Kirill Petrenko with Rachmaninov’s “Francesca da Rimini”

“Upbeat”: Sofia Gubaidulina’s “The Wrath of God”
Programme notes and rehearsal footage

In this video: Kirill Petrenko rehearses Sofia Gubaidulina’s symphonic poem The Wrath of God. Double bassist Martin Heinze, who got to know the composer personally, provides insights into the uncompromisingly powerful work.

The case of Francesca da Rimini
A timeless murder 

Apart from the Madonna and the odd character from the Bible, it would probably be fair to say that Francesca da Rimini is one of the most frequently encountered female figures in the world of art, a figure whose tale has inspired no fewer than fourteen operas, seven stage plays, at least fifteen famous paintings and so many lesser-known works that it would be simply impossible to list them all.

A journey into the spiritual
Sofia Gubaidulina and the Berliner Philharmoniker

Biographies

Galina Cheplakova

Galina Cheplakova recently won considerable acclaim for her performance as Violetta in Peter Konwitschny’s legendary production of La traviata at the Graz opera. With this and similar triumphs, the Russian-born soprano has sung her way into the top league of her profession, earning praise for her finely-drawn legato arches and agile colouratura. Cheplakova studyied in Russia and Italy, winning numerous international competitions. Her repertoire includes roles such as Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Musetta (La bohème), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin) and the title role of Tchaikovsky’s Jolanthe.

Dmytro Popov

Ukrainian tenor Dmytro Popov began his solo career in 2004 as Alfredo (La traviata); three years later he was a prizewinner at Plácido Domingo’s Operalia competition in Paris. In 2013, Popov made his breakthrough as Rodolfo (La bohème) at the Royal Opera House in London. Since then, he has appeared at major opera houses and international festivals in roles such as Lenski (Eugene Onegin) Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca) and Don José (Carmen). He made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2012 under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s tone poem The Bells.

Dmitry Golovnin

Dmitry Golovnin studied first trumpet, then singing in St. Petersburg and Hamburg. His career has taken the tenor to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the Paris Opera, the Vienna State Opera and the Zurich Opera House. His diverse repertoire ranges from Don José (Carmen) to Grigori and Shuisky (Boris Godunov), Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and contemporary music such as Olga Neuwirth’s American Lulu. In 2021, he made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa under the baton of Kirill Petrenko.

Vladislav Sulimsky

As a member of the ensemble at St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, Vladislav Sulimsky has appeared in the title roles of Eugene Onegin, Simon Boccanegra, Macbeth, Rigoletto and Gianni Schicchi, among others. The baritone was also nominated for a Grammy Award for his recording of Shostakovich’s The Nose and won the Giacomo Lauri-Volpi Competition in 2010. Engagements have taken him to leading international opera houses and festivals. He  appeared with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko in Tchaikovsky’s operas Mazeppa (2021) and Queen of Spades (2022).

Ilia Kazakov

Ilia Kazakov, born in Kazan in 1992, studied choral conducting and singing in his home city and in Moscow. In 2019, the bass won the Galina Vishnevskaya International Opera Competition and became a member of the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Studio in Moscow. After debuts at major opera houses and at the Salzburg Festival, he joined the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera, where he has appeared in roles such as Ferrando (Il trovatore), Colline (La bohème) and Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin).