Gergiev does his bit, performing in Russian truck factory

Gergiev does his bit, performing in Russian truck factory

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

April 30, 2023

Unwanted outside Russia, China and their satellites, Valery Gergiev has been leading his Mariinsky Orchestra in workers’ concerts around Russia.

These are pictures from the Kamaz plant at Naberezhnye Chelny in Tartarstan.

Comments

  • Elizabeth Owen says:

    The banner at the front of the stage tells us it is part of his annual Easter Festival which always tours all over the Russian Federation.

  • A.L. says:

    Only thing missing is the swastika.

    • Elke Weinmann says:

      Was für eine voreingenommene Bemerkung, die jegliche Vorinformierung vermissen lässt und ausschließlich politische Clichés bemüht!

  • MacroV says:

    Unwanted, true, but this looks like the Easter Festival (if my rusty Russian is correct), where Gergiev annually takes the Maryinsky on a long and arduous tour through the country, often doing two concerts a day. So not necessarily a substitute for not being in Munich or Rotterdam this weekend.

  • Guest says:

    Music for the people! In the US, its rap, soul, and Latin pop rather than classical.

  • Joel Kemelhor says:

    Is there a Russian war factory equivalent of Vera Lynn ?

  • The artist not the man says:

    Btw, like Richter, Gergiev has always toured with his orchestra in smaller more isolated cities. Even 20 years ago he was a big believer in bringing top level culture to places that seldom experience it.
    Also I just found this amazing performance of Shostakovich 7 from 2015. This is to counter Norman’s narrative that Gergiev was only great when younger:
    https://youtu.be/rAoT8FXcDBo

  • Minnesota says:

    If you click on the smaller photo you can see that the orchestra musicians are absolutely thrilled to be there.

  • MusicForAll says:

    Led by none other than Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici, who now also has loads of free time on his hands.

  • Uncle Sam says:

    Hopefully Gergiev and Co. performed this piece over there, which these days to my ear sounds like a perfect would-be soundtrack to the imminent Ukrainian spring counter-offensive (not that Sviridov had ever had THAT in mind). Let’s get those Leopards rolling, Ukraine, and let’s make Gergiev’s best friend Pootie-Poot rue the day he (Putin) decided that a brutal aggression and a brazen land grab is a way to do things in the 21st century Europe. “Time, forward!” – indeed!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVxNpDxQ9Po

    • No comment says:

      Unless you go ahead and enlist, on either side of the conflict, your exhibition of appetite for continuing warfare is despicable, especially so since it’s a comment to an orchestra performance, and an Easter Festival.

  • Timothy O'Brien says:

    Why are you reporting this? This is life reporting on Furtwangler’s popular performances throughout Germany during the Nazi reign. The Russians who support Putin are collaborators with war criminals. This is not just music anymore. The idea that music is above politics is ridiculous.

  • Branimir says:

    Pleasantly surprised by the change of the mood evident in the comments here and by thumbs up and down. It seems the ignorant mob finally lost interest and moved to another village.

  • Cultura says:

    If they will again perform one day in Western Europe it must be under one condition:first of the concerts it has to be in Harkiv,followed by concerts in Mariupol and suburbs of Kiev.
    These musicians do have to see what their army and their president did.Let’s be clear and straight,the major part of them do support war and war criminals!

  • Save the MET says:

    If he did the right thing early on and renounced the Ukraine invasion and left, he would have a future career, despite his former embrace of Putin. He now continues to dig a deeper grave of his former international career. China and North Korea will enjoy his services, but that’s about it.

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