Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: The Tale of Tsar Saltan, Suite, Op. 57
Igor Stravinsky: Symphony in C
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”
Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Brussels, Centre for Fine Arts, 18 November 2018
Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky forces have been frequent guests in Brussels over the last 25 years: quite an extraordinary feat in itself, if you think about it. Several visits were memorable events, yet this all-Russian programme ranks as one of the finest I heard them perform in a long time and easily tops my list of favourite concerts this year. An absolutely thrilling journey with privileged guides, encompassing the mysterious fantasy world of Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky’s neoclassical outings as well as Tchaikovsky’s crushing emotional outpourings. Familiar repertoire it may be, but it emerged here with astonishing freshness and impact, reconfirming that old cliché that it takes Russians to play their own music.
March 20, 2019 at 5:37 am
What a marvelous review. You are a Rembrandt of words.
Off to listen to YG’s Pathetique!