Alexander Nevsky, Opus 78 composed 1938 T H O S E W H O H AV E S E E N
by
Sergei
PROKOFIEV born April 27, 1891 Sontsovka, Russia (now Krasnoye in Ukraine) died March 5, 1953 Moscow
Eisenstein’s film epic Alexander Nevsky with Prokofiev’s music are unlikely to ever forget the experience — especially the “The Battle on Ice,” a scene that made cinematographic history. For the film, the music of Alexander Nevsky was very closely coordinated with the screen action; the scenario records each shot with the corresponding measures of music. Such precision — seemingly more common (in all meanings of the word) in today’s film industry — could be made possible only by a close collaboration and a high degree of mutual understanding between Eisenstein and Prokofiev, who were exploring new ground for such coordination in 1938. Eisenstein biographer Yon Barna writes that “from their first meeting, they needed few words to understand each other; both were ready to start work immediately.” Prokofiev’s legendary punctuality and his extraordinary “ability to penetrate the very essence of a film image” made him an ideal team-worker. In 1939, a year after the film was released, Prokofiev drew a seven-movement cantata from the soundtrack, creating a piece for the concert hall without the fi lm. Of the cantata’s seven movements, five feature chorus, one is purely orchestral, and one is a song for mezzo-soprano and orchestra.
THE MUSIC
The first movement (“Russia under the Mongolian Yoke”) evokes the sad conditions in 13th-century Russia through rather dark orchestral colors. The slow tempo and the use of lowpitched instruments such as bass clarinet, contrabassoon and tuba, in addition to the anxious tremolos (“trembling” repeated notes) of the strings, create a gloomy atmosphere, setting the scene for the hero’s appearance. In the second movement (“Song about Alexander Nevsky”), the chorus tells about Alexander’s first great exploit, his victory over the Swedes on the Neva river that gave him the surname Nevsky. What is remarkable about this music is the understated tone of the narrative. The chorus rarely rises above piano (“soft”) in volume, and we hear largely only one or two parts at a time (the sopranos are left out altogether). The melody imitates a lyrical folk-song, and its tone suggests, above all, the people’s Severance Hall 2012-13
About the Music
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