2018 was an amazing year for the events related to Russian art and culture all over the world. And RA+C took an active role in bringing all the details, announcements, interviews, reviews and opinions to our readers. Let’s look back and reflect on some of the best music performances.
Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Southbank Centre. October 2018.
A visit of a guest orchestra is always an anticipated event at Southbank Centre, but when it is the one of the scope and historic importance as Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, it becomes one of the highlights of the season with tickets disappearing quickly despite their high prices.
Russian State Symphony Orchestra. Cadogan Hall. October 2018.
Maestro Vasily Petrenko and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra brought a taste of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov to Cadogan Hall in a concert that was part of the 12th Zurich International Orchestra Series (in association with IMG Artists), an event that is regarded as the largest and most comprehensive series of international orchestras in the country.
Baltic Sea Festival. August 2018.
Medverkande Finlands nationaloperas kör och orkester Dalia Stasevska,
August seems to be a month for deserved summer holidays for some, but it is also buzzing with festivals of classical music. Stockholm was ripe with festivals during the end of the month: it had its 16th edition of annual Baltic Sea Festival this year (Östersjöfestivalen in Swedish), it also had an Ingmar Bergman festival dedicated to centenary of his birth run by Dramaten Theatre, and for one weekend Aurora Festival of Chamber Music was also drawing attention of music lovers.
Gstaad Music Festival. August 2018.
FIRST SERVED: MUSICAL PUNTERS ARRIVE FOR GERGIEV AT THE LOCAL TENNIS CLUB photo © Simon Hewitt
You don’t expect to find Valery Gergiev and a 120-piece Mariinsky Orchestra spending a couple of nights in a Swiss mountain village, but that’s what happened in Gstaad on August 24/25. hey were headlining the 2018 Gstaad Music Festival, now in its 62nd season, founded by Yehudi Menuhin (1916-99) shortly after he moved with his family to this picture-postcard corner of the Bernese Oberland.
Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov. Royal Albert Hall. May 2018.
Anna Netrebko (Soprano) & Yusif Evayzov (Tenor)
The brightest stars of the opera world illuminated The Royal Albert Hall when Berin Art Management brought Anna Netrebko (Soprano) and Yusif Evyazov (Tenor) to the London stage with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Maestro Jader Bignamini.
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. ROH. April 2018
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk production image. Courtesy @ROH. Photo by Clive Barda
Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk appeared on the stage of the Royal Opera House straight after the runs of Verdi’s Macbeth were finished and offered a completely different emotional range and stronger psychological nuancing with probably an even more profound impact on its audiences.
Evgeny Kissin in recital. Barbican Centre. April 2018
On a seemingly average April Thursday night at the Barbican Centre there was a special kind of silent commotion – the queue for returns for a sold out recital by Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin was curving near the box office. Every year London awaits for the return of this musician, whose special, rare kind of connection to music shines through everything he does, including his manner of speech and address.
Read our review of the performance here.
Trifonov plays Tchaikovsky. Changing Faces: Stravinsky’s Journey. London Philharmonic Orchestra. March 2018
On Saturday 17 March 2018, on the very day when mini ‘Beast from the East’ was again hitting London with its arctic winds and snow, the event that warmed the hearts of many music lovers took place at the Royal Festival Hall. The evening concert appealed both to those who appreciated music by Russian composers (as it featured Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky) and to the connoisseurs of Russian musicianship. Daniil Trifonov and London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by its Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski were performing their programme as culmination of their tour in Germany that included concerts in Düsselforf, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich.
Charity evening of opera and ballads “Spring Waters”(Veshnie Vody) by Sofia Fomina and Sergey Rybin. Gift of Life. March 2018
Sofia Fomina is applauded during the Gift of Life charity concert
Charitable foundation Gift of Life organised the evening of opera and ballads “Spring Waters”(Veshnie Vody) in the hospitable home of Bernard Oppetit and Olga Jegunova. The arias were performed performed by the impeccable Royal Opera House soloist Sofia Fomina and pianist Sergey Rybin. This even was particularly special as all the money raised went for the treatment of 10-year-old Nikita Orlov.
