Search - Sergei Prokofiev, Alexander Titov, St. Petersburg New Philharmony :: Prokofiev: Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution; Flourish Mighty Homeland, Zdravitsa (a toast)

A different Prokofiev

conquistador69 | 04/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is another side of Prokofiev
that was unknown to us, the "Soviet"
composers of the period, even the
ones known in the west all wrote
music in praise of the Soviet states,
ideology and political leaders. This
recording should not then come as a
surprise to us all, but however
I keep asking myself, what went
so wrong with Prokofiev to
make him want to return to the
USSR?, of course we have all
read what scholars and musicologists
have written, but is this accurrate enough? could there be something missing?
In this recording we have the opportunity
to listen to three Soviet Cantatas by Sergei Prokofiev.
what is hard to believe,is that this cantatas
are dedicated to the leaders and the
ideology that send Prokofiev's wife, and
mother to jail. The regime was never thanksful
to Prokofiev for any of his works, in 1948
when Sergei and others were castigated
for their musical prantices, his music was banned,
and the last years of his life were crushed
complete. Prokofiev passed away in 1953 same
year and day as Stalin, his worst nightmare."