Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
182
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Classical music performances in Russia are perhaps the country's most underrated plea-
sure. The performers are rigorously trained, the concert halls are rich with history and
architecturally inspiring, and you can enjoy it all for just a few dollars. For the full expe-
rience, select a performance of a Russian composer in a hall where he once played, even
if the music is unfamiliar. In addition to the listings below, several estate museums
around town host chamber music concerts in the warm-weather months. Combine the
performance with a walk around aristocratic gardens and a tour of the museum exhibit
for an idyllic summer evening. See “Aristocratic Estates” in chapter 7 for addresses.
Chaliapin House Museum
You'll really feel transported to pre-revolutionary Russia
during a concert in this house, where opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin lived and performed
for friends and family. A cluster of chairs around the piano ensures intimacy with the
soloists and small ensembles who perform here a few nights a week. Take a few minutes
to explore the museum before the show, including the display of some of Chaliapin's
costumes. It's hard to imagine that during Soviet times, the Chaliapin home held com-
munal apartments for up to 60 people.
25 Novinsky Bulvar (next to the U.S. Embassy).
&
495/605-6236.
www.shalyapin-museum.org. Metro: Barrikadnaya.
Columned Hall
(Kolonny Zal) This early-18th-century mansion became the “House
of Unions” under the Soviets, who made its magnificent gold-and-white ballroom (the
Columned Hall) into the elite concert space it remains today. Lenin and Stalin both lay
in state here, as millions of Russians filed past to pay their respects. English author
George Bernard Shaw celebrated his 75th birthday here. Now its repertoire includes
visiting international symphony orchestras and choirs, children's performances, and even
fashion shows.
1 Bolshaya Dmitrovka.
&
495/692-0736.
Metro: Teatralnaya.
English Court
(Angliiskoye Podvorye) This 16th-century boardinghouse for English
merchants has been turned into a museum that hosts chamber music concerts 1 or 2
evenings a week. See the “Walking Tour” at the end of chapter 7 for more on the history
of this building and neighborhood.
4 Varvarka Ulitsa.
&
495/698-3952.
Metro: Ploshchad
Revolutsii.
International House of Music
(Mezhdunarodny Dom Muzyki) This vast, ultra-
modern venue is now the primary one for international music stars. It's reserved for
major events, which are priced like similar venues in Europe. The acoustics are excellent,
and nearly any seat provides great sound. Take a walk around the island before the con-
cert, among futuristic office towers and picturesque bridges.
52 Kosmodamianskaya
Naberezhnaya, building 8.
&
495/730-1011.
www.mmdm.ru. Metro: Paveletskaya.
Moscow Conservatory
(Konservatoria) This is the most popular and most historic
place to hear Russian and international compositions performed by some of the country's
top orchestras and soloists. The conservatory, housed in an 18th-century mansion now
fronted by a statue of Tchaikovsky, who taught here for 12 years, is still the premier
training ground for Russian musicians. The bigger shows with visiting symphony orches-
tras are in the Grand Hall (Bolshoi Zal). The smaller Rachmaninoff Hall and the Small
Hall (Maly Zal) offer more intimate atmospheres, often featuring performances by rising
student stars. Tickets for the Grand Hall can be as low as 100 rubles.
13 Bolshaya Nikits-
kaya St.
&
495/629-8183.
www.mosconsv.ru/english.phtml. Metro: Arbatskaya.
Tchaikovsky Concert Hall
(Kontsertny Zal Im. Tchaikovskogo) This 19th-century
concert space has an impressive columned facade and a more modern outlook than the
conservatory. It presents a range of musical styles, from the classics to performances for
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