Valery Gergiev on Stars of the White Nights 2021

“Stars of the White Nights“, St Petersburg's foremost summer music festival, opened 27 May and will run until 18 July. The newest and greatest achievements of performers over the course of the season, premieres, appearances by guest stars, recitals by outstanding vocalists and instrumentalists and evenings of chamber music await festival guests. Valery Gergiev is the event's Artistic Director. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans The opera is being staged at the Mariinsky Theatre for the first time since 1945. A plot taken from the age of knights, four extensive acts with a ballet divertissement, efficacious arias, lofty ensembles, choruses of angels and of men, prayers and triumphant processions: The Maid of Orleans is truly a “grand opéra“ in the French style. The new stage production is being mounted by director Alexei Stepanyuk in collaboration with designer Vyacheslav Okunev. The role of Joan is to be performed by acclaimed mezzo-sopranos Ekaterina Semenc