Toronto-designed Mariinsky shines in debut
For years, Vladimir Putin and Valery Gergiev have conducted a mutual admiration society. And on Thursday night in St. Petersburg, the seemingly invincible Russian president renewed that bond with the maestro who runs one of the world’s greatest cultural empires.
It happened amid the dazzling black-tie opening at Mariinsky II, a $700-million opera house and arts complex designed by the Toronto firm Diamond Schmitt — while all of Russia and many people around the world were paying attention. “Today is an important day in the cultural life of our country,” Putin told first-nighters.
Then despite tight security measures, instead of heading for the large and sleek VIP box (which looms as a reminder of the czarist past), Putin took a seat near the front of the 1,800-seat auditorium for a gala concert that showcased opera diva Anna Netrebko and ballerina Diana Vishneva, both homegrown stars, as well as Placido Domingo. The concert was shown live on state-run TV.
Gergiev has long wanted to expand beyond the original Mariinsky theatre, built in 1860, and gain the advantage of up-to-date technology and state-of-the-art acoustics to accommodate more ambitious projects. Without Putin’s blessing and willingness to spend as much money as needed, it could not have happened. The project was entirely funded by the Russian government.
Putin also told the crowd the government plans to build opera houses in other Russian cities.
For his part, Gergiev has been an unwavering supporter of Putin, most recently in his successful bid to reclaim the presidency. And in a ceremony on Wednesday, Gergiev was one of five “Heroes of Labour” awarded medals by Putin.
It took 10 years and two changes of architect to get the new building up and open, and there were many stumbles along the way, but now Gergiev has one of the world’s largest and best equipped performing arts centres anywhere, fuelling his ambition to bring back the great old days of the late-19th century, when St. Petersburg was important a cultural capital as Paris. Now for the first time, Gergiev will be able to stage opera, ballet and orchestra concerts simultaneously. Prior to the three-day opening celebration, there had been considerable controversy about the new building, which some, without setting foot inside, called bland, ugly or too much like a shopping mall. But opinion became more positive once the hoarding was taken off, revealing the effects of a gleaming orange onyx wall around the auditorium. Those who attended Thursday’s gala were dazzled by the interior space and the acoustics of the hall, said Eva Czigler, who was there with her husband, National Arts Centre president Peter Herrndorf. “From what we heard, the reaction to the space was overwhelmingly positive,” she said. International coverage of the building was also supportive, with Miriam Elder and Imogen Tilden of The Guardian reporting that “the Mariinsky . . . stands as a paradigm of simplicity,” a bit of a surprise considering the Russians’ glamorous taste. The New York Times’ Zachary Woolfe characterized the theatre as “opulent” with acoustics that are “lucid and clean.” Russian newspaper Kommersant also seemed to give its approval, albeit cautiously, saying: “The facade didn’t turn out too well but as far as theatre is concerned, there simply isn’t a better place to stage opera in Russia.” Those who attended Thursday’s gala were dazzled by the interior space and the acoustics of the hall. The response was clearly positive. Opening night happened to fall on Gergiev’s 60th birthday. At a caviar-and-champagne post-performance reception, Gergiev introduced Putin to Jack Diamond, principal of Diamond Schmitt. Gergiev was honoured with a huge birthday cake in the shape of Mariinsky II — for which the Toronto firm had been asked to send architectural drawings. According to one of the 70 Canadians who made the trip to St. Petersburg for this occasion, an elated Diamond made a speech in carefully practised Russian.
This marks the first time a Toronto architectural firm has designed a performing arts centre outside Canada on this scale, and attracted such huge international attention.
As a result, Jack Diamond may have become the third member of a powerful troika. Putin, Gergiev and Diamond are the reigning three amigos of the global cultural/ political world — at least for this week. mknelman@thestar.ca