Record of the day: Sergei Prokofiev, “Ivan the Terrible”

Sergei Prokofiev
“Ivan the Terrible” (Philips CD 4757778)

One of the most colossal undertakings ever attempted by a twentieth-century artist, Sergei Eisenstein’s film trilogy based on the life of Tsar Ivan should have represented the culmination of the collaboration between Prokofiev and the great Soviet filmmaker who had already created a absolute masterpiece, “Alexander Nevsky”.
Unfortunately the project, initially approved by the Stalinist regime given the heroic description of the Russian army’s ardent patriotism in the first film of 1942-44, was then hindered by
Zhdanov’s purges, perhaps because Stalin had noticed the parallelism clearly drawn between Ivan’s ferocious cruelty and the bloody exploits that the Russian regime carried out with impunity after the Second World War; the second part was therefore censored and screened only after the death of the director, who left the project unfinished.

After Eisenstein’s death Prokofiev decided that he would never write for the cinema again, he forgot the excellent pages already composed for “Ivan the Terrible” and never returned to the score.
It was Abram Stassevic who in 1962 put together a cantata for choir and orchestra, stitching together the material written for the film.
It is another masterpiece, although little known and almost never performed in concert; as always Prokofiev manages to move large choral and orchestral masses in a unique way, describing the vastness of the Russian landscapes in an almost photographic way, drawing on popular melodies and traditional songs immediately transformed into his style rich in extraordinary rhythmic vitality and brilliance of writing, to to which is added in this score a poignant singing permeated with nostalgia and at the same time pride.

Moments of delicate orchestral transparency alternate with ferocious full-force perorations entrusted to brass and percussion;
atmospheres of great solemnity dominate everything, hieratic choral processions which immediately transform into very violent war scenes with furious pace.
Valerij Gergev has always frequented this important repertoire and has become one of its points of reference; his electrifying performance at the head of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the marvelous Kirov Opera Chorus is unmatched in beauty and technical perfection.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical topics.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: A record for every day of the year” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.