Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution (Prokofiev)
Encyclopedia
The Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution is a cantata
by Sergei Prokofiev
.
Begun by Prokofiev in 1936 on commission from the All-Union Radio Committee, it was finished the following summer. Prokofiev expected it to be part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917
. Due to the political climate towards artists in 1937, Prokofiev decided to assure his safety by withholding the work. The Cantata had to wait until May 1966 for its premier, 13 years after Prokofiev's death. Ironically, Stalin was also dead and also disgraced by this time.
The cantata is a type of patriotic cantata, of which there were previous examples like Shock Brigade of the World Proletariat (1931-2) by Alexander Krein
and To the Proletariat and Agricultural Symphony (1923) by Alexander Kastalsky
.
The music is frequently unconventional and certainly way out of line with the Communist Party's populist remit of Socialist Realism. Its extravagant sound palette combines a full orchestra with typically Russian choral writing, folk instruments and the sounds of marching, gunfire and sirens, all to spectacular pictorial effect. Leaving political acceptability aside, the Cantata is a thrilling piece of music, written when Prokofiev was at the height of his powers. It certainly bears favorable comparison with other masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet, Peter and the Wolf and Alexander Nevsky
, written around the same time. As such, it certainly repays a hearing but unfortunately rarely gets one, as the sheer scale (and cost) of the resources required prohibits frequent performance.
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
by Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
.
Introduction
Obscure as this cantata may be, it should never be dismissed as insignificant. Disturbing, it certainly is: its text alone, drawn from the writings of Marx, Lenin and Stalin, is, to say the least, controversial. In ten contrasting movements it relates the story of the Bolshevik Revolution and the birth of the Soviet Union, from the battle for the Winter Palace in 1917, through the suffering of 1918 and Lenin's funeral in 1924, to the building of factories and collective farms in the early Thirties and the final consolidation of Stalin's control over the country with his new constitution of 1936.Begun by Prokofiev in 1936 on commission from the All-Union Radio Committee, it was finished the following summer. Prokofiev expected it to be part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Due to the political climate towards artists in 1937, Prokofiev decided to assure his safety by withholding the work. The Cantata had to wait until May 1966 for its premier, 13 years after Prokofiev's death. Ironically, Stalin was also dead and also disgraced by this time.
The cantata is a type of patriotic cantata, of which there were previous examples like Shock Brigade of the World Proletariat (1931-2) by Alexander Krein
Alexander Krein
Alexander Krein was a Russian composer of Jewish heritage.-Background:The Krein family was steeped in the klezmer tradition; his father Abram was a noted violinist...
and To the Proletariat and Agricultural Symphony (1923) by Alexander Kastalsky
Alexander Dmitriyevich Kastalsky
Alexandr Dmitriyevich Kastalsky was a Russian composer and folklorist.Kastalsky was born in Moscow to protoiereus Dmitri Ivanovich Kastalsky . He studied music theory, composition and the piano at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1887 he started teaching piano at Moscow Synodal School, and in 1891...
.
Movements
- Introduction: 'A spectre is haunting Europe, the spectre of Communism'
- Philosophers
- Interlude
- Marching in Close Ranks
- Interlude
- Revolution
- Victory
- The Pledge
- Symphony
- The Constitution
The music is frequently unconventional and certainly way out of line with the Communist Party's populist remit of Socialist Realism. Its extravagant sound palette combines a full orchestra with typically Russian choral writing, folk instruments and the sounds of marching, gunfire and sirens, all to spectacular pictorial effect. Leaving political acceptability aside, the Cantata is a thrilling piece of music, written when Prokofiev was at the height of his powers. It certainly bears favorable comparison with other masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet, Peter and the Wolf and Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky (Prokofiev)
Alexander Nevsky is the score for the 1938 Sergei Eisenstein film Alexander Nevsky, composed by Sergei Prokofiev. He later rearranged the music in the form of a cantata for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and orchestra...
, written around the same time. As such, it certainly repays a hearing but unfortunately rarely gets one, as the sheer scale (and cost) of the resources required prohibits frequent performance.
Instrumentation
- Quadruple woodwinds
- Eight Horns
- Four Trumpets
- Four Tombones
- Two Tubas
- Timpani
- Percussion
- Accordion orchestra (bayan concertinasBayan (accordion)The bayan is a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century and named after 11th-century bard Boyan.-Characteristics:The bayan differs from western chromatic button accordions in some details of construction:...
) - Military Band (saxhorn family instrumentsSaxhornThe saxhorn is a valved brass instrument with a conical bore and deep cup-shaped mouthpiece. The sound has a characteristic mellow quality, and blends well with other brass.-The saxhorn family:...
, extra Trumpets, French Horns, Tenor Horns, Euphonium, Tubas, and Snare Drum) - Percussion ensemble (alarm-bells, cannon-shot, sirens)
- Eight-part Chorus
- Speaker on megaphone as the voice of Lenin
- Harps
- Keyboards
- Strings