| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 7-Sep-2012 De Doelen: Grote Zaal | Opening of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival |
.jpg) Rachmaninov’s symphonic poem The Isle of the Dead is an intense piece of music. Inspired by a painting by Böcklin, Rachmaninov tells us of the journey to the underworld. The first moments of the piece are crucial to any performance, and Valery Gergiev lead the Rotterdam Philharmonic into a heavy and emotionally laden rendition. The 5/8 that mimics so well the sound of Charon’s boat crossing the river Styx was at the forefront throughout, making the listener really visualize this journey.
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| 1-Dec-2011 Roy Thomson Hall | TSO, Andrey Boreyko and Leila Josefowicz let the Russian gems shine at Roy Thomson Hall |
 On December 1st, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra welcomed guest conductor Andrey Boreyko to guide them through a journey of "Russian Gems." Boreyko made his debut with the TSO in October 2003 and has had a prolific career through guest conducting and as a music director. He is in his third season as Music Director of the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and he is also the Principal Guest Conductor of both the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi San Sebastián in Spain.
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| 10-Sep-2011 Meyerson Symphony Center | Caution to the Wind: DSO’s Ambitious and Successful Opener |
 The standing ovation seemed to come with a good-natured caveat: “…but you didn’t need to show off!” This opening concert of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-12 season presented a program of daunting scope, challenging both to the musicians and their audience, with Brahms’ Piano Concerto no. 1 and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony side by side. Under the direction of Maestro Jaap van Zweden (now in his fourth year as music director), the DSO set an impressive standard for the rest of the season.Read full review... | |
| 23-Aug-2011 Royal Albert Hall | Prom 52: Gergiev conducts a transcendent LSO |
 Neither Prokofiev nor Dutilleux is a exactly a failsafe at the box office, and the combination of both - and a rainy afternoon - left quite a few seats unclaimed at last night's Prom by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev.
Which was a shame. Because, while orchestra after orchestra gets to show off its wares at the Proms, and one might hear orchestral playing as good as this, I very much doubt if one would, or indeed could, hear an orchestra deliver the transcendent quality which the LSO offered throughout last night's concert.
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