The absolute success of the first Festival had corroborated the fact that the Primorye was a very promising region in terms of the development of classical art; hence the major plans and expectations for the next forum became even greater.
According to Valery Gergiev, the second Festival should be more important than the first one because it proved that the Mariinsky Theatre came to the shores of the Sea of Japan to stay.
“We can’t afford something like this: for the first year, we did our best, even held a Festival, and then we got out of gas and just let things slide. No, I can’t risk the reputation of the Mariinsky Theatre. Therefore, we have made the second Festival more eventful, longer and more diverse,” the Maestro emphasized.
Everything is ready for the second Festival!
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The II International Mariinsky Far East Festival lasted for a whole month, from July 15 to August 13, 2017. Forty performances and concerts fit into those thirty days. The geography was also expanded; now the performances were held not only in Vladivostok, but also in Ussuriysk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, as well as in China, South Korea and Japan. “The Festival is building a bridge between countries, and this is already an objective reality”, Valery Gergiev said.
Valery Gergiev at a press conference: “The second Festival is more important than the first one”. July 25, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
This time, the classical art Festival was dedicated to two major anniversaries: 135 years since the birth of Igor Stravinsky and 85 years of Rodion Shchedrin. “Introducing the music of the greatest composers, especially Russian composers, is our primary duty, our responsibility”, the Maestro believes.
Stravinsky time. July 25, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
At the “Stravinsky in Vladivostok” concerts under the baton of Valery Gergiev, such great opuses by the composer as Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) and music to the ballet Pétrouchka were performed.
The music composed by the living classic, a big friend of the Mariinsky Theatre and a personal friend of the Maestro, Rodion Shchedrin, held an equally prominent position at the Festival. The Mariinsky Orchestra performed his Piano Concerto No. 1 with a young soloist from Japan, Kanon Matsuda. The Enchanted Wanderer opera composed by Shchedrin especially for concert performance impressed with its power and depth.
The first performance of Rodion Shchedrin’s The Enchanted Wanderer in Vladivostok. The soloists are Oleg Sychev, Yekaterina Sergeyeva, Stanislav Leontiev. The combined chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Primorsky Stage is also participating. August 9, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The two Parts of the Rachmaninoff Cycle were presented by a true parade of pianists from various countries. All five Piano Concertos by the outstanding Russian romanticist were performed. The soloists were Sergei Babayan (USA), Ivan Bessonov (Russia), Dmitri Levkovich (Canada), Ming Xie (China) and George Harliono (Great Britain).
One of the most touching and memorable moments of the Festival was the performance of the Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii with the Mariinsky Orchestra. Blind since birth, the virtuoso musician has become a unique phenomenon in world culture. “He is the pride of Japan. He is the pride of the music community. I consider him my junior friend and it is a great joy for me to welcome him in Vladivostok”, said Valery Gergiev at a press conference.
To enjoy Nobuyuki Tsujii’s live performance is a great piece of luck. August 9, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
Nobuyuki was also happy to perform again with the renowned conductor: “It is always a great honor for me to perform with Maestro Gergiev. He is not only a great musician; his every concert means something new and fresh. He is a wonderful person. He supports me not only in my creative endeavors. In life, he is always there ready to help.”
The musicians performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. That performance was a real smasher. Many could not hold back their tears. The audience summoned Nobuyuki Tsujii three times on the stage for an encore.
“I consider him my junior friend and it is a great joy for me to welcome him in Vladivostok”. Valery Gergiev and Nobuyuki Tsujii. August 9, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The performance of the genius blind pianist in Vladivostok has come as the most prominent event of the II Mariinsky Festival. August 9, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
An incredible event was the concert of the Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev in Ussuriysk. Another welcome guest of the Festival, the world-famous violinist Nikolaj Znaider, took the stage as a soloist.
The House of Officers of Ussuriysk Garrison in anticipation of the Maestro’s concert. August 4, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The outstanding conductor visiting the historic Primorye city. August 4, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev performing in Ussuriysk for the first time. August 4, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
To enjoy the performance by artists of this level is a huge event for the Ussuriysk audience. August 4, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The Maestro continued to treat the public to the masterpieces by Richard Wagner. Der fliegende Holländer opera staged by the British Stage Director Ian Judge was performed for the first time in Vladivostok. The part of the Dutchman was performed by the renowned Wagnerian singer Yevgeny Nikitin, and the part of Senta was performed by the rising star of the opera, soprano Elena Stikhina.
The Festival featured such an operatic rarity as Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi. The production of this opera staged and designed by Andrea De Rosa was presented with Vladislav Sulimsky performing the title part. The performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Albina Shagimuratova and Yevgeny Nikitin, which was declared as a semi-staged production, but in fact looked like a full-fledged one, was also a memorable event.
Operas, ballets and symphony concerts of the second Festival were attended by about 50 thousand guests from Russia, Asia and Europe. No one had any doubts that it was needed and would take place next year.
Each concert of the Festival ended with a standing ovation. July 25, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The playlist of the autumn brought another amazing musical gift to the audience of Vladivostok. At two concerts on November 29 and 30, 2017, pianist Denis Matsuev, together with the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev, performed all of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s pieces for piano and orchestra.
Denis Matsuev and Valery Gergiev have been into successful and long-term cooperation. November 30, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The “Rachmaninoff Cycle” in Vladivostok. November 29, 2017
Photo by Gennady Shishkin
The regional Theatre had henceforth completed its metamorphosis into a world-class venue, having become the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The Maestro’s next goal was to establish Vladivostok as a cultural leader in that part of the Asia-Pacific Region, once and for all.
