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Classics Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 –1953) Classics 11/6/08 14:10:45 CHAN 10486 X CHAN 10486 X Booklet Cover.indd 1 Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 –1953) The Prodigal Son, Op. 46 34:40 Ballet in Three Scenes by Boris Kochno Scene 1 1 4:38 1 The Departure. Allegro risoluto © Lebrecht Music & Arts Photo Library 2 2 Meeting Friends. Allegro fastoso 4:21 3 3 The Siren. Moderato scherzoso 3:55 4 4 The Dancers. Andante pomposo 2:42 Scene 2 5 5 The Prodigal Son and the Siren. Adagio 3:07 6 6 Drunkenness. Allegro fastoso 2:21 7 7 The Despoiling. Presto 2:27 8 8 Awakening and Remorse. Andante assai 2:47 Scene 3 9 9 Interlude. Sharing the Spoils. Vivo 2:37 10 10 The Return. Andante 5:34 Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev 3 Prokofiev: The Prodigal Son/Divertimento The Prodigal Son The listed titles indicate the musical After some fifteen years spent living and character of the movements. ‘Meeting Friends’ 11 Andante, Op. 29bis 7:59 working mainly in western Europe, Prokofiev (No. 2), with its strong rhythmic ostinato, Transcription for orchestra by the composer from in the mid‑1930s made his momentous presents the false friends who are happy to Piano Sonata No. 4, Op. 29 decision to return permanently to the USSR. share the wine of the Prodigal, but who later The works recorded here all date from the turn on him: ‘The Despoiling’ (No. 7), where years just prior to that move back, and swift and oily clarinet figures accompany 12 Symphonic Song, Op. 57 12:49 the earliest is the ballet The Prodigal Son, the stripping of his money and clothes. ‘The Andante assai – Allegro – Andante commissioned by Sergey Diaghilev for the Dancers’ (No. 4) is a scherzo‑like number for celebrated Ballets russes. Composed in the Prodigal’s two menservants, and No. 5 is Divertimento, Op. 43 15:26 1928, it was destined to be the last new the central pas de deux in which the Prodigal production staged by the impresario, who is seduced by the Siren. 13 I Moderato, molto ritmato 4:13 died the next year after which his company After the ever wilder carousing of No. 6 14 II Larghetto (non troppo lento) 3:40 was disbanded. and the mugging of the victim, ‘Awakening A detailed scenario on the biblical and Remorse’ (No. 8), to sombre, plaintive 15 III Allegro energico 3:38 parable in St Luke’s Gospel was prepared music, expresses his feelings of betrayal and 16 IV Allegro non troppo e pesante 3:47 by Boris Kochno, who discarded the moral self‑betrayal. No. 9 is a brief, agitated dance TT 71:25 of the envious elder son and introduced the for the revellers and the Siren as they divide seductive female Siren as a new element in up their spoils; it facilitates a scene change to Scottish National Orchestra the Prodigal’s downfall. Prokofiev said that the home‑dwelling of the Prodigal, where a the scenario made the task of composition lambent tune begun by the flute accompanies Edwin Paling leader ‘easy and pleasant’, and the music was the forgiveness and benediction of his Father, Neeme Järvi quickly written as a series of ten tableaux who covers his contrite Son with his cloak in a contrasted in mood and situation. Its style final loving gesture of protection. marked a change from the harsh harmonic The Prodigal Son was first performed by the idiom of the composer’s earlier Paris years, Ballets russes at Paris on 21 May 1929, with and foreshadowed the richer lyricism of later decor by Georges Rouault and choreography ballets such as Romeo and Juliet. by George Balanchine; Serge Lifar danced 4 5 the title role. Although Prokofiev did not find in 1934, he turned back to another earlier One of Europe’s leading symphony Scotland. The Orchestra is one of Scotland’s the choreography greatly to his taste (except work and orchestrated the central Andante orchestras, the Royal Scottish National National Performing Companies, supported in the homecoming) the ballet enjoyed success of his Piano Sonata No. 4. This movement Orchestra was formed in 1891 as the by the Scottish Government. www.rsno.org.uk in Paris and London, Félia Doubrovska dancing dated from 1917 in its current form although Scottish Orchestra. Becoming the Scottish the Siren and Léon Woizikowski and Anton its origin was even earlier, in a youthful National Orchestra in 1950, it was awarded Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Neeme Järvi is Dolin the Servants. Prokofiev later drew on symphony in E minor which Prokofiev had Royal Patronage in 1991. Renowned Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orchestra the music for his Symphony No. 4 (1930) but composed in 1908 while a student at the conductors such as Walter Susskind, The Hague, Principal Conductor and Music Balanchine’s ballet has continued to be staged, St Petersburg Conservatory. The music has Sir Alexander Gibson, Bryden Thomson, Director of the New Jersey Symphony by the New York City Ballet from 1950 and by a broad lyricism and clear diatonic harmony, Neeme Järvi, Walter Weller and Alexander Orchestra, Music Director Emeritus of the the Royal Ballet in London from 1973, when presenting two themes, stately and tender in Lazarev have contributed to its success. In Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Principal Rudolf Nureyev first danced the Prodigal. turn, ingeniously counterpointed with each September 2005 Stéphane Denève became Conductor Emeritus of the Gothenburg other at the end. Music Director, and the new partnership Symphony Orchestra, First Principal Guest Divertimento has already enjoyed overwhelming acclaim. Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic An earlier excursion into ballet had produced Symphonic Song The Orchestra performs across Scotland, Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Trapeze, a short work on a circus theme The Symphonic Song, Op. 57 dates from the including seasons in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He for the touring company of Boris Romanov, previous year, 1933, and is described by Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness, makes frequent guest appearances with the composed for instrumental quintet as the Prokofiev in his autobiography as a large recently toured Croatia and Austria, giving foremost orchestras of the world, including company could not afford a full orchestra. In orchestral composition which he addressed two concerts in the Musikverein in Vienna, the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw 1929 Prokofiev adapted two movements from as performed in Paris as part of the Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, New York this score as the first and third movements a serious piece of work, and I took great Présences in 2006, and appears regularly Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra, of the Divertimento, Op. 43. He then added care in choosing the thematic material. It at the Edinburgh International Festival and and with opera companies such as The a Larghetto which he had sketched the consists of three closely integrated parts. the BBC Proms in London. It has achieved a Metropolitan Opera and the Opéra national previous year, and ended the new work with Although there is no programme, the worldwide reputation for the quality of de Paris – Bastille. In the 2007/08 season he a finale that emerged from music intended mood of the three parts might be defined its discography, which now numbers more conducted a memorial concert for Mstislav for The Prodigal Son. He later felt that his as Darkness – Struggle – Achievement. than 200 releases, many issued on Chandos, Rostropovich with the Symphony Orchestra of chosen title properly applied only to the The three sections are played without a and can be heard on the soundtrack of Bayerischer Rundfunk, and appeared with the first movement, and he acknowledged some break. Prokofiev intended a premiere in Paris films such as Vertigo, Star Wars, Titanic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre influence of Stravinsky in the orchestration. but it took place instead on 14 April 1934 The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape. de Paris, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and at Moscow. There the work was indifferently Its award‑winning education and community at a Gala concert to celebrate the opening of Andante received and it has been little played since. engagement programmes continue to the new opera house of Den Norske Opera At the time when Prokofiev was leading what develop musical talent and appreciation in Bjørvika, Oslo. Neeme Järvi has amassed a he called his ‘nomadic concert‑tour existence’, © Noël Goodwin among people of all ages throughout distinguished discography of more than 400 6 7 discs, well over 150 of which for Chandos, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the and is the recipient of numerous accolades University of Michigan and has been appointed Prokofjew: Der verlorene Sohn/Divertimento and awards worldwide: he holds honorary Commander of the North Star Order by the degrees from the University of Aberdeen, king of Sweden. Der verlorene Sohn Lyrismus der späten Ballette wie Romeo und Nachdem er gut fünfzehn Jahre lang Julia. überwiegend in Westeuropa gelebt und Die Titel der einzelnen Abschnitte gearbeitet hatte, faßte Prokofjew Mitte der beschreiben ihren musikalischen Charakter. 30er Jahre den folgenreichen Entschluß, in “Die Freunde” (Nr. 2) ist ein rhythmisch die UdSSR zurückzukehren. Von den hier geprägtes Ostinato, das die heuchlerischen Suzie Maeder eingespielten Werken, die alle in den Jahren Genossen des Helden kennzeichnet, die zwar kurz vor seiner Heimkehr entstanden, ist das gerne den Wein des “verlorenen Sohns” Ballett Der verlorene Sohn das früheste. Es trinken, die sich aber in “Plünderung” mit den wurde 1928 geschrieben, im Auftrag von anschaulichen raschen Klarinettenfiguren Sergej Djaghilew, der es mit den berühmten (Nr. 7) gegen ihn wenden, als sie ihn Ballets russes einstudierte (seine letzte ausrauben. “Die Tänzer” (Nr. 4) ist ein Arbeit vor seinem Tod und der Auflösung der scherzoartiger Satz für die beiden Diener Truppe im folgenden Jahr).
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