St Petersburg is
known for its musical traditions. There are wonderful opera houses like the
Mariinsky Theatre. Its famous conductor Valery Gergiev organises the annual
Easter Festival of classical music. The Mariinsky is famous for the first
nights of outstanding Russian operas like Life for the Tsar (or Ivan Susanin),
the first Russian national opera, by Mikhail Glinka. It was staged in 1836.
The world-famous Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in the town
of Votkinsk. His most famous works are the ballets Swan Lake, The Nutcracker
and The Sleeping Beauty. His music is considered to be catchy, romantic and
sentimental.
The Russian choral tradition is long. The first Russian folk choir was
organised by Prince Yuri Golitsyn in the village of Novocherkutino (now Lipetsk
Region) in 1856.
Many Russians like jazz. The famous Oleg Lundstrem big band was founded in
Shanghai, China, by Oleg Lundstrem and his brother Igor in the 1930s. Their
concerts have always been very popular and successful and they have often
played to full houses.
In some Russian parks you can listen to brass bands.