It is the art of downtime irreversible in a professional sense. So you took the risk and resumed in the local format of the rehearsal at the end of may?
Valery Gergiev: Yes. It has been almost three months as theatres, orchestras and museums around the world have closed and stopped his speech because of the coronavirus, has really been a very dangerous and destructive to health. Initially, some thought it only a Chinese problem. But just as in China, Korea, Japan, with the terrible threat to the right pretty quickly, but the Americans and the highly developed European countries paid a huge price: health systems in these countries were not ready for such developments. Still the threat of losing health and life for people in the real world. On the other hand, is no less real becomes the threat of losing life and professional position of artists and musicians, if you have two or three months we will be totally separated from his profession and his audience. This is stated in the last days a lot. Of course, I want the Mariinsky theatre was already in a state, though not intense, but a serious rehearsal process. And Yes, it’s no secret that our ballet and Opera artists returned to classes nearly two weeks ago, and rehearsing, however, while solo, with an accompanist, not gathering in large ensembles. We have already received invitations to perform in the summer months, a small part, but it was the Mariinsky theatre in several countries: primarily in Italy, opening the borders to Russia. I think that, by taking precautions and adhering to recommendations and regulations, announced by the CPS today you can really begin to work. It is important, of course, disciplined to behave in the coming weeks, so that, God forbid, not to cause some kind of haste or carelessness, a new wave of diseases. Well, his work at the Mariinsky theatre he knows well. This is one of the best theaters in the world, with a huge repertoire, a great number of talented artists known around the world. We used to speak in the regions of Russia, and over the last twenty years, our audience of more than 60 regions heard the Mariinsky theatre orchestra knows ballet and Opera singers of the Mariinsky theatre, our magnificent choir.
Mariinsky troupe not only in St. Petersburg and in Vladivostok, Vladikavkaz: as a plan to get out with such a great team out of the crisis, where are the others now?
Valery Gergiev: to Organize a huge process – this is not a simple matter. We have only in St. Petersburg for almost three thousands of professionals, together with our invited artists, collectives in Vladikavkaz and Vladivoscurrent – five thousand people. This seems to be the biggest theatre group in the world. And when there was an unexpected situation with coronavirus, the prospects for which are incomprehensible to anyone else yet, it turned out that a huge expansion of the Mariinsky theatre was the worst of our problem. It is obvious that it is much easier for us and for the government to feed three hundred artists, than five thousand. Although we are able to accumulate extra-budgetary funds, earn a lot and have never set ourselves the task as expensive as possible to sell tickets.
by the Way, the cost of the tickets to the Mariinsky theatre will change in the new environment?
Valery Gergiev: will Change, but we will analyze the situation and from primarily speculators that make a successful business on the generous pricing of the theater. Now the most important thing for us is to return to the performances, even in the half-empty hall. We have three large audiences in St. Petersburg, two – in Vladikavkaz, two – in Vladivostok, a great opportunity for the distribution of repertoire in chamber music halls. We are ready to return to full-fledged activities, but we understand that must be incredibly careful. In these circumstances, for us important is the accuracy of selection programs and the accuracy of at least partial execution of the conceived regional programs.
do You really expect to hold Moscow Easter festival “stars of the White nights”? The Governor of St. Petersburg has announced the concert-opening “Stars of the White nights” June 20.
Valery Gergiev: in Any case, there will be no cancellation of the festival “White nights”, the Moscow Easter or “Mariinsky” in Vladivostok. We have too much effort invested in that these festivals have become part of the cultural life of these cities. And the Moscow Easter – it’s all national festival. We always visited as part of the Easter 25-30 regions of Russia: this huge arts program, a huge physical effort of artists, hundreds of thousands of listeners, thousands and thousands of kilometers. Every year we wait and in the cities of the Volga region and the Urals, and it is dozens of cities, in Siberia, in the cities of the European part of Russia – from Murmansk to Vladikavkaz. And at the moment we are trying masterfully to build small but impressive program to meet its moral obligations to the public. We have a lot of hard work with the governors, we think through everything thoroughly to avoid mistakes in choosing the route so as not to risk the actors and, especially, not to risk the health of concert goers. The crucial role here belongs to the specialists of Rospotrebnadzor. We don’t want to be and not be trespassing, but I’m sure that the long wait for the audience we don’t get.
In fact, the Mariinsky theatre and was recruited from public, broadcasting around the clock recordsand their plays and concerts. Today online poster has already crossed the 100 names?
Valery Gergiev: this few who say, but because our performances have already been seen by almost 80 million people throughout the world: in South America, and in Japan, USA, Europe, Australia. Watched operas, ballets, symphonic and chamber programs: on average a million people a day. This, in my opinion, the greatest performance among all theaters in the world. Moreover, a penny for these broadcasts we did not take. I recently heard in a speech held in the format, the Director of the Vakhtangov Theatre said that for every viewing of the play the visitors they pay only 300 rubles. I think if we for every view took on 300 roubles, having 80 million views, we would have earned 24 billion. But I believe that a period of universal distress it is wrong to approach this problem commercial. So we shared with the audience all have. And now it’s important for us to get back on the main stage of the Mariinsky theatre and start broadcasting live performances.
on June 28 you will be in Italy at the famous Ravenna festival which will be held this year in the open air. You will be able to take in the new conditions the Mariinsky orchestra?
Valery Gergiev: Initially the idea was that I would give the half part of the Youth orchestra Luigi Cherubini orchestra of the Mariinsky theatre. We don’t abandon the idea, but now check all the possibilities. Overall, we lost a huge amount of touring performances. I personally lost gigs in Chicago and in new York, France, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Japan. This year will be the Pacific festival in Sapporo, which I chair. But the loss of the Mariinsky theatre, if you operate just with numbers, only not sold during the quarantine of tickets amount to more than a billion rubles, as the spring and summer – the most successful months: this is the time of the festival “White nights” when we have a day going to ten events on various stages. To this we must add losses from the failed major touring theatre contracts, from contracts of our leading soloists. I hope they will bravely endure this period. It so happened that the government’s support of theatrical and musical collectives of the country, causing all of us a huge thanks, not only touched our most famous musicians – pianists, violinists, singers, conductors who have lost dozens of performances around the world. They are not paid and can not be supported from the budget. I’m trying to put them in the playbill of the Mariinsky theatre.
are You planning to start broadcasting live concerts from the empty halls as the Berlin Philharmonic?
Valery Gergiev: we Have this idea and has been from the beginning. And on the first day, when we closed on quarantine, we broadcast live opening concert of the harp festival “Northern lyre”. But when we are talking about the daily broadcasts, we have already started to put on plays and concerts from the Mariinsky theatre trust, recorded with our European partners. Now I need to find some form of support for artists in this difficult period gave the opportunity to millions of people around the world enjoy their talent.
Previous recommendation of the CPS was to from mid-June to announce the artists leave in the theatres, and in July to resume the rehearsal process. Now allowed to rehearse, and you discuss the possibility of concerts open-air?
Valery Gergiev: Our conversation at a recent meeting with the President was serious and straightforward. We are grateful to him that he felt it necessary to listen to us, suggested that for its part the program of precautionary measures. Of course, we discussed with CPS all the conditions under which it is possible to conduct public concerts, at least while in the open air. Our artists used to work hard and with high quality: we should go back to that. And after a long break is not a simple process: it will require a lot of effort.
I mean, the Mariinsky theatre will have all summer to work?
Valery Gergiev: Yes! Oh, and leisure enough for all. I every day for nine or ten hours listening to the works that may appear in our repertoire, has watched our records, including records of the 90s and the zero years. Something will be released, perhaps even on CD, because some of the greatest singers are no longer alive. And artists I two months ago said: do you have a performance in such a large team, there will be more free and ninety days for learning parties. Use this feature! I heard that many had prepared three or four parties. We consider now twenty new Opera names. Something will appear in our repertoire in six months, some a year and a half. I’m in my calculations and assumptions are rarely wrong, because I know your team and its capabilities. The main thing – to restore now normal rehearsal process and very accurately to build while a few of our performances. We must work, because the effort in half a leg is no good in any case will not. And myself I would like to wish the care and preservation of health to all the readers of “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”!
