In November, at the Mariinsky Concert Hall, soloists, chorus and orchestra of our theater will perform requiems by three different composers: Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gabriel Fauré. Three works share a theme and structure in common, but differ substantially in the realisation and means of expression, not to mention the difference in the styles of composers. Originally, the Requiem is a Service (Mass) in the Catholic and Lutheran church, a funeral multipart choral work, often with soloists, accompanied by the orchestra. On November 6th, Valery Gergiev will conduct the magnificent Verdi’s Requiem, perhaps the most theatrical way the traditional church funeral service was ever composed. Mozart’s Requiem, the composer’s last work, which is surrounded by numerous legends and mysteries, will be performed on November 20th under the baton of Andrei Petrenko, Mariinsky Theatre Principal Chorus Master. Fauré’s Requiem, his most famous work will be performed in a concert on November 25th, conducted by Marc Minkowski, a prominent specialist in French Baroque music.

In November, opera soloists and the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev will perform in Rome and Palermo within the framework of the cultural program of the Year Russia — Italy. In Rome, along with the chorus of the famous Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, we’ll perform Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin and Mahler’s Third Symphony. Our Orchestra will also perform the Fourth and Adagio from the Tenth (unfinished) Symphonies by Mahler. These concerts are a part of a special series dedicated to the 150th anniversary of composer’s birth (2010) and the 100th anniversary of his death (2011). Like other world capitals of music, Rome marked the 2010/11 concert season with performances of Mahler’s complete symphonic cycle under different conductors. Same days, to complete of the cycle, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will perform Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. A year ago, the same orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev performed Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in Rome.

On stage of one of the oldest music theaters in Italy, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, opera soloists and orchestra of our theater will give a gala concert with a program of works by Russian composers: Glinka, Borodin, Mussorgsky, reflecting the last visit by the Mariinsky Theatre and Valery Gergiev in Palermo in 1990s when we performed operas from the Russian repertoire: Ruslan and Lyudmila, Prince Igor, Sadko.

At the end of the year of the 150th anniversary of Mahler’s death, the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev will perform Mahler’s Seventh Symphony on December 23rd, in Moscow, at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, within the framework of the Russian Winter Festival, and on December 24th, in St Petersburg, at the Grand Philharmonic Hall, as part of the Arts Square Festival.

All symphonies by Gustav Mahler were recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev and released on the LSO Live, the orchestra’s own record label. Available for iTunes download and for purchase in SACD format.

The main ballet premiere of the last season at the Mariinsky Theatre is Le Parc choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj, set to to music by Mozart. One of the best French ballet over the last twenty years finally reached the Russian audiences. This spring, on stage of the Mariinsky Theatre the ballet was presented in a new version that was adapted from the original 1994 version created for the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris. Using beautiful Adagios from Mozart’s piano concertos, Preljocaj has created a sensual, elegant ballet about courtship strategies by placing a game of ruthless passion within three acts, ending it with the birth of genuine love. Until the end of 2011 at the Mariinsky Theatre Le Parc will be seen only twice, featuring two major casts of soloists: Diana Vishneva and Konstantin Zverev (November 11th), Viktoria Tereshkina and Alexander Sergeev (November 15th).

This month, Mariinsky Theatre opera soloists give solo recitals at the Mariinsky Concert Hall, demonstrating most remarkable highlights from their repertoire. In a recital with his regular accompanist, Marina Mishuk, the bass Mikhail Petrenko will perform romances by Glinka, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. In a concert with her colleagues, the mezzo-soprano Olga Savova will perform a program of arias, duets and scenes from operas by Russian and Western European composers. Solo recital by the soprano Olga Kondina, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of her artistic career and the 25th anniversary of her work for the Mariinsky Theatre, includes a wide range of works that reflect different facets of her vocal skills and multiple roles, performed by her on stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The most popular opera premiere on stage of the Mariinsky Theatre according to a survey made at the end of last season is Rodion Shchedrin’s opera Dead Souls. Opera, the world premiere of which took place more than thirty years ago, was presented this spring in a fundamentally new production, with remarkable accuracy to the original story and precision in expressing the main ideas of the poem by Nikolai Gogol. Large scale and ambitious, timeless as the original work, set designs by Zinovy ​​Margolin and truthful, capturing the spirit of the epoch, costumes by Maria Danilova, coupled with accessible, convincing production directed by Vasily Barkhatov provide an adequate interpretation of Gogol’s masterpiece, in tune with the realities of modern life. Distinctive, recognisable musical language of Rodion Shchedrin demonstrates that the opera has stood the test of time, definitely becoming one of the most notable musical works of the 20th century. Performed for the first time this season, its revivals at the Mariinsky Theatre will be held on November 18th & December 2nd.

By the way, the production team of Vasily Barkhatov, Zinovy ​​Margolin and Maria Danilova is working on the December premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: Offenbach’s opera, Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Premiere performances will take place on December 26th & 27th. Valery Gergiev will conduct these performances.

During the week from November 21st to 27th, the Mariinsky Ballet will perform on tour in Barcelona, ​​on stage of the famous Gran Teatre del Liceu. The tour will be held under the cultural program of the Year Russia — Spain. We will present the ballet from our classical repertoire: Le Corsaire.

By the way: during our next tour of Spain this year, on December 10th & 11th the Mariinsky Ballet will perform in Valencia, at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, presenting Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, a landmark production choreographed by Leonid Lavrovsky. The Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev will appear with a pair of concerts in Barcelona, on December 12th, and Madrid, on December 13th, performing works by Stravinsky and Mussorgsky.

The most popular opera premiere on stage of the Mariinsky Concert Hall according to a survey made at the end of last season is Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida staged by a renowned director, writer, choreographer, clown, Daniele Finzi Pasca. Unusual, colourful production of one of the most famous Verdi’s operas created specifically for the stage area at the Mariinsky Concert Hall, makes clever use of its advantages, which traditional theatrical venues normally lacking. One can watch the opera from all sides, in fact, being involved into action. Chorus members and supers act in close proximity to the audience. The production is replete with a variety of theatrical, circus, acrobatic and flashy lighting effects (a special brand new equipment was installed to implement these), and, at the same time it gives a non-standard, but quite simple approach to the story: the production calls for the goodness, peace and life without war or violence. Until the end of 2011, except for the New Year’s eve show, Aida at the Mariinsky Concert Hall will be seen only three times: on November 15th, 17th & 19th.

The cultural program of the Year Russia — Spain at the Mariinsky Theatre will be marked by a visit of the Ballet Nacional de España. The National Ballet of Spain, established by the Ministry of Culture of Spain more than 30 years ago, can definitely be called an Ambassador of Spanish culture. Following current trends, the Ballet Nacional de España maintains interest in all styles of traditional Spanish dance. The company traveled to St Petersburg in 2009 and gave four performances at the Mariinsky Theatre, which marked its 30th anniversary. Their performances were very well received by audiences then. Ballet Nacional de España gives a return visit to St Petersburg with the new artistic director Antonio Najarro. Two nights at the Mariinsky Theatre only: November 29th & 30th.

Every month, at the Mariinsky Theatre and the Mariinsky Concert Hall and on our tours lots of different events happen. It is almost impossible to mention them all in one e-newsletter. We’ll keep you informed on what’s going on through our brief weekly e-newsletters and on social media. We also welcome you to choose an event in November, associated with the life of our theater, you find the most outstanding. Or, perhaps you may want to see some of our shows or concerts, at home or on tour and you will have interesting experiences? Feel free to write about it and share with us and other people by recommending any event of your choice. Simply send us a story and an image (or a set of images) associated with some event of our theater in November, by e-mail to marketing@mariinsky.ru. We will be happy to publish most fascinating stories in our future e-newsletters. Try it and become an author for one of our news-blocks!