Summertime and Symphonies

I was planning to post a top ten list about how you know it's summer in Russia (much like our beloved winter list), but unfortunately, there's no way to know it's actually summer. Today and yesterday, the temperatures have been in the mid 50s, leaving us with little choice except to wear long pants, sweaters and jackets. We saw dozens of people wearing turtlenecks yesterday on the street. Can you believe it, wearing a turtleneck in late June?! I actually have to remind myself that it's summertime, because it sure doesn't feel that way outside!

Last night, we went to the brand-new Mariinsky Concert Hall for the Stars of the White Nights concert series. The building, which had formerly been the site of the theater's set workshop, burned down in a historic fire in September 2003, destroying almost all the costumes and sets stored there and structurally damaging the building. The Mariinsky converted the building -- leaving the exterior intact -- into a fantastic concert hall for world-class musical performances, which reopened just this past spring. The wood-paneled interior and plush red seats make for an intimate, acoustic delight. (Sorry there are no photos -- we forgot our camera at home!)

I admit that most symphonies are typically far beyond my tone-deaf grasp, but thanks to Wikipedia and a little advance research, Matt and I could appreciate and follow the performance of Schoenberg's Violin Concerto and Mahler's Fifth, conducted by Valery Gergiev (who looks a little scruffier than I imagined a conductor of his caliber to look). Not surprisingly, Matt enjoyed Schoenberg's more-traditional piece more than Mahler's maddening piece; I far preferred the Mahler piece, probably because I understood more about its structure. I especially enjoyed the third movement, in which plucked strings sounded strikingly like the pitter-patter of falling raindrops, and the crashing symbols and loud blasting horns of the first two movements. It all felt a little irreverent for a symphony.

At work today, we continue to wrap up loose ends. We are writing our final report, which will allow us to document our successes, failures, goals, and advice for any future volunteers who are posted to St. Petersburg or other FSU communities. We are training local staff to lead tours of YESOD in English. We are trying to pick a date for our farewell party. And most of all, we are trying to avoid the question, "Where are you going next?" For the next 25 days, we can simply enjoy summertime in St. Petersburg, replete with concerts and cold weather!