ballet and the Mariinsky Opera, the Mariinsky Orchestra acquired its home at the Mariinsky Theatre when it opened in 1860. The orchestra continued to flourish with performances of  Wagner's Lohengrin in 1868, Gounod's Faust in 1869, and in the same year Meyerbeer's Le Prophète. Also of note were premiere performances of Tchaikovsky's The Enchantress in 1887 conducted by the composer.  Another composer, Gustav Mahler, conducted the orchestra in 1902 and 1907.

Since 1895 many world class musicians were invited to direct the productions.  These included such luminaries as as Felix Blumenfeld, Britain's Albert Coates, and later on Yuri Temirkanov.  Each of these conductors helped the orchestra shape it's signature sound with in-tune perfection and constant updating or the orchestra's performance style.

The current Artistic Director and Conductor of the Mariinsky Orchestra is the intermationally reknown and most saught after Valery Gergiev. Among the world class orchestra's he conducted are our very own Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw, London's Royal Philharmonic, Rome's Santa Cecilia, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, London Symphony, Tokyo's NHK Symphony, and the Berlin Philharmonic. His vision and drive are to make the Mariinsky Orchestra the best in the world. Gergiev has preserved the performances of the Orchestra due to his extensive recordings on the Phillips label.

Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will be performing on October 18th at 8 pm in the Great Hall of the Valley Performing Arts Center at CSUN. The program might be subject to change, but as of Sept. 26, the program listing is:

Alexander Toradze, Piano Soloist

Suite from The Firebird (1919) Igor Stravinsky

Introduction
The Firebird and its Dance
Variation of the Firebird
Round Dance of the Princesses
Infernal Dance
Lullaby
Finale

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 Serge Prokofiev

Andante – Allegro
Tema con variazioni
Allegro, ma non troppo

INTERMISSION

Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10 Dmitri Shostakovich

Allegretto – Allegro non troppo
Allegro
Lento
Allegro molto

Tickets range from $25 to $70 (40% off - CSU Northridge Students / 20% off - CSU Northridge Faculty & Staff).  For more information go to Ticketmaster.com or call the Valley Performing Arts Center ticket office at 818-677-3000. Their hours are Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.