S. Prokofiev “Alexander Nevsky”: history, video, interesting facts, listen

Every nation has its own national heroes who are loved, honored and remembered. Their names remain for centuries, and their moral character is not only not erased in the memory of their descendants, but, on the contrary, becomes brighter and lighter over time. This fully applies to Alexander Nevsky. This name in Rus' is still pronounced with special pride and respect.

The Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich performed many military feats. His army heroically fought the Swedes on the Neva River. For the victory over the enemy, the people nicknamed the Grand Duke Nevsky.

Soon after the Battle of the Neva, detachments of German crusading knights moved to Rus'. Their banners were embroidered with black crosses, and there were black crosses on the shields of the knights.

In the spring of 1242, a bloody massacre took place on Lake Peipus.

“Alexander Nevsky was in the thick of the battle... The battle (battle) was going on all around such that the ice of the lake became hot. The Russians fought fiercely. And how can one fight without rage when children and wives are left behind, villages and cities are left, motherland with a short and sonorous name - Rus'...” (O. Tikhomirov).

Historical events, associated with the name of the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky, are reflected in the works different arts. The artist P. Korin created the triptych “Alexander Nevsky”, which consists of three independent paintings-parts that form a single whole.

Two more outstanding works of the same name are devoted to the same topic: the film by S. Eisenstein and the cantata by S. Prokofiev.

Wordcantata comes from the Italian "cantare", meaning "to sing". The cantata consists of several numbers (parts). Designed for individual singers (soloists), choir and orchestra.

Very unique approach to historical theme. He had the right feeling historical era. The ancient images of "Alexander Nevsky" were imbued with keen sense modernity. Remember what was happening in the world in the late 30s? IN Western Europe- rampant fascism. And the “iron” music of the crusaders sounded like a characteristic of modern aggressive forces.

The cantata “Alexander Nevsky” was written to texts by the poet Vladimir Lugovsky and the composer himself. It is intended for mezzo-soprano, mixed choir and orchestra.

The cantata originated from the music for the film of the same name, which was staged in 1938 by the outstanding Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein. The picture told about the heroic struggle of the squad of Alexander Nevsky with the Teutonic knights-crusaders. This film has become a classic of Soviet cinema. He is amazing example community of director and composer. This has never happened in the history of music. The music was born under the direct impression of the film footage.

After filming a certain episode of the film, Eisenstein called Prokofiev. Sergei Sergeevich looked through the footage, as if absorbing it into himself, trying to feel the character and rhythm of each scene. Then he went home and the next day brought the finished music, which amazed with the brightness of the images.

The “visibility” of images is the most characteristic feature of Prokofiev’s music. His powers of observation and ability to capture and convey in music the voices of people, their gestures and movements are amazing. In this regard, the very process of creating music for “Alexander Nevsky” is interesting - under the direct impression of the film footage.

The director of the film “Alexander Nevsky” S. Eisenstein spoke about this well:

“The hall is dark. But not so much that in the reflections of the screen you can’t catch his hands on the arms of the chair: these huge, strong Prokofiev hands, with steel fingers covering the keys, when with all the elemental fury of his temperament he brings them down on the keyboard...

A picture runs across the screen.

And along the arm of the chair, trembling nervously, like a Morse telegraph receiver, Prokofiev’s mercilessly precise fingers move. Is Prokofiev beating time? No. He hits a lot more. In the tapping of his fingers, he catches the law of structure, according to which on the screen in montage the durations and tempos of individual pieces are crossed with each other, both of them, taken together, are intertwined with actions and intonation characters.

...The next day he will send me music, which with the same sound counterpoint will permeate my montage structure, the law of the structure of which he carries away in the rhythmic figure that his fingers tapped.

It seems to me that, besides this, he is either whispering or purring to himself. But the face is so concentrated. It can only be like this when a person listens to the system of sounds rushing outside or to the sound system passing within himself. God forbid you speak to him at this time!”

The cantata has seven parts:

I. Rus' under the Mongol yoke;

II. Song about Alexander Nevsky;

III. Crusaders in Pskov;

IV. Get up Russian people;

V. Battle on the Ice;

VI. Dead Field;

VII. Alexander's entry into Pskov.

The music of the cantata amazes with the brightness of its images. Listening to it, it’s as if you’re seeing frames of a film in front of you - the endless plains of Rus', Pskov devastated by the Teutons, watching the battle on Lake Peipsi, the terrifying advance of the crusaders, the rapid attacks of the Russians, the death of knights in the cold waves of the lake.

"Rus under the Mongol yoke" - a short symphonic prologue introducing the harsh atmosphere of the era and events. Archaic chants with a wild “sobbing” grace note dominate, with widely spaced unisons sounding from the highest and lowest instruments, thereby creating the impression of immeasurable distance and vast spaces.

Pskov meets the winners. Again the song is happy, joyful. High ringing echoes curl around her melody like a sparkling thread, wonderfully merging with the crimson chime of festive bells.

In Rus' it is big,
Native in Rus'
No enemy!

The choral finale, glorifying victorious Rus', combines Russian themes of the cantata: a song about Alexander Nevsky, the theme of the middle part of the choir “Rise up, Russian people.”

Miraculously transformed, as if dressed in festive attire, they did not, however, lose their mighty strength... Let the enemies remember: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword. This is where the Russian land stands and will stand.”

This music, which became the main participant in the film about great love to the Motherland, about the selfless struggle against the cruel invaders, about the glorious victory over the enemy, Prokofiev foreshadowed the victory of the people in the fight against the fascist invaders. Today, this music, having left the silver screen, lives a full independent life.

1. Musical genre- cantata

2. The history of the creation of the cantata “Alexander Nevsky”

3. Contents and main themes of the cantata “Alexander Nevsky”

Moscow State University

culture and arts

annotation

to the choir of S. Prokofiev

"Get up, Russian people"

from cantata "Alexander Nevskiy"

Words by V. Lugovsky and S. Prokofiev

2nd year students

Vakhrusheva Olga.

Teacher's class

Askerova M. S.

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeevich (1891 – 1953) – Russian composer, pianist, conductor, People’s Artist of the RSFSR; innovative musician, classic of modern Russian music.

Sergei Prokofiev was born on April 11, 1891 in the village of Sontsovka, Ekaterinoslav province. Prokofiev's first education was received at home. Sergei became interested in music from childhood. At the age of 5 he began playing the piano, and a little later he began composing his first plays. According to the composer's biography, his first operas were created at the age of 9.

Then Sergei began to study with the best teachers at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Prokofiev first performed his works in 1908, and, starting from 1918, toured extensively: throughout Europe, America, and Japan. In 1936, Prokofiev and his wife settled in Moscow and began teaching at the conservatory.

Among the works of the women's choir with orchestra "White Swan" (unpublished), cantatas "Them Seven", "For the 20th Anniversary of October", "Alexander Nevsky", "Zdravitsa", "Ballad of a Boy Remaining Unknown", "Flourish, mighty land." Suite for soloists, choir and orchestra “Songs of Our Days”, oratorio “Guardian of the World”; “Ivan the Terrible” (composition by A. Stasevich based on the music for the film of the same name.). The choir takes part in the suite “Winter Fire”, in the opera “War and Peace”, “Semyon Kotko” and others.

Prokofiev created his own choral style, subordinated to compositional tasks. Most are a choir with an orchestra; often - a chord structure, with a predominance of the upper voice, with octave doublings, parallelisms of three-voice harmonies, the use of leaps, chromaticisms, and tonal shifts. Without adhering to the established techniques of subvocality and imitative polyphony, Prokofiev skillfully used their individual elements. Prokofiev's works on Russian themes are colored with national flavor due to the preservation and enrichment of modality and Russian song intonations. In his compositions on modern themes he used the intonations of choral songs, in particular pioneer songs, and features of genre music (marches, etc.). Prokofiev's best works - "Alexander Nevsky", "Guarding the World" and others - gained nationwide popularity.

Lugovskoy Vladimir Alexandrovich (1901 – 1957) - Russian poet. Born in Moscow, in the family of a teacher of Russian literature, who was a widely educated man, a historian and archaeologist, an expert in painting, sculpture and architecture. His love for Russian art had a huge influence on his son. He studied at the first Moscow gymnasium, graduating early, he entered Moscow State University, but then went to Field Control of the Western Front. October Revolution and the civil war dictated their living conditions.

His first poems were published by A. Lunacharsky in Novy Mir (1924). The book “Flashes”, published in 1926 by the publishing house “Uzel”, was published with his own money. The next books were "Muscle" and "The Sorrows of My Friends."

In the early 1930s, Lugovskoy traveled for long periods of time to Central Asia, the impressions of which were reflected in his poetic epic “To the Bolsheviks of the Desert and Spring.

In 1923 he visited Dagestan, then Azerbaijan, lived for a long time in Baku, working together with S. Vurgun on the creation of an anthology of Azerbaijani poetry. At the end of the 1930s he traveled to the North, then lived in Sevastopol and on the southern coast of Crimea, wrote a lot, turning to historical topics. In recent years, the books “Solstice” and “Blue Spring” and Lugovsky’s most significant book, “Mid-Century,” have been published.

Cantata "Alexander Nevsky" entirely arose from film music by S. Eisenstein. Prokofiev's friendship with Eisenstein began in the late 20s, when the young director, famous throughout the world for his revolutionary film Battleship Potemkin, first met the composer during his stay in Paris. Eisenstein immediately invited Prokofiev to play the role of composer. Music for the film "Alexander Nevsky" is one of the recognized peaks in creative life Sergei Prokofiev. In this work, he first turned to Russian heroic-epic themes. The success of the film “Alexander Nevsky” gave Prokofiev the idea of ​​creating a cantata of the same name based on film music in 1938. And he created a solid vocal-symphonic composition, which is like a fascinating story about the distant past.

Prokofiev's music opened the pages of a truly modern epic. “Prokofiev is national in the rigor of traditions, dating back to the primitive Scythians... That is why antiquity sounds so beautiful in his music - not through archaism or stylization, but through the most extreme and risky fractures of ultra-modern musical writing,”– Eisenstein noted.

The dramaturgy of the cantata is based on the opposition of two images: on the one hand, the image of the Russian army, on the other, the image of the Teutonic crusaders. The Russian army is characterized by melodious songs of an epic style, the intonations of a sad lamentation, and cheerful buffoon tunes. The crusading knights are depicted differently: they are the embodiment of evil, cruelty, inhumanity, violence, and bloody crimes. Here too, the composer uses expressive means to describe the enemy’s force: military fanfare, Catholic chorale, automatic march of iron cohorts. The contrast between the two warring camps is emphasized by harmonic and orchestral means. Diatonic, close to folk song, softness and humane timbres predominate in the music and this characterizes the Russian army. The themes of the Teutonic invaders are marked by harsh polytonal harmonies, “mechanized” rhythms, rough timbres, and sharp percussion.

Prokofiev's innovation is that he creates a new genre fusion of program symphony with operatic choral action. Prokofiev uses sound effects, depicting either the ominous croaking of a raven, or the cheerful neighing of horses, or the roar and crackling of an ice field breaking under the feet of the Teutons.

The cantata was written for mezzo-soprano, choir and orchestra.

The seven parts of the cantata are different in content and are based on contrasting alternation. The first four parts make up the introduction and exposition:

I. “Rus under the Mongol yoke.”

II. "Song about Alexander Nevsky."

III. "Crusaders in Pskov".

IV. "Get up, Russian people."

V. “Battle on the Ice” – development (comparison and conflict battle of contrasting images).

VI. “Dead Field” is a lyrical-dramatic intermezzo.

VII. “Alexander’s Entry into Pskov” is a bright, life-affirming, jubilant finale.

The leading mode tonality of the entire composition should be considered B- dur. This is the embodiment of the power and greatness of Russia. The circle of images depicting the world of the crusaders is given in tonality cis- moll. Tonalities are associated with images of the Russian people c- moll And D- dur. The choir is involved in most episodes, with the exception of parts I and V. The Russian squad is characterized by folk songs (II, IV, VII parts). The crusaders perform with frantic, deathly ascetic singing of the Catholic chorale in Latin. Prokofiev often introduces roll calls of high and low register groups. In an effort to enhance the severity of the sound, he willingly highlights low, heavy timbres.

Cantata (in Italian) cantare – sing) is a work of a solemn or lyrical-epic nature for a choir, soloists and orchestra, consisting of several completed numbers.

The cantata is original in terms of genre. The harmony and integrity of the composition are remarkable. The dramaturgy of the cantata is based on the acute conflict between the people's principles and cruelty and violence. Alexander Nevsky appeared in the film as an epic knight with an immense Russian soul.

In the fourth part, Alexander Nevsky convenes the people to defend the Motherland: "Get up, Russian people"(cry of mothers, fathers).

A short introduction to the chorus appears like an alarm bell:

The alarm bell sounds in the orchestra throughout the first part of the choir.

The form of the work is complex, three-part, with a middle part of the episode type.

IPart written in a simple three-part form with a developing middle (8+8+8 bars).

IIPart– episode – consists of a short introduction (4 bars) and two periods of repeated construction (16+16 bars).

IIIPart– reprise – a simple three-part form with a contrasting middle (8+8+8 bars).

Basic tempo and character of the choir Allegro risoluto(= 72) – quickly and decisively. But when moving to the middle part agogic appears - poco rit. – gradually slowing down, then at the same pace – a tempo.

The composer uses complex meter. Size 2/2 – consists of two simple homogeneous ones.

The rhythmic pattern is mainly represented by durations: half, quarter, and less often eighth:

Since the main goal of the work is a call to action, defense of the Motherland is the main tone Es- dur- light and hope and determination. Characterized by sudden shifts from Es- dur V Ces- dur with the words “Honour and honor to living fighters”, as well as from Es- dur V D- dur when moving to the middle part.

Beautiful D- dur the theme of the middle part, performed by altos and then by basses, with its plasticity resembles some themes from Glinka’s “Ruslan”; she embodies the image of the Motherland: “In dear Rus', in great Rus' there is no enemy.” This theme will be heard in parts V and VII of “Alexander Nevsky”:

In order to emphasize the determination and unity of the people, Prokofiev uses a homophonic-harmonic style of writing, with elements of polyphony.

The entire piece sounds very courageous and bold in one breath. The greatest emotional uplift is achieved with the help of upward movement and strong dynamics - ff, f, mf. These nuances reflect the power of the Russian people, their readiness to fight their enemies. The chorus enters into nuance ff, a double quart sounds, an accent sounds on each strong beat - this evokes a feeling of confidence, creates an image of an unshakable people, their readiness to defend the Motherland!

The words “Get up, Russian people” are heard again and again, as if instilling confidence in people.

Occurs mp And p – in the middle contrasting part, as well as in the reprise, in the words “Enemies should not go to Rus', do not send regiments to Rus'.”

The emotional climax occurs at the end of the work, at the last implementation of the theme “Rise up, Russian people”:

The main melody of the orchestra contains clear, inviting intonations, thereby enhancing the character of the sound and the belligerence of this composition. The role of the orchestra here is that it duplicates the main melody of the choir.

Soprano part range: Alto part range:

Tenor range: Bass range:

Overall range of the choir:

The tessitura in all parts is average and easy to perform. The choir ensemble will be natural.

Basically, the parts duplicate each other (S-T, A-B) - resulting in an octave unison - and again enhancing the effect of unity and determination.

The main difficulty lies in the execution of leaps and intonation of random characters:

In all parts there is a spasmodic movement - constantly maintaining a feeling of tension and excitement. For sopranos there are large leaps to sixths and sevenths, for altos and tenors to part 5 and sixth.

It is very important to achieve clear pronunciation of the text and accurate intonation of the melody at a fairly fast pace.

Sound science legato, the sound attack is soft in the middle part, but active and firm in the first movement and the reprise of the work.

Singing breathing is general choral, chain and in parts.

The main difficulties of a conductor are expressed in the depiction of bright contrasts. Entries and withdrawals must be very clear; due attention should be paid to the orchestra as it plays important role in creating character.

Rus', oppressed, majestic and mournful, now appears from the other side - heroic. The choir is remarkable for its activity and rhythmic energy. This choir was very popular during the Great Patriotic War. It truly is a patriotic fighting song.

In several monumental works Prokofiev reflected important events national history. This is music for the films "Alexander Nevsky" (and the cantata of the same name), "Ivan the Terrible", the opera "War and Peace". Written in the 30-40s, during the Soviet period of the composer’s work, these works are imbued with love for the fatherland, glorifying the people, their greatness and fortitude. They develop the heroic-epic line of the Russian musical classics, coming from “Ruslan” by Glinka, “Prince Igor” by Borodin, “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” by Rimsky Korsakov. At the same time, Prokofiev’s historical musical paintings are distinguished by a keen sense of modernity.

The cantata "Alexander Nevsky" was written to texts by the poet Vladimir Lugovsky and the composer himself. It is intended for mezzo-soprano, mixed choir and orchestra. The cantata arose from the music for the film of the same name, which was staged in 1938 by the outstanding Soviet film director Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein. The film and music for it, created shortly before the Great Patriotic War, resurrected on the screen the heroic struggle of Alexander Nevsky’s squad with the Teustonian knights-crusaders.

The cantata has seven parts:

1. "Rus under the Mongol yoke"

2. "Song about Alexander Nevsky"

3. "Crusaders in Pskov"

4. "Get up, Russian people"

5. "Battle on the Ice"

6. "dead field"

7. "Alexander's entry into Pskov"

Each part amazes with the brightness of the images. Listening to music alone, it’s as if you’re seeing frames of a film in front of you - the endless plains of Rus', Pskov devastated by the Germans, watching the battle on Lake Peipsi, the terrifying advance of the crusaders, the rapid attacks of the Russians, the death of knights in the cold waves of the lake. The “visibility” of images is the most characteristic feature of Prokofiev’s music. His powers of observation, his ability to capture and convey in music the voices of people, their gestures, and movements are amazing. In this regard, the very process of creating music for “Alexander Nevsky” is interesting - under the direct impression of the film footage. It was very important for the composer to see the film footage, to feel and absorb the character and rhythm of each scene. The director of the film, S. Eisenstein, spoke about this well:

“The hall is dark. But not so dark that in the reflections of the screen you can’t catch his hands on the arms of the chair: these huge, strong Prokofiev hands, with steel fingers covering the keys, when with all the elemental fury of his temperament he brings them down on the keyboard... A picture runs across the screen , and along the arm of the chair, trembling nervously, like a Morse telegraph receiver, Prokofiev’s mercilessly clear fingers move. Is Prokofiev beating a beat? No. He is beating much more. In the tapping of his fingers, he catches the law of structure, according to which on the screen in the montage, durations and durations are crossed with each other. the tempos of individual pieces, both taken together, are intertwined with the actions and intonation of the characters. Tomorrow he will send me music, which with the same sound counterpoint will permeate my montage structure, the law of the structure of which he carries away in the rhythmic figure that was tapped his fingers. It seems to me that, in addition, he is either whispering or purring to himself. But his face is so concentrated. It can only be like that when a person listens to the system of sounds rushing outside or to the scale passing inside himself . God forbid you start talking to him at this time."

The fusion of visible and audible, moving image and music is especially remarkable in the film “Battle on the Ice” (fifth part)

“Song about Alexander Nevsky” is the second part of the cantata. The music is majestic and austere. It looks like a fresco by an ancient Russian painter who depicted a stern and devoted to the Motherland. The song talks about the Russian victory over the Swedes and gives a warning: “Whoever comes to Rus' will be beaten to death.” Both the text and music are in an epic spirit. Vocal part performed by a unison choir - male voices, supplemented by violas. The main melody (“And there was a thing on the Neva River”) is narrative measured. Almost every syllable is pronounced with one sound; the singing of syllables, characteristic of Russian drawn-out songs, is rare here.

The "Song about Alexander Nevsky" reproduces the features characteristic of the tunes of many ancient Russian epics, for example, such as the famous one about Ilya Muromets with her leisurely “telling” intonation. In Prokofiev's melody, we also hear peculiar features inherent specifically in the style of this composer: the special clarity of the final octave turn in the melody, the preciseness of the rhythm in the orchestral accompaniment.

In the middle part of the song (“Wow! How we fought, how we fought!”) the narration becomes more excited and its tempo accelerates. In accordance with the rhythm of the verse in music, two- and three-beat sizes replace each other. The orchestra reproduces the sounds of battle - the clanking of weapons, the hitting of balls. The harps imitate the sound of the harps that accompanied epic songs in the old days. The main “Bogatyr” melody of the choir returns in the reprise.

“Get up, Russian people” - the fourth part. This is a choral song of a completely different nature. Not a story about past events, but a call to fight for the Russian land. During the Great Patriotic War, the choir “Rise up, Russian people” was often heard on the radio. The film "Alexander Nevsky" was shown to soldiers at the fronts Soviet army. One of the participants in the defense of Sevastopol recalls: “The song “Get up, Russian people” made an amazing impression. Strengthened by the resonance of the dungeon, it powerfully captured the soul.”

For a long time in Rus' there was a custom to announce important events sounds of the alarm bell. The orchestral introduction to the choir imitates the alarming and menacing sounds of bells, which then accompany the singing of the choir in its first part (like the “Song of Alexander Nevsky”, this choir is written in three-part form.) In the melody, in its persistently repeated energetic intonations, one can hear battle cries, calls. The rhythm of the march emphasizes the heroic nature of the music. And here we see a combination of folk song traditions with Prokofiev’s modern musical techniques. So, for example, the modal coloring of a melody is characterized by variability coming from the Russian folk song: the melody “flows” from C minor into E flat major, but Prokofiev boldly begins the next phrase in the seemingly distant (“foreign”) key of C flat major, which in turn goes into E flat minor. The richness and boldness of harmonic and tonal colors is one of characteristic features music by Prokofiev.

The middle part of the choir is written in D major (after E flat major, in which the first part ended, a bright change of tonal colors occurs again: E flat major-D major). Appears new topic- melodious, free-spirited, bright, reminiscent of some themes from Glinka’s “Ruslana”. The choir sings this melody to the words “In Rus' dear, in Rus' there is no great enemy”

In the two parts of the cantata we examined, we saw in Prokofiev’s music a heroic and heroic Rus', majestic and free-spirited.

The sixth part, “Dead Field,” embodies a lyrical and mournful image. Only one sings here female voice(mezzo-soprano) accompanied by orchestra. In the film, this music is associated with the following episode: after the Battle of the Ice, which ended in the victory of Nevsky’s squad, the girl-bride is looking for her groom among the Russian soldiers who died on the battlefield. The image is symbolic - the Motherland mourns its sons.

The intonations of lamentation, coming from Russian folk traditions and from classical operatic “laments” (“Yaroslavna’s Lament” from Borodin’s opera), are heard in Prokofiev’s music. The sorrowful song sounds at the very beginning, in the introduction played by the violins. The vocal melody is a remarkable combination of intense expressiveness and restraint. The melody is deeply sad, but the movement is smooth and strict. This music is also characterized by variability (C minor - E flat major). In the third measure, a deep sound sounds in the orchestral accompaniment. minor chord(A flat minor triad), emphasizing the mournful nature of the music.

To depict the crusaders, Prokofiev used means that were sharply different from those that we noted in the disassembled parts of the cantata. If in the characterization of the Russians there were melodies based on various song intonations, then in the music characterizing the dog knights of the Teutonic Order, an important role is played by the theme written by the composer in the spirit of church Catholic chorales. Instead of clear, colorful diatonic harmonies there are frightening dissonant combinations. Instead of the melodious “human” timbres of strings, there are cutting, howling, piercing timbres of predominantly brass instruments.

The main themes of the dog knights first appear in the third part of the cantata (“Crusaders in Pskov”). Then they go through the fifth part, which is called "Battle on the Ice". This is a grandiose symphonic picture with the participation of a choir. It opens musical landscape-deserted winter lake before the start of the battle. The orchestra has cold “frozen” sounds, gloomy minor harmonies, a sharp “croaking” sound of altos. The crusaders' military signal can be heard from afar. Following this, a fractional, uniform tapping is heard (string basses are playing at the stand).

Iron-Teutonic horsemen, clad in iron, rush heavily. They wear horned helmets and face-covering hoods with gaping eye holes. The Teutonic army is built in the shape of a “wedge.” “Pig Leap” is the name of this episode in the film. The rhythm of the race is emphatically monotonous, soulless, and mechanical. The piercing and howling voices of tuba, saxophone, trumpets and other instruments are layered on top of it in the orchestra. In Prokofiev’s music, the Teutonic knights gallop “with the inexorability of a tank column of their disgusting descendants” (So said Eisenstein, shocked by the music). The episode of the enemy invasion acquired an acutely modern character in Prokofiev. In addition to the orchestra, a choir also takes part here - the knights sing a fanatical chorale (on Latin). Their singing turns into furious shouts: “We will crucify the vanquished, we will destroy the enemy.” The increasing sound of the orchestra and choir can be compared to a close-up in a movie. It seems that the enemy army is moving straight towards the listener with a deafening clang and roar.

The entry into battle of Alexander Nevsky's squad is marked by the energetic sound of the choir theme "Arise, Russian People" from the trumpet. Battle episodes, like film frames, quickly flash before the listener. In one of them a new Russian theme appears - easily and rapidly flying, daring. This is the theme of the Russian attack. It can be heard either very close or from afar. Again the impression of a cinematic change of plans: now a “close-up shot”, now a separate perspective of the “massacre”.

IN climactic episodes opposing themes collide and collide with each other, like opponents in battle. Prokofiev applies special welcome combinations of themes: they are given simultaneously, while each remains in its own key. For example, the theme of the “Russian attack” is in D major, and the signal of the crusaders is in C sharp minor. A complex (bitonal, that is, two-tone) combination arises. With its sharpness it emphasizes the severity of the fight. The enemy theme is then distorted and “weakened.”

The “visibility” of musical images in the picture of the death of the crusaders is also surprising. The crackling of ice, the cold dark waves flooding the battlefield, and the gloomy drama of what is happening are conveyed through orchestral means.

The enormous symphonic tension is resolved in the conclusion of the whole picture. The Russian theme sounds quiet and light. This is a familiar melody - it was sung by altos in the middle of the choir “Rise up, Russian people” to the words “In Native Rus', in Rus' there will be no great enemy.” Now it is entrusted to the first violins in the high register, accompanied by a gentle tremolo of the second violins. This is the music of peace and silence that came to the liberated land. After the “battle on the ice” comes the sixth part, “The Dead Field,” discussed above. The cantata ends with a solemn, majestic finale, “Alexander’s Entry into Pskov,” where Russian themes that are already familiar to us are heard. In the cantata "Alexander Nevsky", dedicated to distant historical events, Prokofiev glorified the victory of the people in a just struggle against the invaders, the victory of humanity over cruelty and violence.

(I. Prokhorova, G. Skudin, edited by T.V. Popova)

Sergei Prokofiev. Cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

Every nation has its own national heroes who are loved, honored and remembered. Their names remain for centuries, and their moral character is not only not erased in the memory of their descendants, but, on the contrary, becomes brighter and lighter over time. This fully applies to Alexander Nevsky. This name in Rus' is still pronounced with special pride and respect.

The Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich performed many military feats. His army heroically fought the Swedes on the Neva River. For the victory over the enemy, the people nicknamed the Grand Duke Nevsky.
Soon after the Battle of the Neva, detachments of German crusading knights moved to Rus'. Their banners were embroidered with black crosses, and there were black crosses on the shields of the knights.
In the spring of 1242, a bloody massacre took place on Lake Peipus.
“Alexander Nevsky was in the thick of the battle... The battle (battle) was going on all around such that the ice of the lake became hot. The Russians fought fiercely. And how can one fight without rage when children and wives are left behind, villages and cities are left behind, the native land with a short and sonorous name remains - Rus'...” (O. Tikhomirov).
Historical events associated with the name of the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky are reflected in works of various arts. The artist P. Korin created the triptych “Alexander Nevsky”, which consists of three independent paintings-parts that form a single whole.
Two more outstanding works of the same name are devoted to the same topic: the film by S. Eisenstein and the cantata by S. Prokofiev.
Sergei Prokofiev approached the historical topic in a very unique way. He had a true sense of the historical era. The ancient images of “Alexander Nevsky” were imbued with a keen sense of modernity. Remember what was happening in the world in the late 30s? Fascism is rampant in Western Europe. And the “iron” music of the crusaders sounded like a characteristic of modern aggressive forces.
The cantata “Alexander Nevsky” was written to texts by the poet Vladimir Lugovsky and the composer himself. It is intended for mezzo-soprano, mixed choir and orchestra.
The cantata originated from the music for the film of the same name, which was staged in 1938 by the outstanding Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein. The picture told about the heroic struggle of the squad of Alexander Nevsky with the Teutonic knights-crusaders. This film has become a classic of Soviet cinema. He is an amazing example of the collaboration between director and composer. This has never happened in the history of music. The music was born under the direct impression of the film footage.

And along the arm of the chair, trembling nervously, like a Morse telegraph receiver, Prokofiev’s mercilessly precise fingers move. Is Prokofiev beating time? No. He hits a lot more. In the tapping of his fingers, he catches the law of structure, according to which on the screen in montage the durations and tempos of individual pieces are crossed with each other, and both of them, taken together, are intertwined with the actions and intonation of the characters.

...The next day he will send me music, which with the same sound counterpoint will permeate my montage structure, the law of the structure of which he carries away in the rhythmic figure that his fingers tapped.
It seems to me that, besides this, he is either whispering or purring to himself. But the face is so concentrated. It can only be like this when a person listens to the system of sounds rushing outside or to the sound system passing within himself. God forbid you speak to him at this time!”

The cantata has seven parts:

I. Rus' under the Mongol yoke;

II. Song about Alexander Nevsky;
III. Crusaders in Pskov;
IV. Get up, Russian people;
V. Battle on the Ice;
VI. Dead Field;
VII. Alexander's entry into Pskov.

The music of the cantata amazes with the brightness of its images. Listening to it, it’s as if you see in front of you the endless plains of Rus', Pskov devastated by the Teutons, watching the battle on Lake Peipsi, the terrifying advance of the crusaders, the rapid attacks of the Russians, the death of knights in the cold waves of the lake.
“Rus under the Mongol Yoke” is a short symphonic prologue that introduces the harsh atmosphere of the era and events.
“Song about Alexander Nevsky” - the second part of the cantata - is the beginning of events, a story about the recent victory of Russian soldiers over the Swedes: “And that was the case on the Neva River.” Remember the words of Alexander Nevsky: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword”? This is the main idea of ​​this part. The majestic and strict melody repeats the features of ancient Russian epics. It's like old legends. The text and music are in an epic spirit.
The main melody of “And it happened on the Neva River” is narrative and measured.
“The Song of Alexander Nevsky” reproduces the features characteristic of the tunes of many ancient Russian epics with their leisurely “telling” intonation.
In the middle part of the song “Wow! How we fought, how we fought!” the narrative becomes more excited and its pace quickens. In accordance with the rhythm of the verse, two- and three-beat sizes replace each other in music.
The orchestra reproduces the sounds of battle - the clanking of weapons, the blows of swords. The harps imitate the sound of the harps that accompanied epic songs in the old days. In the reprise, the main, “heroic” melody of the choir returns.
In the third part of the cantata “Crusaders in Pskov” the main themes of dog knights appear for the first time.
Here, for the first time, opposing images collide. The harsh characterization of the enemies with sharp harmonies, menacing-sounding heavy brass, harsh ascetic chorale and warlike fanfares is contrasted with mournful tunes and the tremulous emotionality of the sound of the strings, embodying the people's grief.
To depict the crusaders, Prokofiev used means that were sharply different from those that we noted in the disassembled parts of the cantata. If the characterization of the Russians featured song melodies, then in the music characterizing the dog knights of the Teutonic Order, an important role is played by a theme written by the composer in the spirit of a Catholic chorale.
“Get up, Russian people!” - fourth part. This is a choral song of a completely different nature: not a story about past events, but a call to fight for the Russian land. During the Great Patriotic War, the chorus “Get Up, Russian People” was often heard on the radio, and the film “Alexander Nevsky” was shown to Red Army soldiers at the fronts.

Get up, Russian people,
For a glorious battle, for a mortal battle,
Get up, free people
For our honest land.

One of the participants in the defense of Sevastopol recalls: “The song “Get up, Russian people!” made an amazing impression. Strengthened by the resonance of the dungeon, it powerfully captured the soul.”
For a long time, there has been a custom in Rus' to announce important events by striking an alarm bell. In the melody, in its persistently repeated energetic intonations, battle cries and appeals are heard. The rhythm of the march emphasizes the heroic nature of the music.
A new theme appears - melodious, free, light, reminiscent of some themes from “Ruslan” by M. Glinka. The choir sings this melody to the words “In Rus' dear, in Rus' there is no great enemy.”
The fifth part - “Battle on the Ice” - is a grandiose symphonic picture with the participation of the choir. In this part, the main themes of the previous parts, depicting enemy camps, collide.
At the beginning there is a gloomy winter landscape, depicting a frozen lake in a frosty haze. Desert winter morning before the start of the massacre. The sound of a Teutonic horn can be heard from afar. Prokofiev searched for a timbre for this signal for a very long time. He believed that it should be "Unpleasant to the Russian ear." The famous episode of the crusaders' race begins, which is usually called "The Pig's Leap."
Teutonic knights clad in heavy armor rush heavily. Long swords, spears. They wear horned helmets, hoods covering their faces, with only eye holes gaping. In Prokofiev's music, this leap is very reminiscent of the psychic or tank attacks of the fascists. No wonder Eisenstein, shocked by the music, said that it creates “an unforgettable image of an iron, blunt-nosed pig from the knights of the Teutonic Order, galloping with the inexorability of a tank column of their disgusting descendants.” Against the background of the rhythm of the race, the knights sing a fanatical chorale in Latin.
But then Alexander Nevsky’s squad enters the battle. The trumpet sounds the theme “Rise up, Russian people!” The Russian attack begins. It is accompanied by a new fast-paced, daring theme.
These themes, like opponents in battle, collide with each other. Then the enemy theme weakens and becomes distorted. This part ends with the quiet and bright theme of the middle section of the fourth part, “In dear Rus', in great Rus' there will be no enemy.” Peace and silence came to the liberated Russian land.
The sixth part - “Dead Field” - is one of the most lyrical and mournful pages of Prokofiev’s work.
The ice battle is over. The ice field is silent and motionless, only the lights of the torches flicker in the darkness. Women are looking for warriors who have not returned from battle.

I'll go along white field,
I'll fly across the bright field.
I will look for glorious falcons,
My grooms are good fellows.

“I will walk across a clean field...” - a low, deep female voice floats lonely over the expanse. In the melody, inexpressibly sad, sung widely, like drawn-out peasant songs, there is not powerless despair, but restrained sorrow. And in enormous, immeasurable grief, the Russian woman retains her majestic dignity - mother, wife, bride. This part of the cantata is called “The Bride’s Song”. One voice sings a song. The image is symbolic - the Motherland mourns its sons. But this lonely voice sounds like a mournful requiem for the entire people, as a tribute to the memory of those who fell in the evil battle of the ice. After a powerful, bright, diverse musical picture ice battle, after the noise and roar, this lonely voice not only does not disturb, but even more strongly emphasizes the frozen, dead silence of the ice field.

The intonations of lamentation, coming from Russian folk laments and from classical operatic “laments” (remember “Yaroslavna’s Lament” from Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor”), are heard in Prokofiev’s music. The sorrowful song sounds at the very beginning, in the introduction played by violins. The vocal melody is deeply sad, but its movement is smooth and strict.
The cantata ends with a solemn, majestic finale - “The Entry of Alexander Nevsky into Pskov.”
Pskov meets the winners. Again the song is happy, joyful. High ringing echoes curl around her melody like a sparkling thread, wonderfully merging with the crimson chime of festive bells.
In Rus' it is big,
Native in Rus'
No enemy!
The choral finale, glorifying victorious Rus', combines Russian themes of the cantata: a song about Alexander Nevsky, the theme of the middle part of the choir “Rise up, Russian people.”
Miraculously transformed, as if dressed in festive attire, they did not, however, lose their mighty strength... Let the enemies remember: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword. This is where the Russian land stands and will stand.”