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Second International Festival: The Musical Hermitage. Seven Extraordinary Musical Evenings in the Hermitage On 10 February 2005 the State Hermitage and the Foundation of the Hermitage Academy of Music held a press conference to present the Second International Festival of the Musical Hermitage. The musical festivals of the Hermitage occupy a special place among the most prestigious musical festivals of the Northern Capital. They represent not merely a sequence of concerts; rather, each is a sort of dramatic presentation and altogether they develop a subject around an historical motif. The festival consists of seven extraordinary musical evenings in the Hermitage Theatre and in the state rooms of the Hermitage which take place from 14 - 20 October 2005. Following the traditions of Catherine the Great, world renowned stars of the musical world will appear in the Musical Hermitage festival together with the State Hermitage Orchestra. In keeping with the traditions of art patronage, the St Petersburg branch of the PromSvyazBank, which has built partnership relations with the State Hermitage for some time, gave financial support for the festival. During the reign of Catherine II the halls of the Winter Palace, as well as the newly built Hermitage (now called the Small Hermitage) and Hermitage Theatre provided exquisite interiors for what were called hermitages - gatherings of courtiers that became a regular feature of palace life. Admission to these gatherings was only by special invitation of the Empress. It was Catherine's intention that intelligent and talented people be invited so that she could relax and amuse herself in their close company. Music was one of the most important elements of these hermitages. Sometimes it was only background music while people were conversing; at other times it was the main entertainment. Catherine's hermitages and the musical academies, concerts and balls, opera and ballet performances which were staged in the Hermitage Theatre gave rise to Russia's musical and other cultural traditions. This Second Winter Festival permits us to speak of the birth of a new musical tradition - a festive week of music during which the Museum becomes the Musical Hermitage. The Musical Hermitage includes works from various historical periods, styles, and countries as performed by well-known artists. The Artistic Director of the Musical Hermitage festival is Sergey Yevtushenko. The producer of the State Hermitage's program The Hermitage Academy of Music and of the Musical Hermitage festival is Maria Musienko. |
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