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Mariinsky
Opera
Residency
Monday 3–Wednesday 5 November 2014
Mariinsky Opera
Valery Gergiev conductor
Part of Barbican Presents 2014–15
Mariinsky UK tour supported by
BP and the Ministry of Culture
of the Russian Federation
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Programme produced by Harriet Smith; printed by
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performance. Taking photographs, capturing images or using
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Please note that this reduced programme does not include descriptive notes for the
pieces being performed. To buy a full programme for £2, please visit the Barbican
foyers before the concert.
Mariinsky Opera
Mon 3 Nov
7.00pm, Hall
Mussorgsky Boris Godunov (original version)
concert performance
Mariinsky Opera
Tiffin Boys’ Choir
Valery Gergiev musical director/conductor
Andrey Petrenko principal chorus master
Irina Soboleva musical preparation
Mikhail Kazakov Boris Godunov
Anastasia Kalagina Xenia, his daughter
Ekaterina Sergeyeva Fyodor, his son
Sergey Semishkur The Pretender (Grigory)
Mikhail Petrenko Pimen
Evgeny Akimov Prince Shuisky
Roman Burdenko Schchelkalov
Sergey Aleksashkin Varlaam
Alexander Timchenko Missail
Olga Savova Innkeeper
Andrey Popov Holy Fool
Elena Vitman Nurse
Yury Vlasov Nikitich
Alexander Gerasimov Mityukha
Vladimir Zhivopistsev Boyar-in-attendance
Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Vitaly Yankovsky,
Anton Perminov Voices from the crowd
There will be one interval of 20 minutes
following scene 4
Tue 4 Nov
7.00pm, Hall
Rodion Shchedrin The Left-Hander UK premiere
concert performance
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Mariinsky Opera
Valery Gergiev musical director/conductor
Andrey Petrenko principal chorus master
Irina Soboleva musical preparation
Andrey Popov The Left-Hander Edward Tsanga Ataman Platov
Vladimir Moroz Alexander I, Nicholas I
Kristina Alieva The Flea
Maria Maksakova Princess Charlotte
Edem Umerov An English Skipper’s Mate
Alexander Timchenko Count Kiselvrode
Ekaterina Goncharova First Speaking Woman
Yulia Matochkina Second Speaking Woman
Lords of the Treasury of His Majesty in London:
Dmitry Koleyshko First Lord
Mikhail Latyshev Second Lord
Vladimir Zhivopistsev Third Lord
English Brides of the Left-Hander:
Ekaterina Krapivina First Bride
Marina Aleshonkova Second Bride
Alexander Gerasimov Special courier
Oleg Sychov, Vitaly Yankovsky,
Anton Perminov Three Basses
There will be one interval of 20 minutes
following Act 1
Wed 5 Nov
7.30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall
Mariinsky Chorus
AndreyPetrenko conductor
Sacred works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov,
Arkhangelsky, Mussorgsky, Bortnyansky,
Gavrilin and Chesnokov
interval 20 minutes
Russian Folk-songs
Introduction
Welcome
At the heart of the residency sits a diptych of
two radically different Russian operas, old and
new, examining the theme of Power, Politics
and the People. Each is based on a story by a
great writer that has become central to Russian
national identity. But each, in its own way,
critically scrutinises Russia’s sense of itself and
gives a complex and ambiguous insight into the
contradictions of the Russian character. Both
pieces remind us that artists can provide a critical
mirror to their own cultures, even if sometimes
they can engage with power only obliquely,
through their work.
In Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov (here in the
composer’s original version of 1869), Boris’s
ascent to the throne and psychological
disintegration is a tale of splendour, suffering,
and the Russian Tsars’ relationship to power
and to their people. It is a majestic national epic,
but an introspective one, liberally tinged with
pessimism.
In stark contrast, Rodion Shchedrin’s new opera
Levsha (‘The Left-Hander’) is satirical in its
approach to Russian national consciousness and
Russia’s relationship with the West. It starts as a
grotesque and glittering satire in the tradition of
Gogol and Shostakovich, but careers headlong
into a profoundly tragic ending, all the more
shocking for its unexpectedness.
We are delighted to present the first performance
of this work outside Russia, and honoured that
Rodion Shchedrin and his wife, former Bolshoi
prima ballerina assoluta Maya Plisetskaya, will
be joining us for the occasion and for a preconcert talk in Milton Court.
In the final programme of the residency, the
Mariinsky Opera Chorus – a superb virtuoso
ensemble under chorus director Andrey
Petrenko – performs a programme of Russian
Orthodox sacred choral music and choral folk
music – the twin musical traditions that infuse
both Mussorgsky’s and Shchedrin’s operas. This
concert includes another contemporary work,
part of Valery Gavrilin’s Perezvony (‘Chimes’),
a large-scale choral fresco deeply rooted in
Russian folklore, which receives a rare Western
performance here.
Valery Gergiev, Rodion Shchedrin and the
Mariinsky Opera provide us with a fascinating
and timely moment to reflect on how culture
provides an insight into a nation’s collective
psyche and the opportunity to deepen our
understanding of its people.
Paul Keene
Classical Programmer
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Welcome to the Mariinsky Opera’s three-day
residency at the Barbican. The pre-eminent
champions of the Russian operatic tradition bring
us a pair of operas examining Russia’s sense of
itself, plus a third concert at Milton Court Concert
Hall featuring a choral programme combining
Russian sacred and folk music.
Folk-song translations
In the dark forest
In the dark forest
I will plough up the field,
I will sow flax, my green flax.
My green flax grew well,
It was thin, long, white and fibrous.
But the sparrow got into the habit of stealing
my flax,
He began to pick my lovely green flax.
Ah, wide steppe
Ah, you wide steppe,
My spacious, endless steppe,
Ah, my dear, unfettered Volga.
Ah, whenever the steppen eagle rises to the sky,
The barge hauler casts his gloom away.
Don’t you, eagle, fly low to the ground,
Don’t you, barge hauler, walk close to the beach.
Ah, you wide steppe,
My spacious, endless steppe,
Ah, my dear, unfettered Volga.
Troika
The bold troika-mail rushes along the high road,
And the bell, the gift of Valday, is sadly buzzing
under the shaft-bow.
The nimble coachman woke up at midnight. He
felt a little sad in silence,
And he started singing about the lovely eyes of
his beloved:
‘You are the eyes, the eyes of the blue, you
crushed the young man.
Why, oh why you evil people, did you part two
loving hearts?
Now I am bitter and alone!’
And then he hit his horses with a whip.
The bold troika-mail rushes along the high road,
And the bell, the gift of Valday, is sadly buzzing
under the shaft-bow.
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Why must I live and grieve?
Why must I live and grieve alone?
Where are you, my pretty, black-eyed friend?
I do not want to live with grief, my cruel friend!
I will fly away with you to the distant edge.
Twelve robbers
‘Let us pray to the God, our Lord,
The ancient event we’ll proclaim’, –
The way it was told on the Solovkies
By honourable monk Pitirim.
There were twelve robbers on the roads
With Kudeyar at the head.
They spilled the blood of the Christians
for so many nights, many days.
They robbed and took so much wealth
Living in the very dense forest.
And Kudeyar himself once stole
A beautiful girl from near Kiev.
He lay with the girl by day
While making the raids by night.
But one day the fiend was awoken
By remorse sent from the Lord.
Kudeyar left his band
And ceased making raids.
He went to the monastery
To serve God and men.
‘Let us pray to the God, our Lord,
The ancient event we’ll proclaim’, –
The way it was told on the Solovkies
By Kudeyar Pitirim himself.
The wicket gate
As soon as the evening becomes blue,
As soon as the stars light the sky,
And the bird cherry’s silver will be crowned with
pearls of dew,
Open the wicket gate slowly and enter The quiet
garden like a shadow.
Do not forget your dark cape and put lace on
your head.
Where the branches are twisting hard, at the
wicket gate shall I wait for you
And at the wicket sill shall I Iift the lace from your
lovely lips.
Only steppe is all around
Ah, only steppe is all around,
The way lies far before us,
And in that dense steppe
A coachman was dying.
Lovely, brothers, lovely, how lovely it is to live.
With our brave hetman there is no room to grieve.
Lovely, brothers, lovely, how lovely it is to live.
With our brave hetman there is no room to grieve.
He summoned up all his strength,
As he felt his death approaching,
And he gave an order
To his comrade:
The first bullet wounded my horse right in his feet
And the second bullet gravely wounded me.
‘My dear friend,
Do not hold a grudge against me,
But bury me here,
In this dense steppe.
Texts
Lovely, brothers, lovely
On the fast-running Terek
Cossacks drove forty thousand horses
And hundreds of pierced, bleeding people
covered the waterside.
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Lovely, brothers, lovely, how lovely it is to live.
With our brave hetman there is no room to grieve.
Lovely, brothers, lovely, how lovely it is to live.
Give to my wife
With our brave hetman there is no room to grieve. A word of farewell;
And give back to her
My flaxen hair and my clear eyes
This wedding ring.
Will be covered with wormwood and wild grass
soon,
Ah, wild steppe all around
My white bones and brave heart
The way lies far before us,
Will be spread around the steppe by crows.
And in that dense steppe
A coachman was dying.
My sweetheart will mourn me, mend her heart,
Marry my comrade and soon forget about
my fate.
Up the mountain, up the hill
I only regret that I will not see my old mother, my
Up the mountain, up the hill, that’s right, on
war horse
the hill,
And freedom in this broad field.
At fellow’s yard, that’s right, at the yard,
His good black horse ran wild,
Lovely, brothers, lovely, how lovely it is to live.
He hits the ground with his hoof, that’s right, with
With our brave hetman there is no room to grieve. his hoof,
Lovely, brothers, lovely, how lovely it is to live.
He hits the white stones, that’s right, white stones.
With our brave hetman there is no room to grieve. A wife sold her husband, that’s right, sold him!
Sold him for the small white loaf, that’s right, for
a loaf!
She came home and repented: ‘I wish I could ask
for three roubles!
I wish I could buy three horses!’
Ah, my field
Ah, my field, my bright, wide, spacious field,
A young man’s body was lying there,
Married to the fast bullet and sharp sword …
Birch twig brooms
Brooms, my birch twig brooms were
lying around the fireplace,
And finally fell down,
I told my friend Gavrila.
Those evening bells
Those evening bells! Those evening bells!
How many a tale their music tells,
Of youth, and home, and that sweet time,
When last I heard their soothing chime.
Thomas Moore
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The Lady
Lady, lady, lady, Madame!
Oh hut, oh stove, there is no place for your owner
to lie down!
Our lady got too tired, our lady ate too much,
Lady, lady, lady, Madame!
One commander came to visit her,
He came to visit her and brought some presents,
Lady, lady, lady, Madame!
Our lady eats and drinks so much,
She eats loafs of bread,
Drinks pails of water and no illness takes her.
Our lady’s weight is seven pounds,
she is not afraid of anything,
When trouble sees her it runs away!
Lady, lady, lady, Madame!
I’m a soldier of the ninth regiment,
We do not need any music, we have our own talk.
Lady, lady, lady, Madame!
In 2006 Valery Gergiev
opened the new Mariinsky
Valery Gergiev
Concert Hall, whose
musical director/conductor
acclaimed acoustic rapidly
established it as a leading
Valery’s Gergiev’s inspired
international venue for
leadership as Artistic and
performances and recordings
General Director of the
made for the new Mariinsky
Mariinsky Theatre has brought record label. On 2 May 2013
great acclaim to this venerable he conducted the opening
institution. With the Mariinsky
gala of the Mariinsky’s new
he has toured in over 45
2,000-seat lyric opera house,
countries and this season will
Mariinsky II, televised live
celebrate his 28th anniversary internationally.
as Artistic Director during the
Mariinsky’s 232nd season.
Valery Gergiev is the recipient
of the Dmitry Shostakovich
Born in Moscow to Ossetian
Award, Japan’s Order of the
parents, he studied conducting Rising Sun, Valencia’s Silver
with Ilya Musin at the
Medal, Russia’s Golden Mask
Leningrad Conservatory and
Award, the World Economic
won the Herbert von Karajan
Forum’s Crystal Award (for
Conductors’ Competition at
his dedication to the arts
the age of 24. He made his
and contribution to cultural
Kirov Opera debut a year
dialogue), the Karajan Prize
later in 1978, conducting
(2006) and the Royal Swedish
Prokofiev’s War and Peace. He Academy’s Polar Music Prize
was appointed Artistic Director for exceptional international
and Principal Conductor in
performance and leadership.
Valery Gergiev
He has received Germany’s
Bundesverdienstkreuz, Italy’s
Grand Ufficiale al Merito,
France’s L’Ordre des Arts
et des Lettres and in the
Netherlands he was made
a Knight of the Order of the
Dutch Lion. He is a People’s
Artist of Russia, a People’s
Artist of Ukraine and was
named a UNESCO Artist of
the World in 2003. In May
last year he was awarded the
title of Hero of Labour of the
Russian Federation.
In addition to his position
with the Mariinsky Theatre,
Valery Gergiev is Principal
Conductor of the London
Symphony Orchestra and next
year becomes Music Director
of the Munich Philharmonic
Orchestra. He is Honorary
President of the Edinburgh
International Festival, Founder
and Artistic Director of the
Gergiev Rotterdam Festival,
the Mikkeli International
Festival, the Moscow Easter
Festival, Stars of the White
Nights Festival and ‘New
Horizons’ in St Petersburg. He
is a member of the Council
for Culture and Art of the
President of the Russian
Federation and heads the
Organisational Committee
of the XV International
Tchaikovsky Competition.
7
Alexander Shapunov
1988 and General Director
of the Mariinsky Theatre
in 1996. In 2003 he led a
considerable portion of St
Petersburg’s 300th-anniversary
celebrations and opened
the Carnegie Hall season in
New York with the Mariinsky
Orchestra, the first Russian
conductor to do so since
Tchaikovsky.
About the performers
About the
performers
Andrey Petrenko
Andrey Petrenko
principal chorus master
Andrey Petrenko studied
at the Rimsky-Korsakov St
Petersburg State Conservatory.
He won the 1993 Hajnówka
International Competition in
Poland, and was a conductor
at the Leningrad State Musical
Comedy Theatre before
becoming the director of
Smolny Cathedral Chorus
and a guest conductor of
the Congress Orchestra of St
Petersburg.
He taught at the RimskyKorsakov Conservatory from
1989 to 2000 and has toured
to more than 20 countries
with several St Petersburg
Choruses, ballet companies
and symphony orchestras.
He has staged productions
of Faust in Pori (Finland) and
Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia
in Tallinn.
Since 2000 he has been
Principal Chorus Master at
the Mariinsky Theatre, where
he has also conducted Aida,
La traviata, L’elisir d’amore,
Samson et Dalila, Eugene
Onegin and The Tale of Tsar
Saltan, as well as a semistaged version of Verdi’s
Requiem and numerous
cantatas and oratorios.
Barbican Classical Music Podcasts
8
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He has conducted concerts
featuring Mariinsky Opera
soloists and the Mariinsky
Chorus and Orchestra,
including a cappella
programmes with the Chorus
throughout Russia and
in Lithuania, Finland, the
Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Germany, Switzerland,
Italy, the UK and Israel. He
conducted the world premiere
of Vladimir Martynov’s Vita
nuova as part of the Moscow
Easter Festival.
In 2008 he became a guest
conductor of the Choeur de
Radio France and was named
an Honoured Artist of Russia.
About the performers
Evgeny Akimov
Sergey Aleksashkin
Marina Aleshonkova
Evgeny Akimov tenor
Sergey Aleksashkin bass
Evgeny Akimov has taken
part in co-productions of the
Mariinsky Theatre and the San
Francisco Opera (Betrothal
in a Monastery) and La Scala
(Boris Godunov); he has also
sung at the Metropolitan
Opera, New York, the Royal
Opera House, Covent
Garden, Opéra de Paris, the
Teatro Regio in Turin and the
National Grand Theatre of
China in Beijing.
Sergey Aleksashkin has
toured throughout Europe
and the USA, as well as to
Australia and Japan, and
has worked with conductors
such as Georg Solti, Valery
Gergiev, Claudio Abbado,
Gennady Rozhdestvensky,
Yuri Temirkanov, Mstislav
Rostropovich, Marek
Janowski, Rudolf Barshai,
Alberto Zedda, Eliahu Inbal,
Neeme Järvi, Eri Klas, Mariss
Jansons and Alexander
Lazarev, among many others.
Marina Aleshonkova
soprano
His discography includes
Boris Godunov, Betrothal in a
Monastery, The Tsar’s Bride,
Prince Igor, The Love for Three
Oranges, Semyon Kotko,
Francesca da Rimini, Aleko
and Rachmaninov’s The Bells.
In 2009 Evgeny Akimov was
awarded two medals by the
Rachmaninov Foundation for
his performances in Francesca
da Rimini and The Bells.
He has appeared at the
Metropolitan Opera, New
York, La Scala, Milan, the
Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden, and at opera houses
in Washington, Rome and
Hamburg. He has sung in
concert at leading venues
throughout Europe, as well as
making several appearances
at Salzburg’s Easter Festival
and festivals in San Sebastián,
Baden-Baden, Mikkeli and
Savonlinna.
Her repertoire at the Mariinsky
Theatre has included Brigitta
(Iolanta), Kristina (The
Makropulos Affair), Barbarina
(The Marriage of Figaro), a
Lay-sister (Suor Angelica) and
Echo (Ariadne auf Naxos).
Sergey Aleksashkin’s
recordings include The Fiery
Angel, Sadko, The Queen of
Spades, La forza del destino,
Betrothal in a Monastery,
Iolanta, Prince Igor and
Shostakovich’s 13th and 14th
Symphonies.
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He has worked with many
leading musicians, including
the singers Giuseppe
Giacomini, Plácido Domingo
and Ferruccio Furlanetto and
conductors Lorin Maazel,
Mstislav Rostropovich, EsaPekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka
Saraste, Gianandrea Noseda
and Semyon Bychkov.
Marina Aleshonkova was born
in Krasnogorsk and in 2009
graudated from the Gnesin
Academy of Music. She was a
prize-winner at the All-Russian
Valentina Levko Vocalists’
Competition (2008) and the
Romansiada International
Young Russian Romance
Performers’ Competition
(2009). She has been a soloist
with the Mariinsky Academy of
Young Singers since 2010.
N. Razina
Kristina Alieva
Roman Burdenko
Alexander Gerasimov
Kristina Alieva soprano
Roman Burdenko baritone
Alexander Gerasimov
bass-baritone
Kristina Alieva graduated from
the Krasnoyarsk State Academy
of Music and Theatre in 2012.
She has won many prizes in
international competitions,
including first prize in the ‘Young
Voices’ competition in Abakan
in 2010.
Roman Burdenko studied
at the Novosibirsk Glinka
Conservatory, the St
Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory and in the Young
Opera Singers programme
at the Accademia Nazionale
di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He
was a soloist at St Petersburg’s
She has participated in
Mikhailovsky Theatre (2006–
masterclasses given by Tatiana 2011) and since 2009 has been
Novichenko, Gabriella Sborgi, a soloist with the Novosibirsk
Ruzanna Lisitsian, Henrietta
Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
Davis and Caroline Mazur.
He has appeared as a guest
Roles she has performed
soloist at theatres throughout
at the Krasnoyarsk Theatre
Europe and the USA. Roles he
include Giannetta (L’elisir
has performed include Ford
d’amore), Kostya (Why Do
(Falstaff) at the Glyndebourne
Foxes Have Hares’ Ears?),
Festival, Marcello (La bohème)
Mirabella (Strauss Gala), the
at the Komische Oper Berlin,
Page (Rigoletto), the Cat (The
Conte di Luna (Il trovatore)
Musicians of Bremen Town)
in Kansas, Enrico (Lucia
and Snegurochka (The Snow
di Lammermoor) in Palm
Maiden).
Beach and Valladolid, Paolo
Albiani (Simon Boccanegra)
She is currently an MA
in Strasbourg and Santiago
student at the Herzen State
de Chile, and Tonio (Pagliacci)
Pedagogical University.
and Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana)
in Santiago de Chile.
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Other highlights have
included a tour by the
Novosibirsk Theatre, in which
he performed the title-role in
Prince Igor (South Korea) and
that of Escamillo in Carmen
(Thailand).
Alexander Gerasimov was
born in St Petersburg and
studied at the St Petersburg
State Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory. He was a soloist
with the Mariinsky Academy
of Young Singers from 2000
to 2008, when he joined the
Mariinsky Opera Company.
His repertoire includes roles
in Boris Godunov, Eugene
Onegin, The Enchantress, The
Snow Maiden, Christmas Eve,
Sadko, The Tale of Tsar Saltan,
The Golden Cockerel, Aleko,
The Gambler, Betrothal in a
Monastery, War and Peace,
The Nightingale, The Nose,
The Left-Hander, Rigoletto,
Don Carlo, Gianni Schicchi, Il
tabarro, L’heure espagnole,
The Marriage of Figaro, The
Magic Flute, Das Rheingold,
Die Frau ohne Schatten and
My Fair Lady.
He has toured with the
Mariinsky Opera Company in
Finland, Sweden, France, the
USA, Japan and Germany.
and has taken part in the Aixen-Provence Festival (The Love
for Three Oranges). In 2004 he
took part in a new production
of Shostakovich’s Moscow,
Cheryomushki at the Opéra
de Lyon.
About the performers
Ekaterina Goncharova
Anastasia Kalagina
Mikhail Kazakov
Ekaterina Goncharova
soprano
Anastasia Kalagina soprano
Mikhail Kazakov bass
Mikhail Kazakov was born
in Dmitrovgrad. In 200l he
completed his studies at
the Kazan Conservatory.
The same year he joined
the Bolshoi Theatre Opera
Company as soloist.
His repertoire at the Bolshoi
includes the title-role in Boris
Godunov and major roles in
Iolanta, Prince Igor, Nabucco,
Eugene Onegin, Macbeth,
Khovanshchina, War and
Peace and The Legend of the
Invisible City of Kitezh. Also in
his repertoire are operas by
Rossini, Verdi, Rachmaninov,
Puccini, Boito and Bellini.
As a concert artist he has
appeared at prestigious
venues in Russia and
throughout Europe.
Mikhail Kazakov has also
appeared with New Israel
Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper,
Dresden Staatsoper,
Washington National Opera,
Deutsche Oper am Rhein and
the Dallas Opera. He has also
given performances at the
Lucerne and Chaliapin Opera
festivals.
His discography features
songs by Tchaikovsky.
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Anastasia Kalagina graduated
from the St Petersburg
State Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory. In 1998 she
joined the Mariinsky Academy
of Young Singers. She has
been a Mariinsky Opera
soloist since 2007, where her
repertoire includes major
roles in The Tsar’s Bride, The
Snow Maiden, The Tale of Tsar
Saltan, The Love for Three
Oranges, War and Peace,
Betrothal in a Monastery, Il
viaggio a Reims, Don Pasquale,
Rigoletto, Falstaff, Carmen,
In 2008 she sang Micaëla
Benvenuto Cellini, Idomeneo,
in a concert performance of
The Marriage of Figaro,
Carmen under Mariss Jansons Don Giovanni, The Magic
and in 2010 made her debut at Flute, Siegfried, The Tales of
the Philharmonie in Cologne
Hoffmann, Pelléas et Mélisande
in a concert with Montserrat
and Ariadne auf Naxos.
Caballé.
Her concert repertoire
In the 2011/12 season she
includes the soprano roles
sang Tatiana (Eugene Onegin) in Mendelssohn’s Elijah,
and Micaëla at the Mariinsky
Mahler’s Second, Fourth and
Theatre. In addition, she has
Eighth Symphonies, Mozart’s
toured throughout Russia,
Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem,
Spain and Poland.
Brahms’s Ein deutsches
Requiem, Dvo∑ák’s Stabat
Ekaterina Goncharova
mater and Orff’s Carmina
joined the Mariinsky Opera
burana. As a recitalist she
Company in 2012.
has sung songs by RimskyKorsakov, Tchaikovsky,
Rachmaninov, Medtner,
Shostakovich, Schumann,
Schubert, Liszt, Brahms, Fauré
and Debussy.
Ekaterina Goncharova
won first prize at the Elena
Obraztsova International
Young Opera Singers’
Competition (2007) and
the Montserrat Caballé
International Opera Singers’
Competition (2008). She is a
graduate of the St Petersburg
State Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory and since 2009
has been a soloist with the
St Petersburg Conservatory
Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Dmitry Koleyshko
Ekaterina Krapivina
Mikhail Latyshev
Dmitry Koleyshko tenor
Ekaterina Krapivina
mezzo-soprano
Mikhail Latyshev tenor
Dmitry Koleyshko was born
in Donetsk in the Ukraine. He
graduated from the Donetsk
State Prokofiev Academy
of Music in 2006. He was a
soloist with the Solovyanenko
Academic Opera and Ballet
Theatre in Donetsk (2003–6)
and has been a soloist with
the Mariinsky Academy of
Young Singers since 2006.
His repertoire at the
Mariinsky Theatre includes
roles in The Stone Guest,
Khovanshchina, The Queen
of Spades, Christmas Eve,
Eugene Onegin, The Love for
Three Oranges, The Gambler,
Dead Souls, The Carriage,
The Left-Hander, Il viaggio a
Reims, L’heure espagnole, Don
Quichotte, The Magic Flute,
Carmen, Idomeneo, Benvenuto
Cellini and The Barber of
Seville.
12
He has taken part in concerts
by the Academy’s soloists
in Russia, Italy, France and
Finland, as well as in festivals
in Russia. He is also in
demand as a recitalist and has
taken part in contemporary
music festivals in St Petersburg.
He has toured with the
Mariinsky Opera to Germany,
Finland and Norway.
Ekaterina Krapivina was a
prize-winner at international
competitions in Lempää,
Lonigo and Volgograd and
the Young Talents of Russia
Competition. She trained
at the Astrakhan State
Conservatory. She was a
soloist with the Astrakhan
Musical Theatre. and has
performed at the Mariinsky
Theatre since 2006. She
became a soloist with the
Theatre earlier this year.
Her performances at the
Mariinsky Theatre include
roles in Ruslan and Lyudmila,
Sadko, Eugene Onegin, The
Tsar’s Bride, War and Peace,
Lolita, La sonnambula,
Lucia di Lammermoor, La
traviata, Madam Butterfly,
Suor Angelica, The Marriage
of Figaro, Die Frau ohne
Schatten, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream and The
Makropulos Affair.
Her repertoire additionally
includes roles in Prince Igor,
The Queen of Spades, Iolanta
and The Tsar’s Bride and
the mezzo-soprano part in
Mozart’s Requiem.
Mikhail Latyshev was a
prize-winner at the First
International Vocalists’
Competition of St Petersburg.
He graduated from the
city’s State Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory in 2002. From
1998 to 2001 he was a soloist
with the Mussorgsky Opera
and Ballet Theatre (now the
Mikhailovsky Theatre). From
2001 to 2008 he was a soloist
with the Mariinsky Academy
of Young Singers. Since then
he has been a soloist at the
Mariinsky Theatre, performing
more than 20 roles in works
including Mazeppa, Aleko,
The Nose (the work in which
he made his Mariinsky Theatre
debut), The Left-Hander,
Il viaggio a Reims, The
Marriage of Figaro, Lucia di
Lammermoor, Macbeth, Don
Pasquale and The Makropulos
Affair.
He has taken part in
international festivals and
has toured to the USA,
Great Britain, France, Spain,
Germany, Finland and Japan.
About the performers
Maria Maksakova
Yulia Matochkina
Vladimir Moroz
Maria Maksakova
mezzo-soprano
Yulia Matochkina
mezzo-soprano
Vladimir Moroz baritone
Maria Maksakova was born in
Munich into a musical family.
She initially studied piano
before focusing on voice at
the Gnesin Academy of Music
and further studies in Italy
under Gianfranco Pastine
and Katia Ricciarelli. In 2000
she joined the New Opera in
Moscow where she was a lead
soloist until 2006. Since 2003
she has been a guest soloist of
the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
She joined the Helikon Opera
in 2006 and has been a soloist
with the Mariinsky Opera
Company since 2011. There
she has sung major roles in
The Left-Hander, Così fan
tutte, The Marriage of Figaro,
Il tabarro, Ariadne auf Naxos,
The Tales of Hoffmann and
The Rape of Lucretia.
Yulia Matochkina was born
in Mirny. She studied at
the Arkhangelsk Regional
School of Music and the
Petrozavodsk Glazunov State
Conservatory. She has won
prizes in competitions in
Moscow, Volgograd, Lipetsk,
St Petersburg and Saratov.
Her wide-ranging
discography includes works by
Bizet, Mozart, Rachmaninov,
Schubert, Schumann and
Tchaikovsky and she also
presents the TV programme
The Romance of the Romance.
He graduated from the
Minsk Academy of Music in
1999 and was a soloist with
Since 2008 she has been a
the Belorussian National
soloist with the Mariinsky
Opera (1997–9), joining the
Academy of Young Singers,
Mariinsky Academy of Young
taking roles in Eugene Onegin, Singers in 1999. He became
The Queen of Spades, The
a member of the Mariinsky
Snow Maiden, Boris Godunov, Opera Company in 2005. He
Salammbô, May Night, The
has sung major roles at the
Legend of the Invisible City
Mariinsky Theatre in Boris
of Kitezh, The Love for Three
Godunov, Eugene Onegin,
Oranges, War and Peace,
Iolanta, The Queen of Spades,
Shponka and his Aunt, The
Sadko, The Snow Maiden,
Magic Flute, Die Walküre,
Betrothal in a Monastery, War
Das Rheingold, Rusalka, The
and Peace, The Mystery of
Marriage of Figaro, Die Frau
Paul the Apostle, Dead Souls,
ohne Schatten, La vida breve,
The Brothers Karamazov, The
The Makropulos Affair, A
Lawsuit, The Left-Hander,
Midsummer Night’s Dream,
L’elisir d’amore, Lucia di
The Tales of Hoffmann, Don
Lammermoor, The Barber of
Quichotte and Faust.
Seville, Il viaggio a Reims, Don
Carlo, Pagliacci, La bohème,
Together with the Mariinsky
L’heure espagnole, Faust,
Opera Company she has
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
toured throughout Russia as
and Pelléas et Mélisande.
well as to Austria, Finland,
Sweden, the UK, France and
He has toured widely with the
Japan.
Mariinsky Opera Company
and as a guest artist at major
international opera houses.
13
She has performed at theatres
throughout Russia, Italy,
Japan, Norway and Spain
and has given a series of
recitals with the pianist Vazha
Chachava.
Baritone Vladimir Moroz won
first prizes at the International
Rimsky-Korsakov Young
Opera Singers’ Competition
in St Petersburg and the
International Moniuszko
Competition in Warsaw.
Mikhail Petrenko
Andrey Popov
Anton Perminov bass
Mikhail Petrenko bass
Andrey Popov tenor
Anton Perminov was born in
Syktyvkar and graduated from
the St Petersburg State RimskyKorsakov Conservatory.
Mikhail Petrenko was born
in Leningrad. While still a
student at the St Petersburg
State Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory he was invited
to join the Mariinsky Academy
of Young Singers. Since
1998 he has been a soloist
with the Mariinsky Opera
Company, where he has sung
leading roles in Ruslan and
Lyudmila, Prince Igor, Eugene
Onegin, Boris Godunov, Don
Giovanni, Tristan und Isolde,
Lohengrin, Die Walküre and
Götterdämmerung.
Since 2010 he has been a
soloist with the Mariinsky
Academy of Young Singers
and he made his Mariinsky
Theatre debut in 2011 in A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Since then he has sung
roles in Eugene Onegin,
Iolanta, Khovanshchina, Boris
Godunov, War and Peace,
Dead Souls, Semyon Kotko,
The Nose, The Left-Hander,
Gianni Schicchi, Don Carlo,
The Marriage of Figaro, La
traviata, Il trovatore, Parsifal,
Lohengrin and My Fair Lady.
14
N. Razina
Nasonov
V. Baranovsky
Anton Perminov
Grammy-nominated Andrey
Popov was born in Leningrad.
He studied at the St Petersburg
State Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory and from 2000
to 2007 was a soloist with
the Mariinsky Academy of
Young Singers. He joined the
Mariinsky Opera in 2007. He
has been a guest soloist of
the State Academic Bolshoi
Theatre, taking part in The
Golden Cockerel and The
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk
District. At the Mariinsky
Theatre he has appeared in
Sorochintsy Fair, The Legend
His international career began of the Invisible City of Kitezh,
with his debut at the Berlin
Boris Godunov, May Night,
Staatsoper under Daniel
The Snow Maiden, Christmas
Barenboim. Since then he
Eve, The Tale of Tsar Saltan,
has appeared at the world’s
Kashchey the Immortal, The
leading opera houses and
Gambler, The Nose, The
worked with conductors
Love for Three Oranges and
including Pierre Boulez,
Dead Souls, as well as works
Christoph Eschenbach, Valery by Mozart, Richard Strauss,
Gergiev, Lorin Maazel, Zubin
Berlioz and Puccini.
Mehta and Sir Simon Rattle.
He has appeared at the
Future engagements include
Metropolitan Opera, New
Hagen (Götterdämmerung)
York, and Rome Opera. With
at the Berlin Staatsoper and
the Mariinsky Opera, he
La Scala, Milan; the title-role
has toured to London, New
in The Marriage of Figaro
York, Washington, Stockholm,
at the Metropolitan Opera;
Beijing, Tokyo, Helsinki,
and Philip II (Don Carlo) and
Brussels, Baden-Baden,
Méphistophélès (Faust) at
Valencia, Paris, Tel Aviv, Eilat,
the Netherlands Opera in
Las Palmas, Birmingham
Amsterdam.
and Cardiff.
About the performers
Anna Primki
Sergey Semishkur
Yekaterina Sergeyeva
Olga Savova mezzo-soprano
Sergey Semishkur tenor
Olga Savova is an Honoured
Artist of Russia and a Grammy
nominee. She was born in
Leningrad and studied at the
St Petersburg State RimskyKorsakov Conservatory. She
joined the Mariinsky Opera
Company in 1996, where she
has sung in Boris Godunov,
Khovanshchina, The Demon,
Eugene Onegin, Mazeppa,
The Enchantress, The Queen
of Spades, The Snow Maiden,
Christmas Eve, The Tsar’s Bride,
Oedipus rex, The Nightingale,
The Gambler, Semyon Kotko,
War and Peace, Katerina
Ismailova, Il trovatore, La
forza del destino, Don Carlo,
Aida, Otello, Cavalleria
rusticana, Tristan und Isolde,
Das Rheingold, Die Walküre,
Siegfried, Götterdämmerung,
Elektra and Die Frau ohne
Schatten.
Sergey Semishkur was born
in Kirov. He graduated from
the Nizhny-Novgorod State
Glinka Conservatory in 2003,
joining the Mariinsky Academy
of Young Singers the same
year. Since 2007 he has been
a soloist with the Mariinsky
Opera Company.
Ekaterina Sergeyeva
mezzo-soprano
She has worked with Valery
Gergiev, Bertrand de Billy,
Jean-Louis Grinda and Asher
Fisch and has appeared at
festivals in Mikkeli, Rotterdam
and Moscow. With the
Mariinsky Opera Company
she has performed at leading
venues throughout the world
and has also given solo
recitals in France, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Italy, the USA,
Japan, China and Israel.
With the company he has
sung roles in Prince Igor, The
Marriage, Boris Godunov,
The Tsar’s Bride, The Tale of
Tsar Saltan, Eugene Onegin,
Christmas Eve, Aleko, The
Gambler, The Love for Three
Oranges, The Nose, Oedipus
rex, Dead Souls, Lucia di
Lammermoor, Rigoletto, La
traviata, Otello, La bohème,
Madam Butterfly, Benvenuto
Cellini, Les Troyens, Faust, The
Tales of Hoffmann, Carmen,
Das Rheingold, Jen≤fa, The
Makropulos Affair and King
Roger.
He has appeared at leading
opera houses throughout
the world and at festivals in
Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Salzburg,
Edinburgh and Eilat.
His discography includes
The Nose, Oedipus rex,
Das Rheingold, Berlioz’s
Requiem and Mahler’s Eighth
Symphony.
Ekaterina Sergeyeva was
born in St Petersburg. She
graduated from the St
Petersburg State RimskyKorsakov Conservatory in
2005 and has been a soloist
with the Mariinsky Academy of
Young Singers since 2004. She
has been a prize-winner at
competitions in Vladikavkaz,
Kaliningrad and St Petersburg.
Her repertoire at the Mariinsky
Theatre has included roles
in The Gambler, Eugene
Onegin, Boris Godunov, The
Queen of Spades, Iolanta,
The Snow Maiden, The Love
for Three Oranges, Shponka
and his Aunt, Suor Angelica,
The Magic Flute, Die Walküre,
Elektra, Ariadne auf Naxos,
The Tales of Hoffmann, Don
Quichotte and West Side Story.
She appears on the recording
of Elektra featuring Valery
Gergiev with the London
Symphony Orchestra.
Together with the Mariinsky
Opera Company, she has
toured to Germany (BadenBaden), Japan and the USA.
In 2010 she took part in the
Tirol Festival.
15
N. Razina
Olga Savova
Alexander Timchenko
Edward Tsanga
Oleg Sychov bass
Alexander Timchenko tenor
Edward Tsanga bass-baritone
Oleg Sychov was born in
Kharkov and studied at the
Kharkov Institute of the Arts
and at the National Academy
of Music of Ukraine, where,
in 2008, he completed his
postgraduate studies. From
2002 to 2008 he was a soloist
with the National Opera of
Ukraine.
Alexander Timchenko was
born in Leningrad. He
graduated from the Glinka
Choral School of the St
Petersburg State Academic
Cappella in 1993 and
subsequently from the St
Petersburg State RimskyKorsakov Conservatory.
Edward Tsanga is an
Honoured Artist of the
Republic of Komi (where he
was born). He graduated
from the Nizhny Novgorod
Glinka Conservatory and
was a prize-winner at the
Elena Obraztsova, Pavel
Lisitsian and Plácido Domingo
‘Operalia’ competitions,
among others.
In 2010 he made his
Mariinsky Theatre debut
as the Apostle Paul in The
Mystery of the Apostle Paul.
In the 2010/11 season he
joined the Mariinsky Opera
Company. There he has
sung roles in Boris Godunov,
Khovanshchina, Prince Igor,
Mazeppa, Iolanta, The Maid
of Pskov, The Gambler, The
Fiery Angel, Dead Souls, The
Left-Hander, La traviata,
Attila, Otello, Don Giovanni,
Macbeth, Madam Butterfly, La
forza del destino, Les Troyens,
Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, The Makropulos Affair,
Pelléas et Mélisande and The
Tales of Hoffmann.
16
N. Razina
Igor Pushin
Oleg Sychov
He has toured to Germany,
France, the Netherlands,
Japan, Poland and Belgium
and sang in the Russian
premiere of Alexander
Raskatov’s suite The Alphabet
of Death.
He was a soloist with the
Mariinsky Academy of Young
Singers from 2001 and the
following year made his
Mariinsky Theatre debut as
Lensky (Eugene Onegin). He
has been a Mariinsky Opera
Company soloist since 2005,
where he has taken roles in
Boris Godunov, The Tale of
Tsar Saltan, Eugene Onegin,
The Queen of Spades, The
Nightingale, Oedipus rex,
The Fiery Angel, The Brothers
Karamazov, The Left-Hander,
Dead Souls, Pagliacci,
Turandot, L’heure espagnole,
Don Giovanni, Così fan
tutte, The Magic Flute, Das
Rheingold, Tristan und Isolde,
The Turn of the Screw, The
Makropulos Affair, Jen≤fa and
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
He has toured internationally
with the Mariinsky Opera
Company and his recordings
include Verdi’s Requiem and
Stravinsky’s Les noces.
In 2000 he joined the Mariinsky
Academy of Young Singers
and, since 2008, has been
a member of the Mariinsky
Opera Company. His repertoire
includes roles in Prince Igor,
Ruslan and Lyudmila, Boris
Godunov, Eugene Onegin,
The Queen of Spades, The
Enchantress, Christmas Eve, May
Night, The Snow Maiden, The
Tale of Tsar Saltan, The Golden
Cockerel, The Left-Hander,
Aleko, The Gambler, The Love
for Three Oranges, Betrothal in
a Monastery, War and Peace,
The Nose, The Nightingale,
Oedipus rex and operas by
Mozart, Wagner, Puccini,
Berlioz and Donizetti, among
others.
He has toured with the
Mariinsky Opera Company to
London and Paris and to cities
throughout Finland, South
Korea and Germany.
About the performers
N. Razina
Edem Umerov
Elena Vitman
Yury Vlasov
Edem Umerov baritone
Elena Vitman mezzo-soprano
Yury Vlasov bass
Edem Umerov was born in
Samarkand. He graduated
from the St Petersburg State
Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory
in 1991, becoming a lead
soloist with the St Petersburg
Chamber Opera Company
from 1992.
Elena Vitman was born in the
Far East. She studied at the
St Petersburg State RimskyKorsakov Conservatory
and became a soloist at
the Mariinsky Theatre in
1996, making her debut as
Lyubava (Sadko). Since then
she has appeared in many
operas at the Mariinsky
Theatre, including Ruslan and
Lyudmila, Boris Godunov,
Mazeppa, The Queen of
Spades, Eugene Onegin,
Iolanta, Christmas Eve, The
Snow Maiden, Semyon Kotko,
War and Peace, The Nose,
La forza del destino, Suor
Angelica, Madam Butterfly, Les
Troyens, the Ring cycle, Elektra,
Die Frau ohne Schatten, The
Turn of the Screw, Jen≤fa and
Pelléas et Mélisande.
Yury Vlasov graduated from
the St Petersburg RimskyKorsakov Conservatory in 2012
and last year won second
prize at the Elena Obraztsova
International Young Opera
Singers’ Competition and
first prize at the St Petersburg
Competition.
Together with the Mariinsky
Opera Company he has
toured to the Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden, La
Scala, Milan, the Ravenna
Festival, Madrid’s Teatro Real,
and to Baden-Baden and
Israel.
Together with the Mariinsky
Opera Company she has
toured to the Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden, the
Barbican, the Cardiff Festival,
the Teatro Real in Madrid, and
to Germany, Israel, Japan and
the USA.
At various theatres he has
performed the roles of
Gremin (Eugene Onegin),
Prince Yury (The Legend of
the Invisible City of Kitezh),
Malyuta Skuratov (The Tsar’s
Bride), Bartolo (The Marriage
of Figaro), Masetto (Don
Giovanni), Sarastro (The
Magic Flute) and Basilio (Il
barbiere di Siviglia).
He is currently a soloist with
the St Petersburg Chamber
Opera Company.
She is also in demand as
a recitalist, performing in St
Petersburg and throughout
Germany.
17
In 1998 he joined the Mariinsky
Opera Company. There, he
has taken major roles in Boris
Godunov, Khovanshchina,
Mazeppa, The Enchantress,
The Queen of Spades, Iolanta,
The Maid of Pskov, The Tsar’s
Bride, Aleko, War and Peace,
Pagliacci, Nabucco, Attila,
Macbeth, Rigoletto, Aida,
Falstaff, Turandot, Tosca,
Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde,
the Ring cycle, Samson et
Dalila, Salome, Die Frau ohne
Schatten, Parsifal, King Roger
and Duke Bluebeard’s Castle.
His repertoire also includes the
title-roles in Eugene Onegin
and Alexander Smelkov’s
Fifth Journey of Christopher
Columbus.
V. Baranovsky
Mariinsky Opera
Vitaly Yankovsky
Vladimir Zhivopistsev
Vitaly Yankovsky bass
Vladimir Zhivopistsev tenor
Vitaly Yankovsky was born in
Belarus. From 1997 to 2001
he trained at the Belorussian
Academy of Music. From 2001
to 2006 he was a student
at the St Petersburg State
Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory
and then became a soloist
with the Opera and Ballet
Theatre of the St Petersburg
Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory
(2006–8). Earlier this year he
joined the Mariinsky Opera.
Vladimir Zhivopistsev was born
in Belarus and graduated from
the Odessa State Conservatory
in 1982 as a baritone. He was
a soloist with the Mussorgsky
Opera and Ballet Theatre
(1982–87) and from 1988 to
1994 with the St Petersburg
Chamber Opera Company.
He joined the Mariinsky Opera
Company in 1994.
18
He has sung roles at the
Mariinsky Theatre in Boris
Godunov, The Tsar’s Bride,
The Legend of the Invisible
City of Kitezh, Semyon Kotko,
War and Peace, The Lady
Macbeth of the Mtsensk
District, Dead Souls, The LeftHander, Macbeth, Otello, Il
trovatore, Don Carlo, Un ballo
in maschera, Tosca, Ariadne
auf Naxos and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
His repertoire at the Mariinsky
Theatre includes roles in A
Life for the Tsar, Ruslan and
Lyudmila, Prince Igor, Boris
Godunov, Khovanshchina,
Mazeppa, The Enchantress,
The Queen of Spades, Eugene
Onegin, The Snow Maiden,
Sadko, The Tale of Tsar
Saltan, The Nightingale, The
Gambler, The Fiery Angel,
Semyon Kotko, Betrothal in
a Monastery, The Nose, The
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk
District, Katerina Ismailova,
The Story of Kai and Gerda,
The Lawsuit, The Carriage,
The Left-Hander and operas
by Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi,
Puccini, Mozart and Wagner.
He has toured to Finland,
Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland,
Great Britain, Portugal, Israel,
France, Luxemburg, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Japan,
Turkey and the USA.
The Mariinsky Theatre,
named after Empress Maria
Alexandrovna, wife of
Alexander II, opened in 1860.
However, the opera and ballet
companies themselves date
back to 1783 when Empress
Catherine II issued an imperial
decree on the establishment
of a Russian opera and ballet
company in St Petersburg. This
year the companies celebrate
their 232nd season.
The Mariinsky Theatre has
nurtured many great artists:
Feodor Chaliapin, Anna
Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky,
Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail
Baryshnikov all performed
on the Mariinsky stage. The
Mariinsky Theatre ballet
masters Marius Petipa,
Michel Fokine and George
Balanchine all played an
immensely important role in
the development of ballet,
while the Mariinsky Orchestra
entered a golden age under
the music direction of Eduard
Nápravník (1839–1916). He
also trained a generation
of outstanding conductors,
developing what came to be
known as the Russian school
of conducting.
Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov
were closely associated
with the Orchestra, which
premiered major works by
both figures.
The Mariinsky Theatre was
the birthplace of many major
operas and ballets. Worldpremiere performances
include A Life for the Tsar,
Ruslan and Lyudmila,
Prince Igor, Boris Godunov,
Khovanshchina, The Maid of
Pskov, The Snow Maiden, The
Legend of the Invisible City of
In 1862 Verdi composed
La forza del destino for the
company. Wagner was a
favourite at the Mariinsky
and the Theatre gave the first
Russian performances of the
complete Ring cycle, Tristan
und Isolde, Die Meistersinger
and Parsifal. The Mariinsky
also gave the first Russian
performances of Elektra,
Salome, Der Rosenkavalier
and Wozzeck. Wagner, Berlioz,
Mahler and Schoenberg all
conducted the orchestra, as
did legendary maestros such
as Hans von Bülow, Hans
Richter, Felix Mottl, Alexander
von Zemlinsky, Arthur Nikisch,
Otto Klemperer, Bruno Walter
and Erich Kleiber.
On 2 May 2013 Gergiev
conducted the opening
gala of the Mariinsky’s new
2,000-seat lyric opera house,
televised live internationally.
Mariinsky II has state-ofthe-art stage and rehearsal
facilities, three chamber
venues and an amphitheatre
terrace with panoramic views
across St Petersburg.
Renamed the Kirov during
the Soviet era, the company
continued to maintain its
high artistic standards
under the leadership of
Yevgeny Mravinsky and Yury
Temirkanov. In 1988 Valery
Gergiev became Artistic
Director of the Mariinsky
Opera and Orchestra and
in 1996 he was appointed
Artistic and General Director
of the Mariinsky Theatre. In
1992, soon after the city of
Leningrad was renamed St
Petersburg, the Kirov Theatre
and its companies reverted
to their original title of the
Mariinsky.
The Mariinsky Theatre is
grateful to its Global Partners:
VTB, Sberbank and Yoko
Ceschina.
Besides extensive touring
as part of the opera and
the ballet companies, the
Mariinsky Orchestra has
performed throughout
the world as a symphony
Recent UK appearances by
the Mariinsky companies
include residencies at the 2011,
2012 and 2014 Edinburgh
Festivals and at the Royal
Opera House, Covent
Garden, as well as concerts
at the BBC Proms, Cardiff,
Birmingham and London.
Mariinsky Chorus
The chorus is an indispensible
part of any opera company
and at the Mariinsky the
unbroken continuity of the
theatre, from its 18th-century
origins to the present day,
has endowed the work of its
house chorus ensemble with a
particular depth and style. Its
history is as rich and distinctive
as the sound it makes and the
Mariinsky Chorus has much
tradition – frequently integral
to the development of Russian
music itself – behind it.
About the performers
orchestra and is recognised as
one of the finest ensembles of
present times. The Mariinsky’s
acoustically acclaimed concert
hall opened in St Petersburg
in 2006.
The mid-19th century, in
particular, was a period
of intense activity at the
Mariinsky, when many great
composers worked closely
with it. Under the leadership of
the opera conductor Eduard
Nápravník the company
staged first productions of
major operas by Mussorgsky,
Borodin, Tchaikovsky and
Verdi (La forza del destino).
The chorus formed the
foundation of much of the
texture of these scores, and
its skills were honed by a
succession of outstanding
chorus masters: Karl
Kutschera, Ivan Pomazansky,
Yevstafy Azeyev, and Grigory
Kazachenko, Vladimir
Stepanov, Asvenir Mikhailov
and Alexander Murin.
Today this long tradition of
excellence is maintained by
Andrey Petrenko, who has
been Principal Chorus Master
since 2000.
The current repertoire
of the Mariinsky Chorus
encompasses a vast array
of works – over 60 Russian
and European classical
operas, which are matched
by dramatic cantatas and
orchestral works, such as
19
Kitezh, The Queen of Spades,
Iolanta, The Nutcracker,
Sleeping Beauty, The Demon,
Betrothal in a Monastery, The
Nose, The Golden Age and
Spartacus.
Orff’s Carmina burana,
Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky
and Shostakovich symphonies,
as well as by a wide range
of a cappella cantatas and
choral concertos. Oratorios
and other sacred works – for
example the Requiems of
Mozart, Cherubini, Verdi,
Berlioz and Duruflé, and
Rossini’s Stabat Mater – also
feature prominently.
Central to the this aspect
of the chorus’s work is also
the deep vein of Russian
liturgical music represented by
Bortnyansky, Vedel, Degtyarev,
Arkhangelsky, Gretchaninov,
Mokranjac, Kastalsky and
Chesnokov, as well as other
more familiar Russian sacred
works by composers such as
Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov,
Taneyev and Stravinsky.
The Mariinsky Chorus is
famous for its beautiful and
powerful control of tonecolour and its rich soundpalette (in addition to vivid
acting skills on the opera
stage). The ensemble regularly
appears at international
festivals, including the
Moscow Easter Festival and
the international festival which
commemorates Russia Day. It
has also presented a cappella
programmes at major venues
throughout Russia, Lithuania,
Finland, the Netherlands,
Belgium, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Italy, the UK,
Denmark and Israel.
20
It has played a key role in
significant modern premieres
such as Sofia Gubaidulina’s
St John Passion (for which
it received a Grammy
nomination in 2003); Vladimir
Martynov’s Vita nuova;
Alexander Smelkov’s The
Brothers Karamazov and
Rodion Shchedrin’s The
Enchanted Wanderer and The
Left-Hander.
tenors and basses also
drawn entirely from within the
school, the choir gives regular
concerts in London and tours
regularly, including in recent
years Australia, New Zealand
and China.
The Mariinsky Chorus
features on a number of
recordings on the Mariinsky’s
own label (under the
baton of Valery Gergiev)
including Shostakovich’s The
Nose; Wagner’s Parsifal;
Shchedrin’s The Enchanted
Wanderer; Donizetti’s Lucia di
Lammermoor; Tchaikovsky’s
Moscow Cantata; Stravinsky’s
Les noces and Oedipus rex
(for which it won the 2011
ICMA choral award); and
Shostakovich’s Second and
Eleventh Symphonies.
The choir has made
recordings of most of the
orchestral repertoire that
includes boys’ choir. Notable
releases have included
Mahler’s Eighth Symphony
under Klaus Tennstedt, which
was nominated for a Grammy,
Puccini’s Il trittico and Tosca,
Massenet’s Werther, Britten’s
Billy Budd and War Requiem
and Mahler’s Third Symphony.
Members of the choir have
also featured on DVD releases
of Carmen, La bohème, Tosca
and Hänsel und Gretel from
the Royal Opera House. The
choir recently released a disc
of music by Britten on Herald.
Tiffin Boys’ Choir
Since its foundation in 1957,
the Tiffin Boys’ Choir has
been one of the few stateschool choirs to have been
continually at the forefront
of the choral music scene in
Britain.
The choir has worked with
all the London orchestras
and performs regularly with
the Royal Opera, Covent
Garden. Recent engagements
have included Britten’s War
Requiem (Philharmonia/Lorin
Maazel) and Mahler’s Eighth
Symphony (Philharmonia/
Esa-Pekka Salonen), Parsifal
(Mariinsky/Valery Gergiev),
the soundtrack for The Hobbit
at Abbey Road Studios,
and an appearance in the
film Philomena. With altos,
Tiffin School is state grammar
school and specialist Arts
College in Kingston-uponThames. The majority of the
1,200 boys in the school play
a musical instrument, and
100 study music at GCSE
and A Level. The Thames
Youth Orchestra and Thames
Youth Choir originated at the
school, and many boys sing
in Kingston Parish Church
Choir. Several members of the
choir have gained university
choral scholarships on leaving
Tiffin: there are ex-Tiffinians
currently singing in the choirs
of King’s, St John’s, Trinity,
Jesus, Emmanuel and Queens’
Colleges in Cambridge, and
Exeter, Magdalen, Queen’s,
Oriel and St Edmund Hall
Colleges in Oxford.
Violin 2
Zumrad Ilieva
Elena Luferova
Viktoria Shukina
Andrey Pokatov
Nina Pirogova
Andrey Novodran
Natalia Polevaya
Elena Shirokova
Kirill Murashko
Anna Vinogradskaya
Viola
Yury Afonkin
Dina Muratova
Lina Golovina
Alexander
Shelkovnikov
Roman Ivanov
Mikhail Anikeev
Andrey Petushkov
Alevtina Alekseeva
Cello
Oleg Sendetsky
Anton Gakkel
Omar Bairamov
Viktor Kustov
Ekaterina Larina
Vladimir Yunovich
Oksana Moroz
Double Bass
Kirill Karikov
Vladimir Shostak
Vladislav Ryabokon
Denis Kashin
Boris Markelov
Flute
Nikolay Mokhov
Aglaya Shuplyakova
Ekaterina Rostovskaya
Mikhail Pobedinsky
Maria Izotova
Alexander Kiskachi
Oboe
Pavel Kundyanok
Alexander Levin
Alexey Fedorov
Ilya Ilin
Viktor Ukhalin
Clarinet
Viktor Kulyk
Nikita Vaganov
Yury Zuryaev
Dmitry Kharitonov
Bassoon
Rodion Tolmachev
Yury Radzevich
Alexander Sharykin
Ruslan Mamedov
Horn
Stanislav Tses
Dmitry Vorontsov
Alexandru Afanasiev
Vladislav Kuznetsov
Yury Akimkin
Petr Rodin
Trumpet
Sergey Kruchkov
Timur Martynov
Yury Fokin
Vitaly Zaytsev
Orchestra Director
Vladimir Ivanov
Trombone
Andrey Smirnov
Alexey Lobikov
Alexander Dzhurri
Mikhail Seliverstov
Maris Zondaks
Orchestra Stage
Technicians
Viktor Belyashin
Dmitry Popov
Tuba
Nikolay Slepnev
Dzhioev Boris
Percussion
Andrey Khotin
Arseny Shuplyakov
Yury Alekseev
Mikhail Vedunkin
Vladislav Ivanov
Fedor Khandrikov
Tour Manager
Nadezhda Bitskaya
Opera Administrator
Tatiana Orlova
Principal Vocal Coach
Irina Soboleva
Company Director
Nikolay Shvalev
Harp
Sofia Kiprskaya
Piano
Valeria Rumyantseva
Olga Okhromenko
Dmitry Efimov
Bayan
Oleg Gulevsky
Duduk
Karen Sargsyan
Mandolina-domra
Anna Toporkova
Ekaterina Shirokova
Gusli
Katerina Anokhina
21
Violin 1
Alexey Lukirsky leader
Leonid Veksler
Antony Kozmin
Mikhail Rikhter
Khristian Artamonov
Dina Zikeeva
Kristina Minosyan
Viktoria Boezhova
Danara Urgadulova
Vsevolod Vasiliev
Andrey Tyan
Tatiana Moroz
About the performers
Mariinsky Opera Orchestra
& Chorus
Principal Chorus
Master
Andrey Petrenko
Chorus Master
Pavel Petrenko
Soprano 1
Rada Baklunova
Valentina
Chumachenko
Angelina
Dashkovskaya
Irina Khaustova
Marina Kirushina
Elena Matorina
Marina Nigamatulina
Natalia Orlova
Soprano 2
Maria Galusina
Anastasia Lelekova
Maria Livanskaya
Vera Pabuzina
Victoria Utekhina
Mezzo-soprano 1
Natalia Inkova
Nadezhda Khadzheva
Yulia Khramtsova
Elena Petrenko
Olga Semenova
Maria Shuklina
Tenor 2
Andrey Leibov
Sergey Melenevsky
Viktor Okhrema
Alexander Razumov
Daniil Vasiliev
Sergey Yukhmanov
Mezzo-soprano 2
Inna Alexeyeva
Bayrta Kudinova
Natalya Kurlovich
Natalia Popova
Olga Yemelianova
Oxana Zagrebelnaya
Bass 1
Alexander Gorev
Yury Peresypkin
Konstantin Rylov
Ivan Savelchenko
Evgeny Ursul
Fyodor Uvarov
Andrey Vasin
Tenor 1
Alexey Burtsev
Nikita Gribanov
Roman Malakanov
Andrey Molodchinin
Egor Semenkov
Alexey Velikanov
Bass 2
Mikhail Baranov
Mikhail Kornblit
Alexander
Maximenkov
Egor Pavlov
Maxim Rannev
Pavel Rayevsky
Artem Velichko
Tiffin Boys’ Choir
22
Director
Simon Toyne
Ben Baker
Aditya Bhattacharya
Robert Bywater
Philip Chilcote
Benji Clegg
Jojo Cronin
Ben Gibson
Alexander Hobbs
Ray Holding
Robert Jones
Timothy Jones
Ben Knight
Tom La Frenais
Ben Larvin
Orlando Low
Freddie Maguire
Harry Manley
David Mason
Max McGarrigle
Euan O’Connor
Chris Newton
Gary Pitman
Jude Popham
Eshan Sabesan
Duncan Tarboton
Joseph Waymouth
Mariinsky Theatre
Trust
Chief Executive
Caroline
González-Pintado
Company Secretary
Garry Glover
Tour Assistant
Alena Semenova
PATRON
HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
CHAIRMAN LADY SOLTI
the mariinsky theatre trust
The Mariinsky Theatre Trust has been ground-breaking in the world of arts support
organisations. Created in 1993 by Valery Gergiev, the Trust combines practical assistance
for the Mariinsky Theatre’s work in Russia with active promotion of its most innovative
programming in the UK.
The Mariinsky Theatre Trust is particularly grateful to BP for its important ongoing
commitment to Mariinsky touring in the UK. Already this support has facilitated nearly
60 performances involving over 500 artists at leading UK festivals and venues. This
support builds on the strong relationship already established between BP Russia and the
Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and forms part of BP’s cultural programme in the UK.
The Mariinsky Theatre Trust is also grateful to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian
Federation for its support towards Mariinsky UK appearances during the 2014 UK-Russia
Year of Culture.
Mariinsky UK Tour November 2014
Mariinsky Opera:
2 Nov
Prokofiev Betrothal in a Monastery Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
3 Nov
Mussorgsky Boris Godunov Barbican Centre, London
4 Nov
Shchedrin Levsha (UK premiere) Barbican Centre, London
5–9 Nov Wagner Ring Cycle (staged) Birmingham Hippodrome
Mariinsky Stradivarius Ensemble:
7 Nov
Town Hall, Birmingham Tchaikovsky, Elgar, R. Strauss
Mariinsky Chorus
5 Nov
Milton Court, London, Gavrilin Chimes
6 Nov
Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, Rachmaninov Vespers (All Night Vigil)
8 Nov
Town Hall, Birmingham, Rachmaninov Vespers (All Night Vigil)
For more information about the activities
of the Mariinsky and the Mariinsky
Theatre Trust, please contact: Caroline
González-Pintado, Chief Executive, The
Mariinsky Theatre Trust, Mare Street
Studios Unit 305, 203-213 Mare Street,
London, E8 3QE Tel: 020 8510 9262
Registered UK charity no.1010450
[email protected]
www.mariinskytrust.org.uk
Photo: Das Rheingold ©Natasha Razina
(The Mariinsky Theatre Trust is the
working name of the Anglo-Russian Opera
& Ballet Trust)