Moscow State University

6 September, 1997

Saturday 6th September 1997 will be remembered in Moscow as the day that Jean Michel Jarre lit up the city to help celebrate their 850th anniversary celebratations. What a great show it was too, a unique musical and visual experience, witnessed by an estimated 3.5 million people, and according to the Moscow Times, this was the biggest crowd since the state funeral for Stalin in 1953!! As dusk fell, 4 jet fighters of the Russian Airforce flying in diamond formation, circled the stage and then disappeared. A minute later they roared back on full power, and the voice of the squadron leader could be heard over the PA system, counting down for the concert to begin. The jets then peeled off in four directions and dropped flares on parachutes over the stage.

Jean Michel then led his 'band', which included a brass section, the ex Red Army Choir, as well as the musicians that played with him during the arena tour earlier this year.

The backdrop was the grand Moscow State University (known as the MGU) which was built between 1949 and 1953 as part of the re-generation of Moscow after World War II. It consists of a 36 storey teaching block flanked by four huge wings which are said to have 33 kilometers of corridors ! Wheatsheaf pinnacles cap the side towers, which bear giant clocks, while the centre tower is festooned with swags and statues carved with the Soviet crest, and surmounted by a 240 meter tall spire, with a star weighing 12 tons.

The MGU stands on the Sparrow hills in the southwest of Moscow , apparently deemed by Ivan the Terrible as 'too windy' for building, and can be seen from many parts of the city.

The lighting designer made use of a magnificient facade as a giant projection screen. It was brought to life with oversized graphics and reflected typical Russian images such as religious icons from the Russian Orthodox church, Tsars, Red Stars, Cosmanauts, Russian dolls, and political figures from pre-Soviet times. Giant beams of light reached far into the sky and this was all co-ordinated with the music.

A local FM station simulcast the show for those who were too far away to hear the show from the excellent PA system.

The fireworks began from all parts of the building, complementing the music and truly lighting up the city. There were times when the MGU looked as if it was on fire. With a budget of $250000 it was the longest and most spectacular display I have ever seen. The finale climaxed with two 'pyrotechnic waterfalls' which covered the main building.

45 minutes into the show, Jean Michel asked for a moments silence in memory of Princess Diana, who he had danced with at his show at London Docklands in1988. The crowd fell silent before JMJ's words were translated into Russian and during 'Souvenir' which followed, lighters were held aloft by the vast crowd as a mark of respect. It was a very moving experience, and afterwards Jean Michel was both happy and surprised by the crowd's reaction.

Later to the pleasure of the crowd, a live link up was made to the MIR spacestation and the Cosmanauts paid tribute to Moscow and Jean Michel.

The show lasted over 2 hours and 'Revolution' brought it to an end with the MGU bathed in red (what else?). The encore finished it off with 'RendezVous part 4' and 'Oxygene part 13' with ex Red Army choir in full voice.

Moscow Concert

Date : 6 September 1997
AT : Moscow state university, Moscow, Russia

Spectators : 3 500 000
 
Concert Play list

  1.Countdown
  2.Rendez-Vous 2
  3.Ethnicolor
  4.Equinoxe 7
  5.Chronologie 6 
  6.Magnetic fields 1
  7.Oxygène 11
  8.Dedication to Princesse Diana (minutes silence)
  9.Souvenir (of China)
 10.Equinoxe 4
 11.Link up with space station MIR 
 12.Oxygène 7
 13.Oxygène 10
 14.Oxygène 2
 15.Magnetic fields 2
 16.Oxygène 4 
 17.Chronologie 4
 18.Oxygène 8
 19.Oxygène 12
 20.Revolution 
 21.Presentation of musicians
 22.Rendez-Vous 4
 23.Dedication to Russia
 24.Oxygène 13

Musicians : 

Jean Michel Jarre (synthesizers)
Francis Rimbert (synthesizers)
Dominique Perrier (synthesizers) 
Dominique Mahut (percussion)
Laurent Faucheux (Drums)
Christopher Papendiek (bass) 

Instrument List

 
Moog 55
Modular 
ARP 2500 
ARP 2600 
Mellotron Mark II 
EMS Synthi AKS 
EMS VCS-3 
Eminent 310 
Prophet V 
Roland JP-8000 
Roland JV-90 
Roland JD-800 
Clavia Nordlead 
Clavia Nordlead II 
Kurzweil K-2000 
Quasimidi Cyber 6
Quasimidi Raven 
Clavia DDrum 4 
Roland SPD-11 
Korg Minipops 
Akai S-3000 
Roland JD990 
Roland TR808 

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