Travel from Moscow to Petersburg with Prokofiev and Gergiev

MOSCOW. Sergei Prokofiev’s birthday was celebrated with an anniversary marathon.

Even the most advanced music lovers will succeed in remembering the composer’s birth date this year. The day of death, coinciding with the death of Stalin and therefore practically ignored, remained in the memory of many because of this sad identity. The celebration of the 125th anniversary of Prokofiev will last a whole year, combining a considerable number of events and musical celebrations. The climax note sounded on April 23. Maestro Gergiev decided on an unprecedented experiment: the music of Sergey Sergeyevich was performed that day by the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra in both capitals. After the “matinee” in the Tchaikovsky hall with an extremely eventful program - two symphonies, concerts, cantata for the choir, tenor and orchestra “Their Seven”, “Scythian Suite” - Petersburg musicians launched a march to the banks of the Neva. Toward the close of the day, the Prokofiev Gala gala evening was held at the Mariinsky Concert Hall with beautiful solos by Denis Matsuev and Kristof Bárati. The Hungarian violinist, the owner of the violin "Oscar", presented to the public the Second Violin Concerto. The winner of the 2010 Paganini Competition played it on the Stradivarius violin in 1703.

During the movement of the headliner of the marathon from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the holiday was not interrupted for a minute. Amazing music from “Romeo and Juliet” and “Cinderella”, all sonatas and plays from the cycle “Sarcasm” were sounded at daytime concerts. They demonstrated many facets of the talent of the great composer and the virtuosity of violinists and pianists of various generations: Sergey Redkin, Daniil Trifonov, Sergey Babayan and Katya Scanavi. Online broadcasts of the unique marathon of the two capitals took place in the philharmonic halls and concert halls of eight dozen Russian cities. To the delight of music lovers, the celebration of Prokofiev lasted on the main music venue in St. Petersburg and Palm Sunday.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru