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Russian Music (40)

"I wish to unite popular Russian song and good old Western fugue in holy matrimony" – Mikhaïl Ivanovitch Glinka

Russia's musical vitality during the 19th century is mainly due to the work of Mikhail Glinka, the first Russian composer of international fame. His influence quickly extends to the Group of Five, made up of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest Mussorgsky, Mili Balakirev, César Cui and Alexandre Borodin. In spite of a predilection for ballet music and piano, the Russian repertoire also offers milestones of symphonic and operatic music, as the work of Tchaikovsky demonstrates.

During the 20th century, the appearance of composers like Scriabin, Prokofiev and Shostakovich boosts the reputation of Russian music as an art of avant-garde. Their scores are performed by a generation of virtuoso musicians, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Horowitz, Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Guilels and David Oïstrakh, followed by Valery Gergiev, Daniil Trifonov, Tugan Sokhiev, Anna Netrebko, Nikolai Lugansky and Vladimir Jurowski.

Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges 01:49:19
opera
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence

Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges

Philippe Calvario (stage director), Tugan Sokhiev (conductor)
The Glory of Russia – Sound and Sights of Saint Petersburg 01:31:16
concert

The Glory of Russia – Sound and Sights of Saint Petersburg

Renée Fleming with Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Palaces of the Czars
La Bayadère by Marius Petipa, new staging by Yuri Grigorovich, music by Léon Minkus 02:14:55
ballet

La Bayadère by Marius Petipa, new staging by Yuri Grigorovich, music by Léon Minkus

Svetlana Zakharova (Nikiya), Vladislav Lantratov (Solor), Maria Alexandrova (Gamzatti) – Corps de Ballet of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia
Nutcracker by Patrice Bart after Marius Petipa, music by Tchaikovsky 01:58:02
ballet

Nutcracker by Patrice Bart after Marius Petipa, music by Tchaikovsky

Daniel Barenboim (conductor) – Staatsoper Berlin

  • Staatsoper Berlin (Berlin, Germany)
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin 02:29:59
opera
Opéra national de Paris

Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin

Dmitri Tcherniakov (stage director), Alexander Vedernikov (conductor)
Swan Lake by Nureyev, music by Tchaikovsky 02:21:29
ballet
Opéra national de Paris

Swan Lake by Nureyev, music by Tchaikovsky

Agnès Letestu (Odette), José Martinez (Siegfried) – Corps de Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris
Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk 02:45:35
opera

Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Martin Kušej (stage director), Mariss Jansons (music director) – With Eva-Maria Westbroek (Katerina Lvovna Ismailova), Ludovít Ludha (Zinovy Borisovich Ism...

  • De Nationale Opera (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Ratmansky's Bolt, music by Shostakovich 01:27:20
ballet

Ratmansky's Bolt, music by Shostakovich

Corps de Ballet of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia

  • Bolshoi Theatre (Moscow, Russia)
Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa, music by Tchaikovsky 02:12:19
ballet

Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa, music by Tchaikovsky

Alina Cojocaru (Princess Aurora), Federico Bonelli (Prince Florimund), Christopher Saunders (King Florestan XXIV) – The Royal Ballet

  • Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London, Great Britain)
The finest Russian musicians gathered around Yuri Temirkanov and Anna Netrebko 01:51:35
concert

The finest Russian musicians gathered around Yuri Temirkanov and Anna Netrebko

2003 St. Petersburg Gala, celebrating the 300th anniversary of the city

  • Grand Hall of the Saint. Petersburg Philharmonia (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Yuja Wang and Yuri Temirkanov perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 01:18:23
concert
Verbier Festival

Yuja Wang and Yuri Temirkanov perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2

Verbier Festival 2011
Martha Argerich plays Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 28:42
concert

Martha Argerich plays Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3

Classic Archive

  • Fairfield Hall (Croydon, London, Great Britain)
Valery Gergiev conducts Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, "Little Russia" 38:16
concert

Valery Gergiev conducts Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, "Little Russia"

Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. The complete Tchaikovsky symphonies

  • Salle Pleyel (Paris, France)
Valery Gergiev conducts Prokofiev – Daniil Trifonov performs the 1st Piano Concerto 01:26:04
concert

Valery Gergiev conducts Prokofiev – Daniil Trifonov performs the 1st Piano Concerto

Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater – The complete Prokofiev symphonies. Moscow Easter Festival

  • Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory (Moscow, Russia)
Grigory Sokolov plays Beethoven, Komitas, Prokofiev 02:03:05
concert

Grigory Sokolov plays Beethoven, Komitas, Prokofiev

Recital at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées

  • Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Paris, France)
Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky: The Firebird, Symphony of Psalms 54:00
concert

Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky: The Firebird, Symphony of Psalms

New Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre et Choeurs de l'ORTF

  • Royal Festival Hall (London, Great Britain)
Sir Simon Rattle conducts Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Mussorgsky 01:30:26
concert

Sir Simon Rattle conducts Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Mussorgsky

Berliner Philharmoniker

  • Berlin Philharmonie (Berlin, Germany)
Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina 02:57:44
opera

Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina

Stein Winge (stage director), Michael Boder (music director) – With Graham Clark (The Clerk, A Scrivener), Robert Brubaker (Prince Vasili Golitzin) – Gran ...

  • Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona, Spain)
Cinderella by Rudolf Nureyev, music by Sergei Prokofiev 02:05:55
ballet
Opéra national de Paris

Cinderella by Rudolf Nureyev, music by Sergei Prokofiev

Agnès Letestu (Cinderella), José Martinez (The movie star) – Corps de Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris
Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducts Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker 01:05:12
concert

Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducts Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker

BBC Proms, 1981

  • Royal Albert Hall (London, Great Britain)
Yuri Temirkanov conducts Berlioz and Tchaikovsky 01:12:08
concert

Yuri Temirkanov conducts Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

  • Royal Albert Hall (London, Great Britain)
Sir Simon Rattle conducts Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, and Lincke – With Yefim Bronfman 01:43:18
concert

Sir Simon Rattle conducts Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, and Lincke – With Yefim Bronfman

Waldbühne 2009: Russian Rhythms – Berliner Philharmoniker

  • Berlin Waldbühne (Berlin, Germany)
Neeme Järvi and Khatia Buniatishvili perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 59:30
concert
Verbier Festival

Neeme Järvi and Khatia Buniatishvili perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3

Verbier Festival 2011
Vladimir Horowitz in Moscow 01:47:16
concert

Vladimir Horowitz in Moscow

Vladimir Horowitz's legendary recital in Moscow, 1986

  • Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory (Moscow, Russia)
Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades 02:49:30
opera
Glyndebourne

Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades

Graham Vick (stage director), Sir Andrew Davis (conductor) – With Nancy Gustafson (Lisa), Yuri Marusin (Herman), Felicity Palmer (The Countess)...
Close Up, Shostakovich 58:31
documentary

Close Up, Shostakovich

A portrait
Mariss Jansons and Hilary Hahn perform Weber, Shostakovich and Dvořák 01:39:03
concert

Mariss Jansons and Hilary Hahn perform Weber, Shostakovich and Dvořák

Berliner Philharmoniker
Yuri Temirkanov conducts Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 55:52
concert
Verbier Festival

Yuri Temirkanov conducts Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10

Verbier Festival 2009
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