Untitled
(via Sergei Prokofiev – “Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78: 1 – Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke”)
Year: 1938
Album: the Alexander Nevsky film soundtrack
Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a Russian composer obsessed with Stravinsky’s ballets and the modern Russian poets dragging his country out from the Revolution years and into the modern world with exciting and challenging new styles. After many years writing and performing abroad, Prokofiev returned to the now Soviet-ruled Russia with the intent of writing Russian music celebrating Russian life.
One of Prokofiev’s best works is his score for Sergey Eisenstein’s epic film Alexander Nevsky. The score is arranged as a cantata and it is loud and abrupt and unsettling and sweeping and powerful and I’m sure I can find more adjectives but I’m going to stop now and let you listen and if you want to read more click here.