The State Borodin Quartet at Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall
Dates: (12/16/2013 )
Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall |
34 Dekabristov Street
St Petersburg,Northwestern 190000
Phone: +7 812 326 41 41
Tickets: 600 ??? - 1500 ???
SUBMIT UPDATES
The State Borodin Quartet is a unique phenomenon, not just in the history of Russian music but of the entire world. This legendary ensemble has won a reputation as a leader in international quartet music, and the Quartet’s phenomenally extensive creativity was first commented upon by the Guinness Book of Records as far back as 1995.
Last season the State Borodin Quartet marked sixty-five years since its formation. “Four equals. Each of them different. Each of them great. A theatre of four performers,” an epithet afforded to the quartet by Austria’s Volksstimme newspaper, could grace a review of any concert given by the “Borodinians” no matter which musicians are under the spotlight, be they from the distant or recent past or even the present day.
The history of this outstanding ensemble dates back to 1945 when, in the chamber music class of Professor Mikhail Terian at the Moscow Conservatoire, a string quartet emerged comprising Rostislav Dubinsky (first violin), Vladimir Rabei (second violin), Yuri Nikolaevich (viola) and Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), the latter soon to be succeeded by Valentin Berlinsky.
Unlike other student ensembles, the musicians of what was to become the Borodin Quartet felt like an integral orchestra even while still students at the Conservatoire and they resolved to dedicate themselves to chamber music. In 1946 the quartet, then still a student ensemble, became affiliated with the Moscow Philharmonic (the first concert took place on 10). Soon Vladimir Rabei and Yuri Nikolaevich were succeeded by Nina Barshai and Rudolf Barshai.
From its very first years, the quartet stunned audiences with the sheer variety of its repertoire. Alongside classical quartets the musicians essentially immediately began to include works by contemporary Soviet composers in their programmes. In just five seasons they performed roughly one hundred such pieces of music. Composers whose works the quartet’s musicians performed included Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Dmitry Kabalevsky, Mieczys?aw Weinberg, Boris Tchaikovsky, Herman Galynin, Yuri Levitin, Nikolai Peiko, Vissarion Shebalin, Edison Denisov and Alfred Schnittke among others. The quartet was the ensemble chosen to premiere many works, which were also dedicated to the orchestra. The ensemble’s programmes witnessed the birth of Soviet chamber music.
Ages: Age category 6+
Cast and Creative team for The State Borodin Quartet at Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall
piano: Alexei Volodin
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