By ALLAN KOZINN [NY Times, 6 December 2007]
Valery Gergiev and his Kirov Orchestra, along with a planeload of choristers and soloists from the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, finished their short residency at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday evening. Their three concerts, part of Mr. Gergievís Perspectives series, offered a selective tour of the Russian opera and ballet repertory. Mr. Gergiev is the go-to guy for this music today. He has drilled his orchestra to produce a tremendous range of both sound and expressivity, from exquisite beauty and polish to terrifying ferocity.