Valery Gergiev
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Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (Ossetic: Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери; Russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев) (b. 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera. Valery Gergiev is the artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.
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[edit] Biography
Gergiev, born in Moscow, is the son of Tamara Tatarkanovna and Abisal Zaurbekovich.[1] He and his siblings were raised in Vladikavkaz in their native North Ossetia in the Caucasus. While not a child prodigy, he began piano at secondary school, before going on to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Leningrad from 1972 to 1977. His principal conducting teacher was Prof. Ilya Musin (Илья Мусин), one of the greatest conductor-makers in Russian musical history. His sister, Larissa Gergieva, is the director of the Mariinsky's singers' academy.[2]
[edit] Career
In 1978, he became assistant conductor at the Kirov Opera, now the Mariinsky Opera, under Yuri Temirkanov, where he made his debut conducting Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace. He was chief conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra from 1981 until 1985 - the year he made his debut appearance in the United Kingdom, along with pianist Evgeny Kissin, and violinists Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin, at The Lichfield Festival.
In 1991, for the first time, Gergiev conducted a western European opera company with the Bavarian State Opera in a performance of Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov in Munich. In the same year he made his American début, performing War and Peace with the San Francisco Opera. Since then he has conducted both operatic and orchestral repertoire across the world. Gergiev is also associated with numerous music festivals, including the White Nights festival in Saint Petersburg.
He became the chief conductor and artistic director of the Mariinsky in 1988, and overall director of the company, appointed by the Russian government, in 1996. In addition to his artistic work with the Mariinsky, Gergiev has worked in fund-raising for such projects as the recently built 1100-seat Mariinsky Hall, and intends to achieve complete renovations of the Mariinsky Theatre by 2010.[3]
In 1995, he began his tenure as principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Gergiev will step down from his Rotterdam position in August 2008. In 1997, Gergiev became principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. His current contract there runs through the 2007-2008 season.
In 2002 he conducted a key scene in the film Russian Ark, directed by Alexander Sokurov and filmed at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 2003, he initiated and conducted at the Mariinsky Theatre the first complete cycle of Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung to be performed in Russia for over 90 years. The production's design and concept reflects many aspects of Ossetian culture. Gergiev conducted this production in Cardiff in 2006 at the Wales Millennium Centre, and in Costa Mesa, California in October 2006 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. This production was presented at the Lincoln Center in New York City in July 2007 to a great acclaim, and the run was completely sold out.
In 1988, Gergiev made his first guest conducting appearance with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). In his next appearance with the LSO in 2004, he conducted the symphonies of Sergei Prokofiev.[4] This engagement led to his appointment in 2005 as the Orchestra's fifteenth principal conductor, succeeding Sir Colin Davis effective January 1, 2007.[5] Gergiev's initial contract with the LSO was for 3 years.[6] His first official concert as the LSO Principal Conductor was on 23 January 2007, as he was supposed to have conducted his first concert as LSO Principal Conductor on 13 January, but had to withdraw because of illness.[7]
In October of 2007 Gergiev took part in a unique holiday project featured in the 100th anniversary issue of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. A concert by Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra featuring piano virtuoso Lola Astanova became a part of a $1.59 million fantasy gift. The super concert is said to be hosted by the Emmy-winning American television personality Regis Philbin.[8]
Gergiev has a reputation for a passionate, apparently abrasive, conducting style, and a tendency to grunt at the podium.[9] He is a driven conductor who produces his best in pieces of great drama. He stated that his favourite composer is Sergei Prokofiev in his DVD recording of Prokofiev's Scythian Suite. He was awarded the 2006 Polar Music Prize together with Led Zeppelin.
[edit] Personal life
In April 2007, Gergiev was one of eight conductors of British orchestras to endorse the 10-year classical music outreach manifesto, "Building on Excellence: Orchestras for the 21st century", to increase the presence of classical music in the UK, including giving free entry to all British schoolchildren to a classical music concert.[10]
Gergiev has also been a consistent supporter of peace in the Caucasus, particularly in the conflict between the Georgian central government and South Ossetia. After the 2004 Beslan school massacre, Gergiev made an appeal on television for calm and against any revenge. He conducted concerts in tribute to the victims of the massacre.[11]
In 1999, Gergiev married the musician Natalya Debisova and they have three children.
[edit] Recordings
Gergiev has focussed on recording Russian composers' works, both opera and symphonic, including Mikhail Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. Most of his recordings, on the Philips label, are with the Kirov Orchestra, while he has also recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic. A recent undertaking, the complete Prokofiev Symphonies, is with the LSO.[12]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Ballets
| Album | Orchestra | Label | Discs | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROKOFIEV: Romeo and Juliet (complete ballet) | Kirov Orchestra | Philips | 2 | 2001 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: The Sleeping Beauty (complete ballet) | Kirov Orchestra | Philips | 2 | 1993 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker (complete ballet) | Kirov Orchestra | Philips | 1 | 1998 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake (complete ballet) | Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra | Decca | 2 | 2007 |
[edit] Operas
| Album | Orchestra | Label | Discs | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BORODIN: Prince Igor | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1995 |
| GLINKA: Ruslan and Ludmila | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1997 |
| MUSSORGSKY: Boris Godunov (1869 & 1872 version) | Kirov | Philips | 5 | 1999 |
| MUSSORGSKY: Khovanshchina | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1992 |
| PROKOFIEV: The Love for Three Oranges | Kirov | Philips | 2 | 2001 |
| PROKOFIEV: Semyon Kotko | Kirov | Philips | 2 | 2000 |
| PROKOFIEV: The Gambler | Kirov | Philips | 2 | 1999 |
| PROKOFIEV: The Fiery Angel | Kirov | Philips | 2 | 1995 |
| PROKOFIEV: War and Peace | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1993 |
| PROKOFIEV: Betrothal in a Monastery | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1998 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: Pique Dame | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1993 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: Mazeppa | Kirov | Philips | 3 | 1998 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: Iolanta | Kirov | Philips | 2 | 1998 |
[edit] Orchestral Works
| Album | Orchestra | Label | Discs | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BORODIN: Symphonies 1 & 2 | Rotterdam Philharmonic | Polygram | 1 | 1991 |
| MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition | Vienna Philharmonic | Philips | 1 | 2002 |
| PROKOFIEV: Scythian Suite, Alexander Nevsky | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 2003 |
| PROKOFIEV: Completes Symphonies (1-7) | LSO | Philips | 4 | 2006 |
| RACHMANINOV: Symphony no.2 | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 1994 |
| RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade,
BORODIN: In The Steppes of Central Asia, BALAKIREV: Islamey |
Kirov | Philips | 1 | 2001 |
| SHOSTAKOVICH: The War Symphonies (4-9)
Each one available separately |
Kirov | Philips | 5 | 2005 |
| STRAVINSKY: The Firebird - SCRIABIN: Prometheus | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 1998 |
| STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring - SCRIABIN: The Poem of Ecstasy | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 2001 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphonies 4, 5, 6
Each one available separately |
Vienna Philharmonic | Philips | 3 | 2005 |
| TCHAIKOVKSY: Symphony no.5 | Vienna Philharmonic | Philips | 1 | 1999 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony no.6, Francesca da Rimini, Romeo and Juliet | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 2000 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture and others | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 1994 |
[edit] Orchestral works with soloists
| ALBUM | SOLOIST | ORCHESTRA | LABEL | DISCS | RELEASE YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto no.2, Paganini Rhapsody | Lang Lang | Kirov | Deutsche Grammophon | 1 | 2003 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY, MIASKOVSKY: Violin Concertos | Vadim Repin | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 2003 |
| PROKOFIEV: Complete Piano Concertos (1-5) | Alexander Toradze | Kirov | Philips | 2 | 1998 |
[edit] Vocal Works
| ALBUM | SOLOIST | ORCHESTRA | LABEL | DISCS | RELEASE YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tchaikovsky & Verdi Arias | Dmitri Hvorostovsky | Rotterdam Philharmonic | Philips | 1 | 1990 |
| Tchaikovsky & Verdi Arias | Galina Gorchakova | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 1996 |
| Homage: The Age Of The Diva | Renee Fleming | Marinsky Theatre Orchestra | Philips | 1 | 2007 |
| PROKOFIEV: Ivan The Terrible Cantata | Kirov | Philips | 1 | 1998 |
[edit] Videos
[edit] DVD
- Valery Gergiev in Rehearsal and Performance
- 60 Minutes: The Wild Man of Music, 2004.
- Valery Gergiev Conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Prokofiev, Schnittke & Stravinsky, 2003.
- Verdi: La forza del destino, Marinsky Theatre Orchestra, 1998.
- Rimsky-Korsadov: Sadko, Kirov Opera, 2006.
- Puccini: Turandot, Vienna Philharmonic, 2006.
- Prokofiev: Betrothal in a Monastery, Kirov Opera, 2005.
- Shostakovich against Stalin, 2005.
- "All the Russias - a musical journey": a five-part documentary through the tradition and heritage of Russian music.
[edit] VHS
- Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov, Kirov Opera, 1993.
- Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame, Kirov Opera, 1994.
- Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame, Acts 1 and 2, Kirov Opera, 1992.
- Mussorgsky: Kovanshchina, Kirov Orchestra, 1994.
- Prokofiev: Fiery Angel, Polygram Video, 1996.
[edit] References
- ^ John O'Mahony. "Demon king of the pit", The Guardian, 18 Sep 1999. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Jessica Duchen. "Valery Gergiev: Light the red touchpaper, stand back", The Independent, 19 Jan 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Geoffrey Norris. "A Russian energy import", Telegraph, 18 Jan 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Tom Service. "LSO/Gergiev", The Guardian, 10 May 2004. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Richard Morrison. "Lightning conductor", The Times, 24 May 2005. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Charlotte Higgins. "Russian maestro reveals his plans for the LSO", The Guardian, 14 Apr 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Tim Ashley. "Gubaidulina", The Guardian, 16 January 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ "Classical Superstars Fantasy Concert", Neiman Marcus, 2 October 2007.
- ^ Valerie Lawson. "Life and tempo of a maestro", Sydney Morning Herald, 28 September 2006. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Charlotte Higgins. "Orchestras urge free concerts for children", The Guardian, 26 April 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.
- ^ Tom Service. "Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre/ Gergiev", The Guardian, 10 November 2004. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Andrew Clements. "Prokofiev: Symphonies 1-7, LSO/Gergiev", The Guardian, 23 Jun 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
[edit] External links
- Valery Gergiev Official website
- Valery Gergiev at Allmusic
- Liebesnacht Gergiev festival (Dutch)
- Biography of and CDs by Valery Gergiev by cosmopolis.ch
| Preceded by David Khanjian |
Principal Conductor, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra 1981–1985 |
Succeeded by Rafael Mangassarian |
| Preceded by Yuri Temirkanov |
Principal Conductor and Music Director, Kirov Opera 1988–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by Jeffrey Tate |
Principal Conductor, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra 1995-present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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