Alexander nevsky program notes final instantencore. Sergei prokofiev cantata for the 20th anniversary of. He later rearranged the music in the form of a cantata for mezzosoprano, chorus, and orchestra, with text by the poet vladimir lugovskoy and prokofiev. Soundtrack version of sergei prokofievs cantata alexander nevsky 1938. Renowned for its superb sound quality, chandos has won many prestigious awards for its natural sound. One hundred twentyfourth season chicago symphony orchestra. Prokofievs alexander nevsky a survey of the discography by ralph moore during his last trip abroad in 1938, prokofiev visited various hollywood film studios, even going to walt disneys cartoon laboratories and turning down a lucrative and very tempting offer to collaborate with. Alexander nevsky, film score by sergey prokofiev for a patriotic epic of the same name directed by sergey eisenstein.
Cantata for chorus, mezzosoprano, and orchestra, in 7 movements basis. Prokofiev scored alexander nevsky for piccolo, two flutes, two. Click here for download instructions for your convenience all the files for a specific voice part have been zipped together in one file. Although the film was never finished, prokofievs completed score reveals an idiosyncratic approach to film music, one that is strikingly different than that found in his better known scores such as alexander nevsky. Sergei prokofiev born april 23, 1891, sontsokva, ukraine.
Serge prokofieff alexander nevsky rockford symphony. An exceptional historical document, music of the highest. Sergei prokofiev alexander nevsky, cantata 1939, op. Audiences have long enjoyed sergei prokofievs musical score for sergei eisensteins 1938 film alexander nevsky. Nevsky was a historical personage, a prince of novgorod now regarded as a saint in the orthodox church.
Immediately following his repatriation in 1936, prokofiev composed a film score for a screen adaptation of pushkins the queen of spades. Serge prokofieff alexander nevsky rockford symphony orchestra. In 1939 prokofiev rearranged the score as a cantata for concert performance, and through its evocative soundscape of repression, loss and ultimate victory, it soon established itself as one of the most popular russian choral works of the twentieth century. Reconstructing the alexander nevsky film score sergei prokofievs significant contribution to the history of film music is documented in his score for sergei eisensteins movie alexander nevsky soviet union, 1938. Alexander nevsky, cantata for mezzosoprano, orchestra. Aug 21, 2016 sergei prokofiev alexander nevsky cantata op. Live recording of a concert featuring alexander nevsky by prokofiev playlist. Of the rare exceptions, sergei prokofievs 1938 score to alexander nevsky often is hailed as the foremost example of a movie score of indisputable distinction. It is likely that stalin initiated the new project, and that the. Alexander nevsky, lieutenant kije, scythian suite dg the originals by prokofiev, sergey, abbado, claudio, london symphony chorus, london symphony orchestra, obraztsova, elena from amazons classical music store. Then, in 1938, came the first of his collaborations with eisenstein, both of them newly returned expatriates. At the time the music was written, russia wondered if it might again fight the germans. Alexander nevsky and the stalinist museum oxford scholarship.
But more importantly, it is a score that shows scriabin mastering the language of his day, and. Prokofievs inherent gift for the theatre served him well in alexander nevsky. Among the most interesting finds, bartig shows that the alexander nevsky cantata was, in fact, considered for a stalin prize in 1941 but was blocked, initially by the head of the committee on arts affairs, mikhail khrapchenko, and later very probably by stalin andor molotov as well. Alongside military tumult and sonic euphoria, the score also offers three instrumental movements as moments of reflection. The soundtrack for the film was written by sergei prokofiev, who also reworked the score into a concert cantata. Sergei prokofievs alexander nevsky by kevin bartig free. Reiner recorded prokofiev s cantata based on the score for the 1938 film classic, alexander nevsky. Cantata for mezzosoprano, chorus and orchestra drawn from the music for the film by sergei eisenstein 1. Alexander nevsky cantata choralvocal parts musica russica. Nevsky 12201263 was a key figure in medieval rus, the lands that eventually became ukraine, belarus and russia. Ivan the terrible 1944 film ivan the terrible prokofiev l. Prokofievs 1937 cantata for the 20th anniversary of the october revolution sets during the great terror central texts by marx, engels, lenin and stalin on a gigantic choral and orchestral scale. The company has pioneered the idea of the series and proudly includes series of such composers as prokofiev, tchaikovsky, parry, walton, grainger, berkeley and bridge.
Audiences have long enjoyed sergei prokofiev s musical score for sergei eisensteins 1938 film alexander nevsky. In 1938 he joined with the famed soviet filmmaker serge eisenstein to provide the music for the historical film alexander nevsky in 1938. The film for which prokofiev composed his third film score, alexander nevsky, casts the victory of the thirteenthcentury, protorussian prince alexander over invading teutonic knights as an allegory of soviet might in the face of nazi aggression. Jan 03, 2018 the majority of the score s song texts were written by the poet vladimir lugovskoy.
International tensions were high in 1938 when sergei prokofiev composed a musical score for sergei eisensteins landmark film alexander nevsky. In stock usually ships in mf days guaranteed same day shipping for orders with ups 1, 2 or 3days shipping method selected not usps. An orchestral score would have been better, but this served and will keep my barber in business. Piano, vocal sheet music book by sergei prokofiev 18911953. In all probability, as bartig notes, prokofiev never knew how. Russia beneath the yoke of the mongols orchestraportrays the desolation of the country under the foreign invaders. Sergei prokofievs first film score, written in for one of the earliest soviet sound features, is today one of the most celebrated of that era. Alexander nevsky film score by prokofiev britannica.
Indeed, typical film scores tend to be lengthy stretches of vapid functional mood music without lasting value or, more recently, random assortments of existing pop records. Alexander konstantinovich glazunov, violin concerto in a, op. His time was scheduled far into the future, he had never written music for film and he didnt know what kind of sauce to put on it. Russia beneath the yoke of the mongols orchestraportrays the desolation of the country under the foreign invaders ii. In 1938, sergei eisenstein made one of his most acclaimed films, alexander nevsky, on alexander s victory over the teutonic knights. Prokofiev immediately went on to score another russian film, based on pushkins tale the queen of spades again, a period topic but the production was abandoned. Forget the movie, abbados alexander nevsky is more vivid than anything youll see on the screen. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In 1939 prokofiev reworked the music into a cantata for orchestra and chorus in seven movements. In 1939, prokofiev arranged the music of the film score as the cantata, alexander nevsky, op. Prokofievs alexander nevsky a survey of the discography. Never before and seldom after has there been a movie with this unique and perfect marriage of visual and aural elements. Today the film is renowned for its extraordinary battle on ice sequence, which has served as.
Like all soviet composers, prokofiev was expected to write patriotic music. Film score for alexander nevsky 1938, directed by sergei eisenstein movements. The subject of the film is the th century incursion of the knights of the livonian order into the territory of the novgorod republic, their capture of the city of pskov, the summoning of prince alexander nevsky to the defense of rus, and. Alexander nevsky, cantata for mezzosoprano, chorus and orchestra, op. Prokofievs score and cantata for eisensteins alexander.
In alexander nevsky movement of prokofievs score, the battle on the ice, accompanies the films pivotal scene in which the mounted forces of both armies meet on a frozen lake. With gutsy singing from the london symphony chorus, a fine alto solo from obratsova in the field of the dead, and terrifying sonorities in the crusaders in pskov, this really is the best version available. Prokofievs alexander nevsky a survey of the discography by. He defended russia and its church, defeating invading swedes and two years later the teutonic knights. The majority of the scores song texts were written by the poet vladimir lugovskoy. Prokofiev displayed not only unusual musical abilities at an early age, but by the age of seven had also learned to play chess, a game that would remain a passion his entire life. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. In this concert, tugan sokhiev, director of the bolshoi theatre in moscow, conducts a russian programme supported by the choir of his legendary opera house. This monograph, with its accompanying web site, offers a rewarding perspective on prokofiev s score for the film alexander nevsky, the cantata the composer fashioned and to a degree recomposed from it, and its various subsequent reincarnations, culminating in latetwentiethcentury cinema showings accompanied by full orchestra.
The historical epic cast a thirteenthcentury russian victory over invading teutonic knights as an allegory of contemporary soviet strength in the face of nazi. Sergei prokofievs alexander nevsky paperback kevin. Sergei prokofiev composer alexander nevsky, cantata 1939, op. Sergei prokofievs alexander nevsky hardcover kevin. Taken together, the composition is rightly seen as one of the last. The original film, directed by sergei eisenstein, deals with a twelfth century conflict between the russians and the germans. Alexander nevsky, cantata for chorus and orchestra. His sense of practicality in reworking the film score into a cantata has given choral literature one of its enduring masterpieces. Pages in category films scored by sergei prokofiev the following 5 pages are in this category, out of 5 total. Alexander nevsky lieutenant kije suite cd listening cd naxos. Prokofieff reiner chicago symphony alexander nevsky.
The battle on the ice work by prokofiev britannica. Of the rare exceptions, sergei prokofiev s 1938 score to alexander nevsky often is hailed as the foremost example of a movie score of indisputable distinction. Sergei prokofiev sheet music books scores buy online. Although there are superb recordings of prokofiev s alexander nevsky cantata out in the world, none of them can beat this 1993 recording by yuri temirkanov and the st. The movement opens with quiet tension, then bursts into frenetic action when the battle begins. Prokofiev s famous cantata alexander nevsky was made from portions of this film score. While alexander borodins polovtsian dances and sergei prokofievs cantata alexander nevsky are full of primitive power and recount historical russian war heroes, sergei rachmaninovs operatic scene spring takes an intimate. The chapter examines how prokofievs understanding of the films ideological goals transformed his approach to film music. Alexander nevsky 1938 prokofiev score newly recorded vhs. The historical epic cast a thirteenthcentury russian victory over invading teutonic knights as an allegory of contemporary soviet strength in the face of nazi warmongering.
Prokofiev alexander nevsky 6 field of the dead youtube. Sergei prokofievs alexander nevsky oxford keynotesy kevin bartig requirementsepub reader, mb overview. Prokofiev piano music like many russian artists, sergey prokofiev 18911953 left his country after the october revolution. Project muse sergei prokofievs alexander nevsky by.
This monograph, with its accompanying web site, offers a rewarding perspective on prokofievs score for the film alexander nevsky, the cantata the composer fashioned and to a degree recomposed from it, and its various subsequent reincarnations, culminating in latetwentiethcentury cinema showings accompanied by full orchestra. In addition to a soloist with a trenchant lower register it also requires a firstrate choir which can sustain. Russian people, became especially popular during the war. The story of alexander nevsky celebrates the deeds of the thcentury russian warrior, prince alexander of novgorod, who was canonized a saint in the russian. In 1941, eisenstein and prokofiev set out to make a monumental multipart film about tsar ivan iv, a followup to their collaboration on alexander nevsky. Sergey sergeyevich prokofiev composer 18911953 play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and best organized classical music site on the web. Gergiev is a tireless champion of prokofievs music. They may also be protected by in the usa, unless published before 1925, in which case they are pd there as well. I have 5 additional sources ready for you to use and a pdf of. Project muse sergei prokofievs alexander nevsky by kevin.
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