Carnegie Hall burst onto the international stage when Pyotr Ilych
Tchaikovsky—the world's most illustrious and popular musician—stepped
out to conduct at its first Opening Night in 1891. His vivid, powerful
music and flowing melodies had already swept the world, leading the way
for a striking new dynasty of composers that included Rachmaninoff,
Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich.
In October, Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky Orchestra commemorate
that performance by performing his symphonies, one through six—all part
of a focus on the composer and his successors that also includes
performances by Anna Netrebko and Ensemble ACJW.