Second International Festival: The Musical Hermitage

The overcast days and early twilight of Petersburg in winter, the cold and the biting wind turn our thoughts to the dreamy vision of a warm and cozy spot before the fireplace, candlelight, an attractive conversation and pleasant music. Equally attractive is the idea of being at a ball, at a concert or in the theatre, with bright light, luxurious attire, music that always brings joy and generates energy, almost like the sun's.

The Hermitage, one of the world's best museums and, for us, simply our favorite museum, fulfills these dreams. During these gray and frightfully windy February days, the huge Hermitage palace unexpectedly becomes an inviting and hospitable Home, reminding us that once upon a time it truly was home to the imperial family, that "cozy spot" for quiet repose that was understood by the French word hermitage.

The reign of Catherine the Great was one of the most glorious periods in the history of Russia. It was a time of economic and political achievements when science and art flourished. The pomp and ceremony of the Empress of Russia's court outdid the principal courts of Europe. Music was an integral part of this sumptuousness - it accompanied state receptions, extravagant theatrical productions, meals, balls and masquerades. Of all the arts, music occupied a special place, being at once both the background of life and an actor on the stage.

The court gatherings of the time of Catherine II were called hermitages. Select groups of people were invited for concerts, theatrical presentations and costume balls. When the Hermitage Theatre was erected in 1785, court troupes began to perform shows there. Under Catherine it became the first stage for performing operas, the arbiter of theatrical fashion, and the theatre where the best foreign and domestic musicians were engaged.

The festival called The Musical Hermitage continues the traditions of the great empress. The State Hermitage Orchestra performs, together with world-renowned musicians.

The Hermitage's musical festivals are something special compared to other prestigious musical festivals of Russia's Northern Capital. Firstly, the venues are unexpected, since we tend to think of the Hermitage primarily as a museum: however, it was the former imperial palace and it carries on the traditions of the court; as such it has absolutely unique halls for concerts and its own remarkable theatre. Secondly, musical festivals at the Hermitage are in themselves a show, a mystery play, and they pursue a clearly defined thematic line that has an historical background. In this respect The Musical Hermitage Festival grew out of the musical customs of the imperial household.

The Musical Hermitage consists of seven extraordinary evenings. These concerts resemble Empress Catherine the Great's receptions for select guests, when 300 invitees assembled in the Hermitage Theatre or 200 gathered in the halls of the Hermitage. The festival is compact, with 7 concerts being held in one week, and they have a rich offering of stars as well as a remarkable diversity in the musical genres being offered - from 18th century music to jazz, from operatic to symphonic music. They incorporate the best of St Petersburg culture from its very beginnings and re-establish the musical traditions of the Hermitage rooms and the Hermitage Theatre. Moreover, they permit improvisation around the themes suggested by these very traditions.

The lucky holders of tickets to these concerts will enjoy the sensation of being among the invitees to the "small Hermitage gatherings with music" organized in Catherine's day. They will be transformed from observers into active participants in a musical drama and brought into close contact with Her Majesty - Music.

Program of the Second International Festival: The Musical Hermitage

14 February in the Hermitage Theatre
Opening of the Festival. A concert entitled Guests of Catherine the Great celebrates the birthday of the State Hermitage Orchestra. Saulius Sondeckis, Principal Conductor. Sergey Yevtushenko, composer and Artistic Director of the Festival, conducts.

15 February in the Large Italian Skylight Hall of the New Hermitage
A musical promenade through the Hermitage accompanied by soloists of the State Hermitage Orchestra, chamber music ensembles, and the Youth Chamber Chorus of St Petersburg. The promenade concludes in the Large Italian Skylight Hall where a concert is performed by the State Hermitage Orchestra.

16 February in the Hermitage Theatre
A solo concert by the famous French pianist Jean-Bernard Pommier. The program consists of works for the piano by Frederick Chopin.

17 February in the Hermitage Theatre
A concert from the series entitled ...Only Mozart! with the State Hermitage Orchestra and soloists from the Mariinsky Theatre's Academy of Young Singers. The conductor and featured soloist is Ransom Wilson (USA, flute). The program includes passages from the operas Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, as well as the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra.

18 February in the Hermitage Theatre
A Romantic Evening with Polina Osetinskaya (piano soloist) and the State Hermitage Orchestra conducted by Saulius Sondeckis. The program features little-known works for piano and orchestra by Hummel and Field, as well as works by Wagner and Schumann.

19 February in the Hermitage Theatre
An evening of classical jazz with Andrei Kondakov (piano) and Olivier Kerr-Urio (France, harmonica).

20 February in the St George Hall of the Winter Palace
The final event of the Festival. The concert is entitled Classics without Borders and two conductors take part: Saulius Sondeckis (Lithuania) and Karl Anton Rickenbacher (Switzerland). State Hermitage Orchestra. The program includes works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Nino Rota.