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Gergiev:  So I raved about him when he conducted the Kirov ballet.  And, I’ll rave about him with the Vienna Philharmonic.  AMAZING conductor!!!  His program was really interesting:

Sergej Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Isle of the Death
Symphonic Poem Op. 29
Toshio Hosokawa (*1955)
Circulating Ocean (2004)
Commissioned by the Salzburg Festival
World Premiere
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Shéhérazade
Symphonic Poem Op. 35

So, why is he amazing?  It’s hard to describe, and I think that’s part of it.  When it comes to the technical demands of being a conductor: ears, orchestra contact, knowing the score, etc., Gergiev has it.  But, in my opinion he has something more.  The sound of the Wiener Philharmoniker in the Rachmaninov was truly amazing.  It wasn’t just the golden sound of the Vienna Philharmonic, it was also that the orchestra deepened.  (I had an argument with someone that it was simply Rachmaninov’s orchestration expressing itself, but I think it was more than that.)  Sigh, this is one of those that I have a difficult time expressing.  I must admit to being a believer that some conductors are just able to get at the depths of a piece better than other.  (One could look to Furtwangler as a prime example of this.)  I think it has to do with the level of understanding of the piece that transcends just the notes and rhythms.  Perhaps I blow it out of proportion?  I don’t know.