Galina Vishnevskaya's 80th anniversary

27.10.2006

Galina Vishnevskaya's 80th anniversary

On 25th of October in Tchaikovsky concert hall, the festive concert, devoted to 80th anniversary of Galina Vishnevskaya. The stage director of that event was Dmitry Bertman. Galina Vishnevskaya, Mstislav Rostropovich and Dmitry Bertman have a long-standing creative and personal friendship. In 2000 during the festival in Evian (France) "Helikon-Opera" theatre showed "Die Fliedermaus" by J. Strauss, which was conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. In 2005 Dmitry Bertman staged "Vampuka, Bride of Africa" in Opera Centre of Galina Vishnevskaya.

After Galina Vishnevskaya refused to spend her anniversary at a New Stage of Bolshoi Theatre, the leadership of Tchaikovsky hall (personally A. Shalashov) kindly gave the venue to a great singer. Unfortunately, Tchaikovsky hall is different from the theatre, to which Galina Pavlovna has given the biggestpart of her life. And Dmitry Bertman presented "a piece of Bolshoi theatre" to Vishnevskaya: right under the organ there was a crimson and gold theatre "Tsar's box", with a videoscreen inside. Dmitry Alexandrovich has personally selected pieces from the old video records of Vishnevskaya, which are absolutely unknown to a general spectator. Thus, the fragment from the "Human Voice" monoopera by F. Poulenc was presented, the unique record of the end of 50-ies where Vishnevskaya showed an irreproachable vocal and outstanding dramatic play.

The soloists Larisa Diadkova, Makvala Kasrashvili, Vladimir Chernov, Vladimir Matorin, Badri Maysuradze, violinist Maxim Vengerov, ballet dancers Svetlana Zakharova, Maria Kallash, Nikolay Tsiskaridze and other artists performed at primadonna's celebration.

The final of the evennig was perfect: two famous tenors Dennis O' Neil and Badri Maysuradze performed "Libiamo" from "Traviata" with... 80 sopranos. March from "Aida" in honour of Vishnevskaya, performed by her students together with soloists and artists of the chorus of "Helikon-Opera", crowned the grandiose action. "Kultura" TV channel broadcasted it. 

Galina Vishnevskaya and Dmitry Bertman

Photos by Alexander Hayduk