Roldugin performed with pianist Frantz at the Sirius Summer Festival

Works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms were performed at the Big Sirius Summer Festival. On one stage, the audience was able to see a unique duet of People's Artist of Russia, artistic director of the St. Petersburg House of Music Sergei Roldugin with his longtime friend, conductor and pianist Justus Frantz. The details of the speech on August 4 were shared by the Izvestia correspondent.

The musicians have known each other since Sergei Roldugin, being the first cellist of the Kirov Theater, came to Germany in the mid-1980s as part of the orchestra at a festival organized by Frantz. They understand each other literally from half a tact and half a glance, so they can easily switch from Russian to German and vice versa during rehearsals.

"It turned out that I spoke a little German and could somehow communicate with him. At the end of our first meeting, our tour, he wrote to me on the notes I gave him, in Russian. He says: Russian Russian is something I want to learn so much that I'm going to write to you in Russian now.: "I wanted from my heart for us to play the Brahms sonata," Roldugin said.

Maestro Frantz was able to learn Russian, and the dream of performing Brahms came true only 40 years later, when Roldugin and Frantz played a duet on the same stage for the first time. Despite both musicians' busy schedules, they even had two rehearsals before the concert.

"You know, we rehearse more in Germany. Because maybe our musicians are not as good as yours," Frantz emphasized.

Frantz has been a long—time friend of Russia since the Soviet era, and no amount of politics can influence this warm attitude.

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"Due to political circumstances, he was actually kicked out of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. That's the cultural policy," Roldugin said.

Frantz founded this festival back in 1986, but he was suspended from this project for participating in the Tchaikovsky competition jury, as well as for conducting Russian operas and symphonies.

"I love your culture. It is a great pleasure for me if I can be here in Russia," Frantz said.

One of the viewers shared that it was not the first time she had attended the event, but she was still pleased with what she saw.

"Everything is excellent. The festival itself is a very unique thing. There are no words, only positive emotions," said another viewer.

In addition, Sergey Roldugin also performed with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, where one could hear the richness of romantic music by Camille Saint-Saens. The Sirius Summer Music Festival will last for three more weeks.

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