(In recognition of the Shoshtakovich Festival in Rome, here’s a picture of Valery Gergiev and Nikolaj Znaider during their recent appearances at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia)
As the "Dmitrijevič Šostakovič Festival" a.k.a "Shostakovich Festival" closes its Italian segment of the “Shostakovich World Tour: Shostapalooza!” this weekend (at Rome’s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia),...has anyone else been wondering how Gergiev has been holding-up?!
Following his flagrant infatuation with Shostakovich these past two years, Valery Gergiev launched an ambitious festival, "From Rome to St. Petersberg: A Tribute to Shostakovich" in remembrance of the Russian composer’s centennial year. On September 25, 2006 Gergiev marked the true 100th anniversary of the birth date of Shostakovich at The Mariinsky Theatre with the revival of three of the composer’s one-act ballets. He is also currently spearheading two prominent programs, the “Shostakovich Symphonies”, and “Shostakovich on Stage”, which have already traveled around the world, and have drafted other outstanding conductors into the mix, such as Essa Pekka-Salonen and Shostakovich’s son, Maxim. Gergiev also recently recorded Shostakovich’s symphonies four through nine with the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra.
Next up for Gergiev are two more happenings, already in the making: a festival for the 125th birth date of Igor Stravinsky in 2007; and in 2008, the 100th year passing of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. My god, when does this man sleep?! He makes me feel so...inadequate!! *runs away while crying*