Kirov Orchestra: keeping legend alive

The Mariinsky is the theater where Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake" first came to life.

It's the theater where Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" was premiered, as well as Verdi's opera "La Forza del Destino" and Stravinsky's "Firebird" Suite.

Now Seattle music lovers will hear the Mariinsky Theatre's orchestra, also called the Kirov Orchestra, on tour from St. Petersburg and for the first time ever in Benaroya Hall, under the direction of artistic director Valery Gergiev. The mere word "Kirov" conjures up images of greatness in the performing arts. And the much-recorded, globe-trotting maestro Gergiev is considered one of today's most eminent conductors — a fiery, tough, brilliant man whose work has been called "visionary" and "mystical."

What makes the Kirov Orchestra so special? For one thing, it is among Russia's oldest cultural institutions, founded in the 18th century under Peter the Great as the Russian Imperial Opera Orchestra. The jewel-box that is the Mariinsky Theatre (named after Maria, Czar Alexander II's wife) has housed the orchestra since 1860.

It took the direction of Eduard Napravnik (1839-1916), a conductor little known in this country but still revered in Russia, to steer the Kirov into a 50-year "golden age" that boosted the orchestra to considerable prominence in Europe. Napravnik was not just an orchestra builder; he also was a noted teacher who established a true "Russian school" of conducting.

That school has culminated in a long string of distinguished 20th- and 21st-century conductors. (Gergiev's actual teacher, Ilya Musin, is the pupil of a pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov.) Generalizations are always inadequate, but it is probably fair to say that most great Russian conductors share a big-hearted, passionate view of the scores they conduct, and this is certainly true of Gergiev. A profile in The New Yorker described his style as "a spontaneous rush of emotion, a communal celebration of sound" from "one of the most charismatic conductors of his generation." Now 53, Gergiev has "great charm and a ferocity that makes people jump," but he is certainly never overlooked.

Neither is the evening's piano soloist, one of the most explosive pianists to be found anywhere: Alexander Toradze, nicknamed "Lexo" and considered one of those larger-than-life figures of the concert stage. He'll be playing a suitably big-moment concerto, the famous Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 (the one Van Cliburn took to Moscow for the Tchaikovsky Competition). Toradze is also known as one of Gergiev's closest friends, so their joint participation on the tour should make for some good harmony in the concert halls. Gergiev himself began his career as a pianist, and has a tremendous feel for the instrument from the podium as well.

Gergiev's schedule supersedes the term "busy" and appears to verge on the near-impossible. Earlier this month, he was conducting Wagner's "Ring" (with Placido Domingo in the cast) in Orange County, Calif.; later this month, after Seattle, he has several East Coast dates, including New York's Avery Fisher Hall, before heading off to Madrid on Halloween. Just looking at his schedule can be exhausting.

Georgian-born Toradze teaches at Indiana University in between his international tours, and not surprisingly, he's considered a particular master of the Russian repertoire. About 15 years ago, he created the "Toradze Piano Studio," a touring conservatory ensemble made up of different generations of players (teachers and students of all ages). Over the years, the Studio has toured festivals from Scotland and Finland to the Hollywood Bowl, presenting themed programs and marathons of Stravinsky, Dvorák and several other composers.

With Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra, Toradze has recorded all five of Prokofiev's piano concertos, to international acclaim. He's famous for his huge technique, his energy and emotionalism, and the visceral excitement of his performances.

Although Gergiev stands at the head of the Kirov Orchestra's artistic lineup as artistic director and principal conductor, the orchestra has a rather startling number of conductors: a total of 10. The orchestra roster includes principal guest conductor Gianandrea Noseda; five conductors billed simply as "conductor" (Mikhail Agrest, Boris Gruzin, Alexander Polyanichko, Mikhail Sinkevich and Tugan Sokhiev); and two assistant conductors (Leonid Korchmar and Pavel Smelkov). There's also a "conductor of the off-stage band" (used primarily in opera productions), Georgy Strautman, and a "Conductor of the Young Orchestra," Algirdas Paulavichus. Gergiev established the Mariinsky Young Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999 as a training ensemble; now the orchestra tours internationally.

The musicians' roster is similarly large. Take the oboe section, for instance, which in the Seattle Symphony and its peer orchestras typically has three members (the third doubles on English horn, the deeper cousin of the oboe). The Kirov has 10; six of those are dubbed "soloist" (principal), which means there's plenty of depth in the section so that principal players don't have to play all the time.

There are 11 flutes on the players' roster; nine trumpets, five harps. There are eight "deputy leaders" (associate concertmasters). You get the picture.

But there is only one Kirov Orchestra, and one Gergiev, and the arrival of the Russians in Seattle has been eagerly awaited. On Tuesday we'll find out how they sound in Benaroya Hall. Stay tuned.

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@seattletimes.com