PHILHARMONIQUE LENINGRAD

The Philharmonic Orchestra of Leningrad is the oldest symphonic formation of the ex-USSR. With the origin Chorus of Imperial Music, it was founded in 1882 and evolves/moves in the aristocratic mediums of the beginning of the century. It becomes then orchestra of state in October 1917. Since 1935, only one chief reigned on the orchestra, until his death, Evgeny Mravinsky (1903-1988), intractable chief of this orchestra during fifty years which leads it with an iron hand! The orchestra, until the bursting of the USSR, did not carry out many rounds abroad. Moreover, Mravinsky hated the studios of recording, almost all the documents which we know are public recordings. Year after year, Mravinsky had inculcated in its orchestra certain sound characteristics: coppers crépitaient like nowhere elsewhere, wood had identifiable stamps between thousand: sharp-edged for the bassoons, acidulous for the oboes, while the cords had all the same rough grain, same sonority mâte. All interpretations of Mravinsky are at the same time dark and sharp, carried and structured, whatever the played work. Today this orchestra does not exist any more under this name, but that of "Philharmonic of St-Petersbourg". With this change and the loss of Mravinski the quality of interpretation is not similar any more. During these five last years, the orchestra also gives representations in the principal festivals of summer of Lucerne, Salzburg, Edinburgh and with the BBC Proms. In April 1988, Yuri Temirkanov is named Musical Directeur and Principal Chief of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Saint-Pétersbourg. Before its nomination, he was an Artistic Director and Principal Chief with the Opera of Kirov.