Bolshoi takes over Rozhdestvensky’s theatre
mainThe Bolshoi boss Vladimir Urin has been authorised by the Ministry of Culture to take over the Pokrovsky chamber music theatre.
The Pokrovsky’s music director is the venerable Gennady Rozhdestvensky.
Urin says: ‘I have an agreement that the closest friend and associate of Pokrovsky, the wonderful conductor, People’s Artist of the USSR Gennady Rozhdestvensky, will remain the musical director.’
I don’t know if this anecdote is known outside Sweden. The name “Rozhdestvensky” sound very awkward for us. He was called “Ronny Svensson” by the orchestra musicians in Stockholm when he conducted here (very often in the 70’s and 80’s).
Roffe Svensson.
A question to those of you who speak Russian: does Rozhdestvenski mean christmassy?
Sort of. The word “рождество” means christmas and “рождественский” is its primary adjective (“of christmas”).
“Рождество” is the Church Slavonic synonim for “birth” – “рождение”. Is commonly used to refer to the Birth of Christ
Declension of the gentleman’s last name would be an interesting exercise. Singular prepositional anyone?