Valery Gergiev and the Verbier Festival Orchestra perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 ‘Pathétique’ in B minor, op. 74 at the Verbier Festival 2015.

Symphony No. 6 in B minor ‘Pathetique’, op. 74 is Tchaikovsky’s last finished symphony. The Russian composer wrote it in 1893, premiering it nine days before his death in St. Petersburg. The ‘Pathétique Symphony’ is the last of Tchaikovsky’s compositions to be premiered during his lifetime. Tchaikovsky considered this symphony his most personal and most important composition. However, the premier was met with little enthusiasm and he did not live to see its later popularity. A characteristic feature is the unusually slow last movement, the end of which is reminiscent of a requiem.

Valery Gergiev has been the artistic director of the Mariinski Theater in St. Petersburg for over 25 years now. From 2007 until 2010, he was principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, he became chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic. Born in Moscow, Gergiev studied conducting under Ilya Musin at the Leningrad Conservatory. While still a student, he won the Herbert von Karajan conducting competition in Berlin.

The Verbier Festival is one of the most prestigious classical music events in the world. The quality of the participating artists as well as the originality of the programs have established the festival as a highlight of the music season. It takes place for two weeks in late July and early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, in Switzerland.

00:24 I. Adagio – Allegro non troppo
20:15 II. Allegro con grazia
27:33 III. Allegro molto vivace
35:53 IV. Adagio lamentoso

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