Concert Review: Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra

'Dramatic' and 'Russian' become synonyms in many aspects of classical music. The beginning of the concert by Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra at L’ Auditori was no exception.

The first violin completed its short tuning, after which a dramatically long silence ensued, interrupted by coughs and the voice of the announcer asking the audience to switch off all mobile devices. Finally conductor Valery Gergiev elegantly, but decisively marched on stage. Soon the clearest, most magical sound was filling the auditorium as Wagner’s prelude to Lohengrin drew an almost indescribable quantity of lyrical beauty from the orchestra—one which ranks among the very best in the world. The hall, however, proved to be slightly too acoustic for some highs of the strings.

The organisers, Ibercamera, decided to join the seniority of Gergiev and the somberness of the grand orchestra with the young pianist George Li, who has had notable global success in recent years. This night, Li displayed an incredibly delicate symbiosis between the pianist and the piano, but while the orchestra was strong, the pianist was slightly too flowing for the weight of Piano concert No 1 by Franz Liszt, approaching the sheet music in an airy and jazzy way. It seemed like he was only touching the surface of the notes, albeit in a way that lacks neither complexity nor completeness. He technically managed to take the orchestra where they needed to be and, despite a significant mismatch in intensity, they complemented each other satisfactorily. His sense of rhythm and the microscopic precession when it comes to his relationship with the pause contributed to the overall quality of the musical experience. The audience liked him so much, that he gave a short encore.

Even though the final scene of Salome by Richard Strauss starts with an outburst of emotion, the orchestra made the audience feel as though they had been playing the opera from the beginning, instead of just jumping into one of the most dynamic scenes. Very few orchestras in the world can do that as well as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. Performing works of great volume makes it clear that collectively they have created one of the biggest sound stages in the world of classical music, not merely in terms of depth, but also width, volume control and lyrical output.

Eva Maria Westbroek, a dramatic soprano, matched the depth of the orchestra very well. Despite the good sonic match, deciding on a scene that carries so much theatrics was perhaps not the best choice for a concert performance, especially if the vocal soloist decides, like Westbroek did, to live all the emotions of the character. The final note of the soprano was excellent and the finale of the orchestra worth recording, to listen to over and over again.

The intermission prepared the audience for the long third act of Tristan and Isolde, with a continued combination of the orchestral and the vocal.

Tenor Mikhail Vekua with his warm, clear colour and straightforward output coped extremely well with the deeper end of the tenor register. He showed excellent understanding of the complex relationship between musicality and dynamics in Wagner’s work. The depths he can reach while retaining clarity, along with the strength of his output made him an excellent choice for Tristan. At this point in the concert, it was interesting to hear an orchestra of such high regard being the musical backdrop rather than in the forefront. Yet, what a backdrop they were.

All the while Gergiev displayed the utmost focus, paying meticulous attention to all aspects of the performance—his body intensely, but not excessively, engaged with every note.

Returning to the stage, Westbroek made it clear why she is one of the most sought-after singers in the world, blending into both the mood and musical aspects of the demanding work. The other singers contributed to her excellence, while the orchestra continued to make the remotest, widest sound stages come to life.