Search - Igor Tarasov, Sergey Prokofiev, Valery Polyansky :: Prokofiev: On the Dniper; Songs of Our Days

Prokofiev's Premiere

Eric S. Kim | Southern California | 06/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here we have two premiere recordings of music from one of Russia's greatest 20th-century composers, Sergei Prokofiev. Composed for a small orchestra, "On the Dnieper" is a ballet with a simple plot, and simple music. It wasn't very successful when it premiered in Paris, and I don't see why it's so neglected. It's a very witty ballet piece, with a very Stravinsky-like atmosphere, and I hope it will be commonly performed in the future. "Song of our Days" is a song cycle which was made during Stalinist Russia. This piece became a staple during Stalin's regime, but when Khrushchev came in office, all of the references involving Stalin had been taken straight out of the text. The original version of "Song of our Days" is presented here. While I have no admiration for the notorious dictator, I still find the music to be quite spectacular.



I would have liked "On the Dnieper" a bit more if it weren't for the performance itself. While conductor Polyansky does follow the score quite nicely, the orchestra doesn't seem to like the piece. Normally, the Russian State Symphony Orchestra does a wonderful job with works from Rachmaninov and others. Here, the musicians sound as if they didn't have the heart to perform this during the recording. It's a fairly dull performance; it could have been played with more passion. The performance for "Song of our Days" is far superior. The authentic Russian sound is perfectly appropriate here. The music flows with the typical Prokofiev cheerfulness. The Russian State Symphonic Capella doesn't just sing it; they become a part of the song cycle. They, along with the orchestra and soloists, turn the piece into a fantastic feast for the ears. I certainly wish I found this sort of sound in "On the Dnieper."



Whether you're a fan of Prokofiev, or a fan of Russian Classical Music in general, this CD would be a definite purchase. Get it for "Song of our Days.""