Vladimir Spivakov, People's Artist of Russia and UNESCO Artist for Peace, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia and opera diva of world fame Hibla Gerzmava are continuing the |I Love You, Life tour dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Soviet People's victory in the Great Patriotic War with concerts in St-Petersburg and Volgograd. On May 8 there will be a performance in the Great Hall of the D. Shostakovich Philharmonia in St-Petersburg and on May 9 – in the Central Concert Hall of the Volgograd Philharmonia.
The maestro takes close to heart the concerts in these two heroic cities. Leningrad is the city of his childhood where after the War he made his first steps towards his artistic career. In one of his interviews, he said: 'Victory Day is especially dear to my heart. My mother survived in the Leningrad Blockade. My father after two severe contusions at the Ukrainian Front worked in the plant producing motors for our bombers. A small drop of his labor also flew into our mutual victory over Fascism. My mother attended the famous performance of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony in besieged Leningrad on August 9, 1942. Mother told that the audience listened to the music rising from their seats. On the eve of the concert a special attack against the Fascist army had been organized to make their guns mute during the performance. The people in the audience were on feet in the unusual silence and weeping while the orchestra played the awesome music. Russia is great due to its formidable spirit. My father told me that just owing to this morale Russia had won the Great Patriotic War...'
The concert in Volgograd will take place on the Victory Day and will be part of a large festive program with many guests. The day will be ended with a firework on Mamaev Kurgan in remembrance of the Stalingrad heroic battle.
The I Love You, Life! cycle features much loved and well known songs from the 1940s-1980s about the Great Patriotic War. A special place in the program is given to symphonic works by Russian and Soviet classic composers (from Tchaikovsky to Sviridov) and to epochal film sound tracks which tie the songs into a choate.
The concerts are organized by the Moscow Concert Company and supported by the RF Ministry of Culture and local administrations.