2. ‘Soviet
Composer’
• Khatchaturian
said
‘In
the
Soviet
Union
the
composer
occupies
a
place
of
honour.
He
benefits
by
the
aBenCon
and
solicitude
of
the
people.
His
material
comfort
is
assured.
He
knows
that
his
work
is
necessary
ad
highly
appreciated
by
Society.
Moreover,
he
has,
of
course,
a
deep
consciousness
of
his
responshbility
towards
Society,
towards
history
and
towards
humanity.’
• But
had
to
remain
accessible.
3. Meyerhold
on
Prokofiev
• ‘P’s
lyricism
is
peculiarly
shot
through
with
a
strong
virility.
It
is
not
a
world
limited
within
itself.
It
is
not
the
product
of
detachment
form
reality,
not
of
insubstantail
dreaming.
Prokofiev’s
lyricism
is
the
outcome
of
his
vital
happiness;
it
is
a
man
who
has
embraced
life,
and
whose
act
of
creaCon
is
taking
palce
at
the
very
heart
of
life,
rejoicing
in
all
its
problems’.
(Samuel,
131)
4. Why
did
he
return
• Why
did
he
return?
Constant
problems
with
geQng
his
work
performed
in
the
West
–
many
dissappointments
in
the
1930s.
He
worked
Crelessly
only
to
find
his
efforts
come
to
nothing.
In
the
Soviet
Union
he
thought
he
would
always
be
appreciated,
wanted
and
performend.
• Work
with
Eisenstein
a
great
draw.
Big
projects
seemed
possible.
• Would
be
taken
seriously
as
a
composer.
• Did
he
believe
in
the
soviet
project?
–
wrote
lots
of
works
in
praise
of
it
and
Stalin
–
but
probably
not
–
just
a
pragmaCc
decision
to
help
what
he
saw
as
flagging
career.
• PatroiCsm
–
in
view
of
the
coming
conflict
–
probably
yes.
• A
disaster
for
his
wife
and
family
–
however
and
he
might
have
foreseen
this.
5. Romeo
and
Juliet
1936
• Music
also
extracted
as
a
series
of
3
suite
for
orchestra
and
piano
piece.
• One
of
most
popular
of
all
classical
ballets.
• Commissioned
in
1935
by
Kirov.
• Same
Cme
as
Shostakovich’s
1936
denuncaCon.
Put
in
tradiConal
ending.
• Full
ballet
not
produced
unCl
1938
because
of
worries
that
it
would
not
be
acceptable.
But
it
was.
Revised
version
of
1940
is
the
one
used
today.
• Composed
Peter
and
the
Wolf
around
this
Cme
also
and
Ugly
Duckling.
8. Alexander
Nevsky
• Great
soviet
fim
director
Sergei
Eisenstein
–
1938.
Depicts
invasion
of
Novgorod
in
13th
century
by
Tuetonic
Knights
who
are
defeated
by
Prince
Alexander
(Nevsky).
Did
not
stray
into
formalism.
Got
the
Stalin
prize
in
1941.
•
Famous
BaBle
on
the
Ice.
Subplot
by
two
warriors
to
win
hand
of
Olga.
• Full
of
poliCc
overtones
and
sub
plots
–
German
invaders,
strong
community
minded
Russians.
Alexander
a
man
of
people,
etc.
AnC-‐clerical
and
anC
catholic.
Nevsky
=
Stalin.
10. Suite/Cantata
from
Alexander
Nevsky
1939
• Mongolian
Yoke.
• C
minor
–
simple
tunes.
StarCng
chords
–
C
minor
–
d
unison.
Held
chords
with
diatonic
tunes
above
–
some
chromaCc
alternaCon.
Excellent
clear
orchestraCon.
• Dynamics
–
lots
of
contrast
and
Accents.
• Played
as
16. War
Years
• Increasingly
isolated
from
the
West.
• His
wife
in
despair
–
she
constantly
tried
to
keep
her
contacts
with
the
west.
• Prokofiev
and
Lina
driled
apart
and
Prokovief
took
up
with
and
marries
a
new
woman
(Mira
Mendelssohn)
• Prokofiev
keeps
children.
• Series
of
sickening
sycophanCc
works
to
please
Stalin.
(Cantata
for
the
20th
anniversay
of
the
RevoluCon;
Simeon
Kotko;
Ivva
the
Terrible
• Cinderellla,
War
and
Peace
17. Love
of
Precision
• A
methodical
worker.
• Wrote
every
day.
‘…
he
would
compose
every
day,
even
when
doctors
ordered
him
to
rest.
It
was
impossible
for
him
not
to
do
so,
and
those
days
when
he
was
forced
to
rest
were
for
him
the
most
painful
ones.
• Loved
science,
maths,
new
technology
–
and
above
chess
–
played
every
day.
Also
gambling
and
bridge.
• Though
sharp
tempered
he
also
tried
to
help
and
shield
those
close
to
him.
18. Symphonies
• Wrote
7
–
the
first
and
filh
best
know.
2
-‐4
seldom
played
and
most
avant-‐guard.
2
shows
western
influence
• Filh
is
‘overflowing
with
humanity’-‐
addressed
to
masses
of
Soviet
People.
TradiConal
Harmonies,
• Composed
in
Summer
of
1944.
Performed
in
Moscow
1945.
23. Aler
the
War
• Prokofiev’s
health
began
to
fail.
• He
is
aBacked
with
Shostakovich
as
a
formalist
in
1948
in
Zhdanov
degrees
–
never
recovers.
• His
new
opera
The
True
Man
aBacked
by
decrees
as
formalist.
He
accepted
criCcisms.
• Lived
quietly
protected
by
second
wife.
She
was
good
at
dealing
with
Soviet
system.
• Tragedy
of
first
wife
Lina
–
and
for
his
children.
24. Lina
• Became
desperate
to
get
back
to
the
West
–
and
started
communicaCng
with
her
family
and
old
friends
in
the
West.
• The
KGB
started
to
monitor
and
follow
her.
One
night
they
picked
her
up
and
she
was
accused
of
being
a
western
spy.
Sent
to
labour
camps
for
10
years.
• She
served
her
Cme
and
was
let
out
and
returned
to
life
aler
Stalin’s
death.
