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4th International Festival:
The Musical Hermitage
19 - 25 February 2007
The music festivals of the Hermitage occupy a special place among the
prestigious music events of the Northern Capital.
Firstly, the venue is the Hermitage itself, which though a museum first
and foremost is also the former imperial palace, with unique halls for
concerts and its own remarkable theatre.
Secondly, the Hermitage music festivals are concerts that become a show,
a mystery event, all following a certain subject line that has historic
basis. In this respect the Musical Hermitage winter festival has
grown out of the musical customs of the imperial household. It enables
visitors to hear works from various ages, styles and countries as performed
by the world's best musicians, just as the Hermitage Museum keeps on its
premises collections that join together unsurpassed treasures.
Monday, 19 February
With justification one can call the young Polish guitarist Marcin Dylla
someone with a rare gift in present day musical history. Aleady at age
17 (!), Dylla won prizes at the most prestigious international competitions
and he has been awarded numerous prizes by audience votes. This evening
Dylla will perform in the Hermitage Theatre the concerto for guitar by
Joaquino Rodrigo and the concerto for cello and guitar by Alexander
Titov and in the company of the brilliant Moscow cellist, winner of the
11th International Tchaikowsky Competition, Boris Andrianov.
Wednesday, 21 February
Music lovers will have a rare chance to hear one of the most ancient musical
instruments on Earth - the Japanese koto. Accompanying the Hermitage Orchestra
under Eisuke Fujino will be one of Japan's youngest rising stars - Yamato
Azumi, who will be performing works by Japanese composers. Yamato's artistry
is noted for a Romanticism that is uncharacteristic of Japanese tradition
and she wins over the audience by her temperament and clear originality.
As a widely recognized bearer of tradition, Azumi strives to make her
ancient instrument sound modern, and therefore her improvisations on classical
themes show an inventiveness and expression that at times is reminiscent
of jazz. Sometimes her work is accompanied by reading of verses, but this
time in her appearance in the Hermitage Theatre there will even be a video
with genuinely Japanese beauties.
Thursday, 22 February
Piano evening
"His performance captivates, with an amazing combination of feeling
and intelligence. He creates an atmosphere of stunning intensity, demonstrating
at the same time a refined and incomparable virtuosity."
Les Ехрressions, France
Without a doubt, Alexander Gindin is one of the most talented and original
pianists of the younger generation. He won the 10th International Tchaikowsky
Competition at the age of 17 and five years later, in1999, took second
place in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium. This evening we will
hear the outstanding pianist perform Ludwig van Beethoven's Pathetique
Sonata, Six Musical Moments by Sergei Rakhmaninov and one of the most
virtuoso and monumental piano masterpieces of the 19th century, the Sonata
in B minor by Ferenz Liszt.
Saturday, 24 February
One of the brightest Russian jazz composers and performers, Andrei Kondakov,
who is also well known to Petersburg jazz lovers as Artistic Director
of the JFC Club, will present an international project entitled Five Corners,
which is 100% New York style post-bop with a slight fantasy of Slavic
romance. Besides Kondakov, the present make-up of Five Corners
is: bass player Dmitry Kolesnik, a student and follower of the great Ron
Carter (prior to his move to the USA, he played in the Igor Butman quintet
and in various combos with David Goloshekin); Alex Sipiagin, a brilliant
soloist in the Mingus Big Band and one of the most sought-after trumpeters
in the capital of world jazz; his colleague from the Mingus band, saxophonist
трубачей столицы мирового джаза; его коллега по мингусовскому оркестру
- саксофонист Eric Alexander, who in 2003 was recognized in the Jazz Week
poll as musician of the year; and, finally, in percussion, the talented
New York drummer Eugene Jackson.
This is a star cast performing strong arrangements and offering superlative
playing.
Sunday, 25 February
Closing of the festival
The celebrated opera star Galina Gorchakova, who appears on the stage
of the leading opera houses around the world, will perform this evening
in the intimate Hermitage Theatre, offering her delightful soprano voice
with its inimitable timbre. We will hear the grat singer's performance
of the best known and most popular arias from operas by Tchaikowsky,
Rimsky-Korsakov, Verdi and Puccini. The State Hermitage Orchestra
will play under the direction of the guest conductor from Sweden, Mats
Liljefors.
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Poster
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