On December 20 and 21, 2025, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will present Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s suite of character pieces The Seasons in its entirety for the first time. The performances will take part in the Chamber Hall.
This year, the music world is widely celebrating the 185th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will conclude the series of tribute events with a chamber work by the composer previously unheard at the Theatre.
Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons come in line with the romantic tradition where vivid impressions are described in the form of a suite of short character pieces; they are also part of a series of artistic attempts to connect the changing seasons with the inner world. The orchestral version of the cycle, created by composer and conductor Pavel Smelkov, allows one to hear the hidden symphonic quality of this chamber music. Familiar images, such as the comfort of a fireside, the song of a lark, autumn melancholy, and a dashing troika, take on new colors. The sound of the orchestra highlights both the subtle lyricism and the vivid pictorial quality of these short character pieces, allowing one to appreciate the depth of the original concept anew.
The concert will be rounded up with a major composition based on The Nutcracker, one of the most recognizable and beloved ballets by Tchaikovsky. In this orchestral composition, the ballet’s famous melodies find a unified, dynamic development.
As a reminder, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre has been exploring Pyotr Ilyich’s masterpieces throughout the year. The Great Hall of the Theatre has featured performances of the Piano Concerto No. 1 (soloist Sergey Davydchenko), Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, Symphony No. 4, the Violin Concerto (soloist Ravil Islyamov), and romances for piano and soloists with orchestra. Also, a major concert of the composer’s selected spiritual music has been presented by the Mariinsky Chorus of the Primorsky Stage under the direction of Larisa Shveikovskaya, Honored Artist of Russia.
