On July 15, 1998, a unique concert by the “Orchestra of the World” took place on Red Square in Moscow. 850 young musicians from 60 countries, participants of the World Youth Music Forum, performed simultaneously on stage. Valery Gergiev conducted this extraordinary orchestra. The concert program included works by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Grieg, Richard Strauss, Borodin, Khachaturian, Scriabin, and others. This large-scale event took place on a gigantic stage installed by JSA specifically for the case.
A multi-level stage platform covering a total area of 2,400 square meters was erected in the main square of the Russian capital. Assembled from Layher Allround Scaffolding and wooden floorboards, the structure spanned the entire historic square. JSA also installed six special towers for hanging sound equipment and lighting fixtures. The towers ranged in height from 12 to 16 meters. An LED screen was installed on one of the main towers at the front to broadcast the concert and display relevant information. A large tent pavilion was set up behind the stage to store instruments and prepare the musicians for going on stage.
Additionally, the square was equipped with seated stalls and a VIP stand with a canopy. Thus, Red Square was transformed into a unique open-air concert hall, with a capacity of four and a half thousand spectators / listeners. Furthermore, the performance was broadcast live on radio and television.
The impressiveperformance by nearly a thousand musicians on a single stage was part of and the opening event of the extensive multi-day program of the World Youth Music Forum. The Forum’s events are part of the cultural portion of the World Youth Games, which are taking place in Moscow from July 7 to 19. The World Youth Games are an international competition for junior athletes held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee.
Organizers of the World Youth Music Forum 1998:
Under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin
– Government of Moscow
– Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov
– Rosinterfest Agency
Artistic Director of the Forum – Igor Gurevich
Technical Contractors:
Sound Equipment – Live Sound / Yuri Sokolov
Lighting Equipment – Lightmaster / Nikolai Zinovenko
Stage Structures – JSA / Alexander Strizhak
Seating – Festival Programs Agency
For more information about the World Youth Music Forum 1998, the organizers, and the people and companies involved in preparing and hosting this cultural event, see the official Forum brochure published below (in Russian):
“It’s wonderful that a rejuvenated and forward-looking Russia has become the initiator and organizer of this important international youth event. Focused on the future, the Forum will vividly demonstrate the unifying power of art and will contribute to the strengthening of peace, a world without war and violence, a world in which young musicians will live and create…”
President of the Russian Federation Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin
“The World Youth Music Forum is more than just a showcase for the most famous and talented youth music groups. It is an international humanitarian effort that demonstrates the power of music to unite people, regardless of nationality or religion…”
Mayor of Moscow Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov
“ORCHESTRA OF THE WORLD” – THIS SOUNDS
“The world has never seen anything like this. The world has never heard anything like this. For the first time in history, a symphony orchestra of nearly a thousand performers performed on a single stage. Musical quality, of course, is not measured in decibels, yet the grandeur of the spectacle and sound was still impressive. Young artists came to Moscow for the World Youth Music Forum with ten national orchestras from Canada, China, Israel, South Africa, the UK, Australia, the USA, and other countries. They, along with international musical ensembles, formed the combined “Orchestra of Peace,” which was conducted by renowned Russian maestro Valery Gergiev around 10 p.m. on Wednesday…”
The introductory part of the article by journalist Alexander Vasinsky in the newspaper Izvestia No. 130 (25230), July 17, 1998 (in Russian).
“Valery Gergiev on the concert on Red Square: ‘This concert should be judged by the standards and laws of such events, and not like concerts in the Great Hall of the Conservatory. And it doesn’t matter whether I’m satisfied with this concert, but whether the students who crossed such great distances to perform on Red Square are satisfied. These are people who play at the level of schools and colleges, some are practically amateurs, and, of course, working with them is completely different from what I do with the Mariinsky Theatre, or with the Vienna, Berlin, or New York orchestras. I did everything I could. This is the most difficult concert of my career – in terms of conducting an orchestra – I’ve never conducted timpanists who sit 150 meters away from me, and I don’t think any conductor could say they can do it without problems. There are a multitude of problems here, and one shouldn’t look for pure art here…’”
An excerpt from the article “GERGIEV ON THE SQUARE” in newspaper Kommersant-Daily No. 128, July 17, 1998 (in Russian)
Эта статья на Русском языке: ОРКЕСТРА МИРА НА САМОЙ БОЛЬШОЙ СЦЕНЕ НА КРАСНОЙ ПЛОЩАДИ
© All photos are the copyright of JSA Stage Company.