A Tale of Three Festivals in Two Cities

Not all of the organizers are ready to divulge all, but the Soviet Arts Festival in San Diego scheduled for Oct. 21-Nov. 11 is definitely in the works. Last week, two of the participating groups revealed a few details of their presentations.

Wesley Brustad, executive director of San Diego Symphony, outlined the orchestra’s contributions for these three weeks:

“In the first week, we would like, as a starter, to lay out the roots of contemporary Soviet musical culture. The Symphony, with the San Diego Master Chorale, will give three performances (Oct. 27-29) of Prokofiev’s music for the film ‘Alexander Nevsky.’ ” Leading these performances will be the 43-year-old conductor of the Kirov Ballet, Evgeny Kolobov, who appeared with the Leningrad company in Los Angeles three years ago.

“Beyond that, we have not confirmed all our plans,” Brustad said. But for the second week of the festival, he promised orchestral concerts featuring major soloists from the U.S.S.R. and the United States, plus premiere performances of works from both countries written on commissions from the San Diego Symphony. The executive director said that the American composer is Joseph Schwantner, but was not ready to reveal the name of the Soviet writer.

“In the third week, when we will play four performances, we expect to present the U.S. debut of a major Soviet chamber orchestra--which one is still in negotiation. And at the end of that week, the visiting ensemble will give a joint concert with our orchestra.

The symphony will spend “about three-quarter of a million dollars” on these three weeks of symphonic glasnost, Brustad said--”but that includes everything, even the commissions.”

Meanwhile, at San Diego Opera, General Director Ian Campbell declined to give more details about the production of “Boris Godunov” the company will present at the Civic Theatre five times between Oct. 21 and Nov. 1.

Already announced is the edition of Mussorgsky’s opera (the Rimsky-Korsakov revision), the conductor (Jansug Kakhidze of the Tbilisi State Opera in the Georgian Republic) the Marina (Soviet mezzo-soprano Elena Obraztsova) and the stage director (the American, and Met veteran, Nathaniel Merrill). More names will be announced after Campbell goes to the Soviet Union this week, he said through a spokesperson.

Still to be announced, said Bruce Herring, executive director of the festival, are dance and pop music events, and symposia.

MOZART IN BALBOA PARK: Meanwhile, another, smaller festival will bloom in the San Diego area when David Atherton, former music director of the San Diego Symphony, leads a 10-day, 11-concert series in Balboa Park in June.

The Westgate Mainly Mozart Festival will take place in outdoor Lowell Davies Theatre, June 2-11. At that time, The British conductor will lead nine chamber orchestra concerts--the other two will be small-ensemble events--in the 612-seat location, northeast of the Old Globe Theatre.

Atherton, who now conducts orchestras in London and Hong Kong, but who continues to maintain a San Diego residence two years after resigning from the symphony, spoke to The Times from Manchester, England, last week.

“People have been asking me for a long time to put on a small, intimate festival between seasons in San Diego. But the problem was always the right location. Last summer, I attended a performance (at the Shakespeare Festival in Balboa Park) of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” and was surprised to hear what fine an acoustic the Davies Theatre has.

“It’s ideal in other ways, too: It’s a beautiful setting, in a hollow, where the sound is contained--a perfect location for hearing music of the 18th Century. And, although it doesn’t have enough seats to be economically profitable, it does have wonderful sightlines, and that makes it possible for us to charge one price for all seats. That’s a help. I think this festival could follow in the tradition of successful summertime Mozart festivals in New York and San Francisco.”

Atherton says the management at the Old Globe has been “most cooperative, moving the opening of their Davies season back two weeks to make room for us.” Among other helpful neighbors, the Westgate Hotel is contributing housing of the artists, including the orchestra of 34 players, for the duration of the festival.

Among the prominent festival participants will be violinist William Preucil (concertmaster), violist Cynthia Phelps, pianist Anton Nel and hornist Jerry Folsom.

Information: (619) 558-1000.