PROKOFIEV: Alexander Nevsky (World Premiere Recording of Original Score) (SACD)

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Alexander Nevsky (Film Music (1938)

First complete recording of the original score

SACD Hybrid MultiChannel. Plays on all SACD and CD Players

Marina Domaschencko, mezzo
Ernst-Senff-Chor
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Frank Strobel, director

In October 2003, a new version of the Soviet monumental film "Alexander Nevsky" by Sergei Eisenstein was put on at a celebration at the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The music, composed by no other than Sergei Prokofiev, was reconstructed for the first time for this performance. Capriccio now presents the first recording of this restored original score, which arose from the collaboration of two geniuses, Eisenstein and Prokofiev. Comppared to Prokofiev's famous "Alexander Nevsky" cantata, there are no less than 20 minutes of additional music. Film music specialist Frank Strobel conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Comes with an in-depth 32 page booklet about the film and other information in German, English and French!

Amazon.com

The first classical music I remember hearing was on movie soundtracks--the animated cartoons of my childhood in which the characters would chase, trick, and bash each other to the tunes of Liszt's Hungarian rhapsodies and overtures by Rossini and Suppe. This music was used not because it was great, but because it was full of action and out of copyright--a lot cheaper (and probably better) than hiring a living composer. Woody Allen may have a nobler motivation in his decision to use classics on his soundtracks, and his selection of music, from Bach to Prokofiev, is more sophisticated. This superbly miscellaneous collection will be full of happy discoveries for many listeners. It may also help you to identify tunes that you hear in a movie and can't get out of your mind. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

FANTASTIC.......2000-02-26

ALL THE SONGS ARE GREAT ON THIS ALBUM ! WOODY HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PICKING SOME OF THE BEST CLASSICAL SONGS EVER MADE !

Average customer rating:

The Best Film Score Ever!~
The recording to own
A must disk for Prokofiev lovers/collectors
Yet another star in Abbado's "Russian crown"
A breathtaking reading.

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky / Abbado

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 / Songs of a Wayfarer - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau / Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Rafael Kubelik
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
Prokofiev: Cinderella, Op. 87; Glazunov: Seasons Op67
Smetana: Má Vlast
Strauss: Four Last Songs / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

ASIN: B000001GQC
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: I. Russia Under The Mongol Yoke
Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: II. Song About Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: III. The Crusaders In Pskov
Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: IV. Arise, Ye Russian People
Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: V. The Battle On The Ice
Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: VI. The Field Of The Dead
Alexander Nevsky, Op.78: VII. Alexander's Entry Into Pskov
Skythische Suite, Op.20: I. The Adoration of Veless and Ala
Skythische Suite, Op.20: II. The Enemy God And The Dance Of The Spirits Of Darkness
Skythische Suite, Op.20: III. Night
Skythische Suite, Op.20: IV. The Glorious Departure Of Lolly And The Sun's Procession
Leutnant Kije, Op.60: I. Kije 's Birth
Leutnant Kije, Op.60: II. Romance
Leutnant Kije, Op.60: III. Kije 's Wedding
Leutnant Kije, Op.60: IV. Troika
Leutnant Kije, Op.60: V. Kije 's Burial

Amazon.com

Alexander Nevsky is one of the great film scores, and a beautifully restored edition of the film with a new digitally recorded soundtrack, is now available. Eisenstein's movie was a landmark in the history of the cinema--something like half of it consists of nothing but the great "battle on the ice," and the helmets of the invading crusaders gave George Lucas some ideas for the Storm Trooper costumes in Star Wars. The cantata that Prokofiev fashioned from the complete score has all of the good tunes, but none of action-motivated repetition, and this is its best performance. Combined with the two suites, it makes a stunning Prokofiev disc. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

The Best Film Score Ever!~.......2007-03-09

Nevsky with Abbado is a stirring and moveing piece. This is the best version I've heard! Kije and the the rampaging Scythians are also first rate.

The recording to own.......2006-07-16

This is a must for any fan of tbe music
of Prokofiev. The cantat from the film
"Alexander Nevsky" is well perfomed by the
London Symphony Orchestra who is well suited
for the task. The cantata reaches a sublime point
when the solo for solo for mezzo-soprano sung by Elena
Obratsova. Also in this recording we hear Prokifiev's
Scythian Suite, as performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
under maestro Abbado. Also here is the suite from the
film score: "Lieutenant Kije". Here a prominent solo part
in different moments in the Suite is performed
by trumpeter: Adolph Herseth. The music was recorded beetween
1978 and 1980, indeed a five star classic.

A must disk for Prokofiev lovers/collectors.......2004-10-04

Claudio Abbado' is definitely one of the greatest Prokofiev conductor of all time. His recording of the Peter and the Wolf in collaboration with Sting really gives a nice, delightful touch, as well as the Classical Symphony, often given a bit loose, heavy performances by even the most eminent maestros such as Karajan.

In this album too, Abbado gives a defining performance on the more serious, dark, and thrilling music by Prokofiev. In the Alexander Nevsky Suite, based on a 13th century Russian hero who led his troops to defeat Teutonic invaders, the climatic battle on ice is especially a thrill. The chorus sings "Peregrinus expectavi" with ice cold fright and as dark as siege, and high paced tempo really drives the audience. And in the Scythian Suite, the equally savage Dance of the Dark Spirits is as powerful under Abbado as it should be.

On the other hand, the more brighter Lieutenant Kije Suite restore the charm the maestro gave when he did Peter and the Wolf.

Try it out and I'm more than positive that you'll really get blown away.

Yet another star in Abbado's "Russian crown".......2004-07-19

Maestro Abbado had done it again. From the bone-chilling bite of the strings (depicting the Russian winter) that open Alexander Nevsky across the Frozen Lake, the LSO under Abbado maintains a dramatic reading of the score. The LSC lacks nothing in the way of Russian idiom and Elena Obraztsova necessarily gives an authentic performance. Her voice is suitably dark. Personally, however, I prefer Anna Reynolds' more haunting lament under Previn...only because Reynolds sounds like a younger woman and to me this is more convincing (and tragic, given the "robbery" of war). Previn also has the added bonus of being recorded in EMI's double-forte Classics series, which also has the complete "Ivan the Terrible" (with brilliant soloists including a more youthful and vocally secure Irina Arkhipova) and Rachmaninov's "The Bells". Nonetheless, I give this recording it's due as a great rendition of what I consider to be Prokofiev's most accessible vocal work.

The Scythian Suite begins to delve into what I like less about Prokofiev but what, nonetheless, is his more radical and novel side. My comments are therefore curtailed to say this: I have heard far more impenetrable compositions so it's clearly not beyond appreciation (even from someone like me who dislikes dissonance/atonality). Moreover, Abbado's conducting doesn't convey any notion of sheer chaos, so for those who can better appreciate it, this will likely be a good reading (I'm given to believe more than "good" but given my admitted lack of objectivity on the matter, I wouldn't want to indulge my own ignorance).

Lieutenant Kije on the other hand is a lovely little work. Anyone who remembers the soundtrack from "The Gladiator" will recognise the inspiration for some of the film's music (together with Wagner's Gotterdammerung incidentally). Again Maestro Abbado conducts with true feeling and warmth, convincingly conveying the drama.

This disc forms an worthy part of any introduction to Prokofiev.

A breathtaking reading........2003-01-22

At first glance, Soviet music sung by a British Chorus and a Russian Mezzo, played by a British and an American orchestra, conducted by a German trained Italian seems too diverse to succeed, but this recording is not only a success, it's a great success.

Of the recordings on this disk, Alexander Nevsky and Lieutenant Kije both started life as score's for films by Sergei Eisenstein and Alexander Faintsimmer respectively and both were later re-cast into the orchestral works contained on this CD. This is where the similarity ends. A great sense of fun pervades the music through Kije and is carried off with great aplomb by Abbado and his players. I still can't decide if I like this recording or Reiner's more, but both are equally good, so it's really a win - win situation, whatever your final choice.

Nevsky however is a very different piece, at the time when it was being written both Prokofiev and the film's director Eisenstein were seriously out of favour with Stalin, Khrennikov and the sham critics of the time, a poor reception for this film could well have seen both of them deported to a Siberian Gulag like so many millions of others and this sense of brooding fear and paranoia pervades the work, but they got lucky, Stalin liked the work and their fortunes revived because of it. Looking back to Nevsky's campaign of 1242, the piece also succeeds in capturing the atmosphere of the Soviet Union in 1938 and looks forward to the horrors that were to come in the years of war that followed. Yet despite this, it is a work of tremendous power and beauty, I have yet to hear the famous "Battle on Ice" performed with more power or "The Field of the Dead" sung so movingly. Elena Obratzova rises to the occasion magnificently. Let no one tell you that Jarvi or Previn's recordings are preferable to this one.

Tracks:

The Love For Three Oranges: III. March. Tempo di marcia
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: I. The Birth of Kij
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: II. Romance
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: III. Kij Wedding
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: IV. Troika
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: V. Kij Funeral
Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2, Op. 64b: The Montagues and Capulets
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical Symphony': III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro
Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64: Morning Serenade
Alexander Nevsky, Cantata, Op. 78: Song about Alexander Nevsky
Overture on Hebrew Themes for Clarinet, String Quartet and Piano, Op. 34a
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: Introduction
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'Look out!'
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'No sooner...'
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'And now...'
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'So there's the story...'
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op. 100: IV. Allegro giocoso

Customer Reviews:

Almost really good........2006-06-30

I love Prokofiev. But I hate Yank crap. It has spoiled a great compilation. It was beautiful, up until 'Peter and the Wolf', one of my favourite adventures. But then along came an American narrator explaining the story. Why is there this 'Disney' crap amidst some beautiful music? (All respects to Walt).
'Lieutenant Kije' is one of the best stories produced by humanity of a man who did not exist throughout his birth, marriage and death. Don't let this piece of brilliance be swamped by crap.
A good compilation, but I strongly suggest you go for untainted versions of Prokofiev.
P.S. The Daleks will eventually conquer staircases. Be warned. Three oranges are not enough.

An excellent primer on the iconclastic Russian composer.......2001-08-12

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed there was nothing from Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, which is what the Amy Irving character played in the film, "The Competition." I also think it is one of the iconoclastic composer's finest works. What you will find on this collection are a lot of excerpts from his score for the film "Lieutenant Kije" and symphonic fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf." Again, I am surprised there is nothing here from his film scores for "Alexander Nevsky" or "Ivan the Terrible." My favorite "new" piece that I discovered on this CD would be the March from "The Love for Three Oranges," although I also like the excerpt from Prokofiev's Classical Symphony in D Major. Despite my personal preferences, I have to admit this collection is a very nice introduction to the music of Sergei Sergeivich Prokofiev.

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky; Lieutenant Kije

Average customer rating:

An Ebullient Pair of Performances that Still Rank with the Finest
Russian film music
Prokofiev, Previn, And The L.A. Philharmonic

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky; Lieutenant Kije

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale [Hybrid SACD]
Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano
Debussy: La Mer; Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; Danse sacrée et profane
Saint-Saëns: Concertos

ASIN: B000003CUA
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

I. Russia Beneath The Yoke Of The Mongols
II. Song About Alexander Nevsky
III. The Crusaders In Pskov
IV. 'Arise, People Of Russia'
V. The Battle On The Ice
VI. The Field Of The Dead
VII. Alexander's Entry Into Pskov
I. Kije's Birth
II. Song
III. Kije's Wedding
IV. Troika Song
V. Kije's Burial

Customer Reviews:

An Ebullient Pair of Performances that Still Rank with the Finest.......2006-12-03

André Previn knows his way around these two very fine Prokofiev works, each being extracted from film scores yet from very different mindsets of the composer. 'Alexander Nevsky' was first supported by Stalin when it was written/filmed (perhaps explaining why the score is less 'modern' than most of Prokofiev's works), then withdrawn as inappropriate while WW II was brewing and finally returning as a national anthem when the Germans invaded Russia in 1941. It is that kind of a work - much Russian soul in the choral writing and much warring effort in the orchestral portions.

Previn conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale with Christine Cairns as the important soloist in this 1986 recording. The chorus may not have the dark depth of the Russian choruses on the many other recordings, but they make up for it in technique and commitment to the score where others blast their way through it. It is a very moving account of the 'cantata'.

The lighter, comic side of Prokofiev is present in his 'Lieutenant Kijé' suite, also a film score. Previn takes his time to highlight the many solo instances that add to the fine writing that makes this Prokofiev work a perennial favorite among audiences of all ages. The orchestral sound is polished and rich and the recording is well engineered. This is a fine recording of two disparate Prokofiev pieces to add to the collection. Grady Harp, December 06

Russian film music.......2005-11-29

Featured on this disk are two offerings from Sergei Prokofiev's jaunt into Russian film music. Most are familiar with Prokofiev's descriptive music for the stage, but these well-known film-based scores are a welcome addition to his dramatic genre.

Alexander Nevsky was a hero in the 1200's who defeated the Swedish army and later won out against a large army of Germans. A film was made by Sergei Eisenstein as propaganda for an impending conflict between Russia and Germany, and Prokofiev became the composer of the music. After Russia and Germany settled their affairs, Prokofiev wrote a cantata from the film music for the concert stage. The work begins with a slow (cold & icy) introduction leading into the Russians singing about Nevsky's win over Sweden. The scene continues to the German invaders singing/chanting in Latin as they pillage. The fourth movement is a call of arms for Russia with a cheerful and imaginative folk-like hymn. The Battle on the Ice is the crux of the work, overlapping the German's latin theme with the Russian theme. Prokofiev also graphically depicts the approaching armies musically, all of which erupts in joyous celebration at the victory. Following the battle is a heartfelt alto solo of a peasant woman looking for the man (or men) she was engaged to marry. Of course, the whole work ends in a rousing Russian chorale. The music is varied and imaginative, also seemingly steeped in the Russian folk idiom when the music calls for it. A dramatic and historically interesting work.

The suite from the film Lieutenant Kije, however, is much lighter fare. Prokofiev's great ability to write tuneful melodies exists in all movements. Lt. Kije's life is explained through the movements (Birth, romance, wedding, Troika, and burial). The orchestration is light with occasional sweeping breadth, featuring the tenor saxophone, a sultry sound in the work. The music is lively and engaging, a light masterpiece (the 70's rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer liked it so much they borrowed much of the music.)

This early digital recording by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Andre Previn from 1987 still stands up today. The orchestra is light and beefy when it is required and the chorus in Nevsky is convincingly Russian. Previn tells each of these musical stories successfully and the music speaks well. Lt. Kije is standard orchestral repertoire and Alexander Nevsky should be, so this disk is an easy choice (although you will have to compare on your own to the Abbado on DG and Gergiev on Philips).

Prokofiev, Previn, And The L.A. Philharmonic.......2004-11-27

Two of Sergei Prokofiev's best-known compositions of the 1930s were his massive score for the Sergei Eisenstein epic "Alexander Nevsky", and his smaller one for the ironic bureaucratic satire "Lieutenant Kije." Despite both being originally produced as essentially pro-Soviet tracts to please the Russian politburo, particularly that sage of stern political correctness Joseph Stalin, both works ("Nevsky" in its cantata form) have maintained their populairty. And both of these works are given world-class performances in this 1986 recording by Andre Previn and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The Alexander Nevsky Cantata (which is all most people heard of Prokofiev's score until the last few years) is smashingly sung by the Los Angeles Master Chorale along with Scottish-born mezzo-soprano Christine Cairns. And Previn, whose time as music director was just too short, conducts the L.A. Philharmonic brilliantly in the cantata and the Lieutenant Kije Suite, particularly in its celebrated "Troika" movement (whose main theme was borrowed by Greg Lake for his 1975 Christmas standard "I Believe In Father Christmas"). It's not surprising that Previn should be so successful here; he is no stranger to Prokofiev's music, having recorded both pieces with the London Symphony Orchestra in the 1970s. A highly recommended recording for lovers of 20th century Russian music in general and Prokofiev in particular.

Average customer rating:

A Landmark Film Score
this was my first real meeting with this kind of music
Fun
excellent
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky/Yuri Temirkanov

Sergei Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Alexander Nevsky
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky / Abbado
King Kong - Extended Cut (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B000003G5Y
Release Date: 1996-11-12

Tracks:

Prelude
The 13th Century
Plescheyevo Lake (Song About Alexander Nevsky)
Pskov In Flames
'Death To The Blasphemer!' (Pereginus expectavi)
Arise, People Of Russia
The Teutonic Camp (Pereginus expectavi)
Nevsky's Camp: Night Before The Battle
The Battle On The Ice: April 5, 1242 (Perigrinus expectavi)
The Battle On The Ice: Fight For Russia!
The Battle On The Ice: Spears And Arrows (Perigrinus expectavi)
The Battle On The Ice: The Duel With The Grand Master
The Battle On The Ice: The Battle Is Won
The Battle On The Ice: The Ice Breaks
The Field Of The Dead
Pskov: ProcessionOf The Fallen And Judgement Of The Prisoners
'And Now Let's Celebrate!'
Final Chorus

Amazon.com essential recording

The cantata that Prokofiev made of his score for Eisenstein's film Alexander Nevsky has long been recognized as an effective piece of programmatic music. In recent years there has been new interest in old films, and Nevsky--actually a very heavy-handed anti-German propaganda piece--is no exception. Unfortunately, the soundtrack was utterly dreadful, recorded with the worst of Soviet technology (which is saying something), and badly performed by a small ensemble. John Goberman, the executive producer of this disc, and orchestrator William D. Brohn reconstructed the score from the cantata and from the original soundtrack itself. The result is both impressive and instructive, although unlikely to replace the cantata in the hearts of most listeners. This disc is an enhanced CD, with CD-ROM aspects that are among the best produced in the classical music field to date. Chief among the enhancements is a clip of scenes from the movie that makes it look much better than it actually is. This disc is a winner in every respect. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

A Landmark Film Score.......2006-10-14

The 'Alexander Nevsky' film score by Sergei Prokofiev for the Sergei Eisenstein film of the same name is a great combination of musical and cinematic arts. I'm reluctant to say this is the best known original film score around, as that honor may go to the haunting Zither work on 'The Third Man', but this one is certainly close.

Part of the score's reknown is probably due to the prominant part it played in a long running PBS promo from a few years back. But the placement there is certainly attributable to Prokofiev's great talent.

I confess I have not heard any other recordings of this work, as other reviewers have, but to those amateurs out there who just listen to enjoy, this CD is a major find, to which you will return often.

this was my first real meeting with this kind of music .......2005-12-23

this was my first meeting with this kind of music. The film as well as the music i know well and are my absolute favorites. The ambiance is supposed to be somewhat medieval. The film and this music show this ambiance. Strangely it does not look out of date at all. On the contrary. Terrific!

Fun.......2004-05-11

This is one of, if the not the greatest, film score ever written. This CD presents a reconstruction of Prokofiev's original score for the famous Eisenstein film. In the film, the music accentuates beautifully many of the striking scenes presented by Eisenstein's team. Markedly nationalistic, Germanophobic, and anti-clerical, Alexander Nevsky is both a typical product of the that period of Soviet history and a real artistic achievement. This is not, however, some of Prokofiev's best music. While it is very good, much of Alexander Nevsky music is exactly that, good but not great. This must have been a deliberate choice on Prokofiev's part; really great music might have overpowered the scences in the movie. As suggested by several prior reviewers, the best way to hear this music would be in conjunction with the film.

excellent.......2002-06-12

this is the absolute original recording of Alexander Nevsky. the CD is cool because it gives you some CD-ROM abilities. and while there isnt much to see on the CD ROM, it is a great recording, the original soundtrack to the movie. Great stuff!

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky/Yuri Temirkanov.......2000-12-04

Having heard been treated to a performance of this work with film by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Temirkanov conducting I purchased this CD in '97. It was great that this enhanced CD had commentary, played the music and let you view some of the video. It was great educationally. Now it is technologically out dated. It will not play on newer computers Window or Mac, since it only works under QT 2 and it will not play on my DVD player that has replaced my CD player.

Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Average customer rating:

Worth it for "Conquest" alone
A GREAT COMPILATION!
So So Compilation
Deserves more than five stars
Music In Film (NPR Milestones of the Millennium

Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000HXL1
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Robin Hood And His Merry Men (The Adventures Of Robin Hood - 1938)
Cantata For Mezzo-Soprano, Chorus, And Orchestra: Song About Alexander Nevsky (Alexander Nevsky - 1938)
Title Theme (Laura - 1944)
Conquest (Captain From Castile - 1947)
Film Suite For Orchestra: Morning on the Ranch (The Red Pony - 1949)
A Place In The Sun: Suite (A Place In The Sun - 1951)
Theme (High Noon - 1952)
'Andante (With Dignity) - Presto barbaro' (Symphonic Suite) (On The Waterfront - 1954)
Prelude (East Of Eden - 1955)
Working On The Bridge (The Bridge OnThe River Kwai - 1957)
Parade Of Charioteers (Ben-Hur - 1959)
Theme (The Magnificent Seven - 1960)
Prelude (Vertigo - 1958)
The Murder (Psycho - 1960) - Psycho
La passerella di addio (8.5 - 1963)
Main Title (The Lion In Winter - 1968)
Main Theme (Star Wars - 1977)
The Imperial March (The Empire Strikes Back - 1980)
The John Dunbar Theme (Dances With Wolves - 1990)
Leaving Port (Titanic - 1997)

Amazon.com

Good film music should be seen and not heard--that is, it's usually there for background, to reinforce what you're seeing, not to draw attention to itself. So why listen to it? Often that's a mystery, but the items in this collection seem to have been selected because they are interesting music (Prokofiev, Copland, Bernstein) or because they are so familiar that they bring back memories of favorite movies (Laura, High Noon, Star Wars). Like much movie music, a lot of these items are sentimental and overblown, even the more famous ones. (Those famous screaming strings in Psycho can sound silly without the onscreen action.) But if you want one movie-music CD in your collection, this may be the one to have. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Worth it for "Conquest" alone.......2005-09-12

The stirring martial music from the movie "Captain from Castille" ("Conquest") is on this album and so far as I know it's the only CD you'll find it on. But other tracks are great also, including the "Parade of the Charioteers" from "Ben Hur," the theme from "The Magnificent Seven," and "The Imperial March" from Star Wars.

A GREAT COMPILATION!.......2005-06-05

I've come to appreciate soundtracks more and more. This compilation progresses chronologically through 60 years of film music, starting with 1939's "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood", and ending with "Titanic". It encompasses a huge range of styles. Along with the usual suspects - music from "Ben-Hur", "The Magnificent 7", "Star Wars", et al, there are a few real sleepers, like John Barry's medieval-flavored theme to "The Lion in Winter", or Leonard Roseman's lyrical "East of Eden". Blessedly, most of the tracks are original recordings, conducted by the composers, among them Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. Only those of us burned by tinny, tacky, sacriligiously rearranged retreads on obscure labels can appreciate this.

There are a few notable omissions. The prolific Randy Newman isn't represented, though Uncle Alfred is. And NO Ennio Morricone? - incredible! Presumably, this has more to do with Sony's current copyrights and contracts than the relative merits of the composers. And it's fine to have John Williams included twice, but why two pieces from "Star Wars"? Why not the theme from "Jaws", for instance? Or "Sugarland Express", for a really unexpected treat? But these are minor quibbles. And for whatever it's lacking, there's no fluff substituted. This is real music from fine craftsmen, which sometimes attains art. A great intro to the form, and wonderful just to listen to. I bought it used - one of my best deals ever!

So So Compilation.......2002-01-14

My major interest in this CD was in the selection entitled "Robin Hood And His Merry Men" (duration: 4 min, 28 sec), conducted by John Williams, and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. It turns out that this is a re-issue of the track from Sony Classical SK 62788, 1997. Surprisingly, this performance is poky, ponderous, and prodding. The conducting is, well, somnambulistic. Miking/mixing/processing yields a sonic brick deficient in instrumental nuances while sounding like way too many musicians were shoe horned into the recording studio. As for the rest of the tracks, it's hard to believe, but Silva America offers better compilations! Best to skip this one.

Deserves more than five stars.......2000-06-23

I have several discs of film music, and this one if by far the best. As one of the previous reviewers noted, there are many peices absent that could have been included here, but I don't see how anyone could be completely satisfied with any compilation that fit on just one disc.

The performances here are crisp and clear, and include a good selection of both old and new, ranging from traditional film favorites like the Star Wars theme, to less common selections like the screeching strings from Psycho (at least, I think they're less common, but I could be wrong). And I could listen to the Magnificent Seven theme over and over.

Anyway, this is a great disc for almost anyone. If you're looking for one thing in particular, find that film's soundtrack, but otherwise, this is a fantastic disc, and one of my favorites!

Music In Film (NPR Milestones of the Millennium.......2000-05-02

Great CD;the music is crystal clear with an excellent variety demonstrating the wide variety of musical talents in Hollywood. Liner notes are also most interesting, explaining some of the history behind the cuts and pointing out differences in the composers styles...as with John Barry. His style ranges from "the Lion in Winter" bold dramatic soundtrack to the exquisitley tender "Dances with Wolves" theme music. A CD to enjoy over and over

Average customer rating:

Don't miss it!
Delectable!
TODO LO QUE ELLA CANTE ESTÁ BIEN
She's back!

Ewa Podles · Russian Arias
Ewa Podles , Alexander Borodin , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin , Igor Stravinsky , Modest Mussorgsky , Constantine Orbelian , and Philharmonia of Russia
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Ewa Podles - Rossini Arias for Contralto
Ewa Podles - Handel Arias from Rinaldo & Orlando
Ewa Podles: Respighi - Gli Uccelli/Il Tramonto/Trittico Botticelliano
Gluck - Orfeo ed Euridice / Podles · Rodrigo · Merced · Maag
Rossini - Tancredi / Podles, Jo, Olsen, Spagnoli, di Micco, Lendi, Zedda

ASIN: B00006313Z
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

Konchakovna's Cavatina
Young Maiden's Song (Field Of The Dead)
Joan's Aria
Voina's Arioso
Varvara's Limericks And Dance
Jocasta's Aria
Lullaby
Serenade
Trepak (Russian Dance)
The Field-Marshal

Customer Reviews:

Don't miss it!.......2004-03-31

Ewa Podles' voice is incredibly rich, her technic is astonishing and she sings so expressively that really brings tears in my eyes. She is definitely a diva and performs these wonderful pieces the way they should be performed. The booklet includes libretto with English translation, which is very helpful for those who don't speak Russian. However, the music and the performance are so emotive that can touch you even if you do't know the words.

Delectable!.......2003-01-15

This disc is altogether delectable. With few exceptions, Russian opera is little known or appreciated in this country. Perhaps, if it always had interpreters as stupendously capable as Ewa Podles, the story might be different. She is a true contralto, and, as such, more than capable of bringing appropriate power, flexibility and idiomatic darkness to these largely unfamiliar arias. Even more impressively, she uses her magnificent talent to get inside the character of each piece. The result is a virtuoso variety of texture. The sumptuous richness of her sound makes even the finest counter-tenors seem rather thin-voiced. Do not let the unfamiliarity of most of the pieces put you off. Full translations are provided, with the Russian being helpfully rendered in Roman letters. So, let this superrb and thrilling singer introduce you to some very fine music.

TODO LO QUE ELLA CANTE ESTÁ BIEN.......2002-09-07

Una voz tan impresionante como la de esta mujer, me deja sólo agradeciendo que exista, o que haya existido alguna vez, y que haya respirado, al mismo tiempo que yo, en este planeta. Por lo tanto, recomiendo absolutamente todo material que ella grabe. Es un placer, un poco de luz en medio de tanta oscuridad.

She's back!.......2002-07-01

The first time I heard Ewa Podles was in a live performance of Verdi's "Requiem". After that I've been buying all her records and trying to hear her live. I still don't understand how she is still ignored by the major record companies...
This CD of russian arias could not be rated less than extraordinary: if the voice itself wasn't enough - and it is more than enough - the interpretation would.

The Y2K Album: A Doomsday Collection For The Coming Crash

Average customer rating:

DOOMSDAY CLASSICAL MUSIC !
Spectacluar!!!
Love classical this is very very good

The Y2K Album: A Doomsday Collection For The Coming Crash

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Massive Classics

ASIN: B00000JWNB
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Tracks:

Thus Spake Zarathustra: Sunrise - Y2K ALBUM
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna - Orff
The Planets: Mars, The Bringer Of War - Holst
The Firebird Suite: Infernal Dance Of King Katschei - Stravinsky
The Valkyries: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wagner
Requiem: Dies irae/Tuba mirum (part 1 of 2) - Y2K ALBUM
Requiem: Dies irae/Tuba mirum (part 2 of 2) - Y2K ALBUM
A Night On The Bare Mountain - Mussorgsky
Symphonie Fantastique: Dream Of The Witches' Sabbath - Berlioz
The Rite of Spring (From Part I - Adoration of the Earth): Ritual Of The Rival Tribes - Procession Of The Sage - The Sage -- Dance Of The Earth (Part 1 Of 3) - Y2K ALBUM
The Rite of Spring (From Part I - Adoration of the Earth): Ritual Of The Rival Tribes - Procession Of The Sage - The Sage -- Dance Of The Earth (Part 2 Of 3) - Y2K ALBUM
The Rite of Spring (From Part I - Adoration of the Earth): Ritual Of The Rival Tribes - Procession Of The Sage - The Sage -- Dance Of The Earth (Part 3 Of 3) - Y2K ALBUM
Alexander Nevsky: The Battle On The Ice - Prokofiev
Star Wars Suite: The Battle - Y2K ALBUM
The Twilight Of The Gods: The Immolation Of The Gods - Wagner

Customer Reviews:

DOOMSDAY CLASSICAL MUSIC !.......2005-06-18

Doomsday Classics! The title and concept for this novelty album may be dated, but the music is timeless! "HEAVY" classical music to be played LOUDLY! The arrangements and sound quality on this CD are EXCELLENT! One of my favorite compilation albums of classical music. For the price, don't let this one pass you by.

Spectacluar!!!.......2002-01-04

This is by far one of my favorite cds. I purchased it originally as a joke, but I have come to love it and play it very loudly when I'm in a bad mood. Spectacularly, it always helps cheer me up, or give me encouragement. Plus this is just some quality music, some of which any person who's heard classical music will recognize. :) Unfortunately, I somehow broke my copy, and now must buy a new one...it's such a relief that Amazon still carries it. :)

Love classical this is very very good.......1999-10-14

Have looked for good classical recordings in every possible location from "record clubs" to "music outlets" and this is the best as represented I've found. Would like to know more about artist,composers,and availability of all.

Prokofiev: Ivan The Terrible, Alexander Nevsky; Rachmaninov: The Bells

Average customer rating:

Prokofiev: Ivan The Terrible, Alexander Nevsky; Rachmaninov: The Bells

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000NPCMFI
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

Prologue
No.1 Overture And Chorus (Moderato-Allegro)
No.2 March Of Young Ivan (Moderato)
No.3 Ocean-Sea (Andante)
No.4 I Will Be Tsar! (Moderato)
No.5 God Is Wonderous! (Allegro)
No.6 Long Life! (Allegro Moderato)
No.7 Ocean-Sea (Andante)
No.8 Long Life! (Allegro Moderato)
No.9 The Holy Fool (Allegro Tempestoso)
No.10 The Swan (Allegro Fastoso)
No.11 Celebration Song (Andante)
No.12 The Swan (Allegro Fastoso)
No.13 On The Bones Of The Enemy (Andante Mosso)
No.14 The Tartars (Allegro Moderato)
No.15 The Gunners (Moderato Energico)
No.16 The Storming Of Kazan (Moderato Pesante-Andante-Allegro)
No.17 Ivan's Appeal To The Boyars (Adagio-Andante Sostenuto)
No.18 Yefrosinia And Anastasia (Moderato)
No.19 Song About The Beaver (Andante Assai)
No.20 Ivan At Anastasia's Bier (Andante)
No.21 Chorus Of The Oprichniki (Moderato Energico)
No.22 The Oprichniki Oath Of Loyalty (Moderato Energico)
No.23 Feodor Basmanov's Song (Allegro Moderato)
No.24 Dance Of The Oprichniki (Allegro Ben Ritmato)
No.25 Finale (Moderato-Moderato Fastoso)

Tracks:

No.1 Russia Under The Mongolian Yoke - Andre Previn
No.2 Song About Alexander Nevsky - Andre Previn
No.3 The Crusaders In Psokov - Andre Previn
No.4 Arise, Ye Russian People - Andre Previn
No.5 The Battle On The Ice - Andre Previn
No.6 The Field Of The Dead - Andre Previn
No.7 Alexander's Entry Into Pskov - Andre Previn
No.1 Allegro Ma Non Tanto - John Shirley-Quirk
No.2 Lento - John Shirley-Quirk
No.3 Presto - John Shirley-Quirk
No.4 Lento Lugubre - John Shirley-Quirk

Album Description

Specially priced 2-CD set in space-saving brilliant box with accompanying three-language booklet. Digitally remastered to the highest standards at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios.

Prokofiev: Scythian Suite; Alexander Nevsky

Average customer rating:

the worst nevsky iv heard
Another excellent but unique interpretation
Okay, No More
Gergiev's Great Alexander Nevsky and Fine Scythian Suite
Best Nevsky ever recorded!

Prokofiev: Scythian Suite; Alexander Nevsky

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4,5 & 6
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky
Violin Concertos
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky / Abbado
Prokofiev: The Complete Symphonies

ASIN: B000089CDY
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

I. The Adoration Of Veles And Ala
II. The Enemy Of God And The Dance Of The Black Spirits
III. Night
IV. The Glorious Departure Of Lolly And Procession Of The Sun
I. Russia Under The Mongolian Yoke
II. Song Of Alexander Nevsky - Olga Borodina
III. The CrusadersOf Pskov
IV. Arise, Russian People
V. The Battle On The Ice
VI. The Field Of The Dead
VII. Alexander's Entry Into Pskov

Amazon.com

There are plenty of fine performances of Alexander Nevsky available on CD and a handful of the Scythian Suite as well, but this pairing is thrilling in the extreme with sonics which allow us to hear every bit of Prokofiev's fascinating, always original scoring. The early Suite, composed for a ballet which was never performed, at times sounds more like Stravinsky than Stravinsky, but has Prokofiev's unique flavor attached. The large percussion section thumps, grinds, and tinkles and the performance is as viscerally exciting as can be. Nevsky, composed for the Eisenstein film of the same name, remains a true masterpiece. The Kirov Orchestra and Chorus have this music in their blood, they play and sing beautifully, and overall they turn in a very moving performance. Olga Borodina's gorgeous mezzo-soprano is used alternately with fervor and sensitivity, and, while the competition is fierce, it must be said that she's the top contender in this music. This is a potent performance of this epic score, and Gergiev is to be commended for his obviously deep understanding. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

the worst nevsky iv heard.......2007-01-19

THIS STUNK BIG TIME,IT MIGHT BE MORE AUTHENTIC RUSSIAN SOUNDING BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT GOOD (INTERPRETATION WISE, PLAYING)get Dutiot or even Slatkin OR DARE I SAY PREVIN.GERGIEV HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST OVERRATED CONDUCTERS OF TODAY.

Another excellent but unique interpretation.......2003-11-05

I have a number of recordings of the Alexander Nevsky (one even narrated by Christopher Plummer, and an excellent recording it is) and I have to admit that it is hard to find a bad recording of the work. There are treasures to find in each one, though the interpretations by the various conductors are quite different. Gergiev brings a very unique interpretation to this work, making it almost as intense as Russian Litergy music. The chorus is just as much a "star" as the orchestra. His approach is gentiler, but no less intense than other interpretation. I find the music extremely moving. Olga Borodina, who sings in only one selection in the entire disk (the field of the dead), so for those buying it for her, you are not going to get a very long time to enjoy her voice, however, what you hear is breathtaking. One thing I really enjoy is she knows the language she is singing. There are other recordings where the mezzo is not Russian, nor is that language naturally her own (even if she does speak it somewhat), and it is so nice to hear subtlies and inflections in the language one often misses. Her voice is very beautiful, and in this case, the fact she stays away from a large heroic sound only adds to the tenderness of the moment.

The ballet suit, Scythian Suite, is quite a departure for Prokofiev. It was written earlier in his career, and yes, at times he sounds more like Stravinsky than Stravinsky does. It is interesting that once he wrote this ballet, and found a voice in that "modernism", he abandoned it. His style from that point on became more traditional (but by no means old fashioned, he was still very much a man of his times). I have only heard one other recording of this piece, so I am not that well versed on it, however, this performance is quite exciting. Perhaps it isn't as "noisy" as some would enjoy, but for me, that is what makes this interpretation exciting. At last, instead of an overwhelming ocean of sound, one has the treat of hearing the delicate impressions made by the various parts of the orchestra. This piece was written for a huge orchestra, and unlike some often think, large doesn't always mean a mish-mash of sound, the orchestra can play very cleanly and every part be heard clearly. Gergiev accomplishes this incredibly well.

My only complaint with this recording comes with the booklet that accompanies the disk. The little essay in the beginning is wonderful, and the translations of the Russian are very good, the problem is the numbering. Within the "libretto" of the Alexander Nevsky one finds little numbers, like we always find in CD recordings. However, unlike we find in most recordings, those numbers do not coordinate with the tracks of the disk. For example: the booklet says that Olga Borodina will sing in 6. However, what do they mean? If you go to track 6 you will not find her there. She is actually singing in track 10. The little numbers in the libretto are not indications of the playing tracks but rather the parts of the work itself. This inconsistency can be momentarily confusing, but it is not impossible to figure out.

One thing I miss in the little booklets is some information on the performers. Some of them, even if sort of well known, are not so well known we know all there is to know about them. I personally don't know much about either Olga Borodina, or Valery Gergiev, nor do I really know much about the Mariinsky Theatre Chorus. For me, I find it adds to the enjoyment of a work when I know a little about the performers. I miss this, and I think it is sad that recording companies will spend tons of pages describing a work we have all heard a million times (that is not the case this time, fortunately) and know the history of as well as we know our own lives, then ignore the fact the performers may be complete strangers to us. The essays, particularly in operas, are often long winded and repetitive (as we have all heard it a billion times -- what new facts can they give about Aida or the Marriage of Figaro, absolutely none) and well, the success of the performance at hand falls one hundred percent on the performers of the moment. It would be so nice if these "new faces" could become familiar to us so we could cherish them as we cherish others in the past.

All in all, an excellent recording (the sound is true and well balanced), the interpretation is exciting, and the accomplishment of the performers is deserving of praise. It is worth the money.

Okay, No More.......2003-08-14

Alexander Nevsky is one of my favorite pieces of music, and Gergieiv does a pretty good job overall. The brass sounds rather flabby in places, without the hard edge necessary for this piece to really come off properly. I doubt I'll listen to this recording again. ...

Gergiev's Great Alexander Nevsky and Fine Scythian Suite.......2003-06-25

Gergiev and his Kirov Orchestra are undoubtedly among our finest contemporary interpreters of Prokofiev's music. Their latest recording is the finest Alexander Nevsky I have yet heard. The orchestra truly has Prokofiev's dark Russian score in its blood, providing a dynamic interpretation of this cantata. Soloist Olga Borodina is splendid, singing with much warmth and intensity. Gergiev is noted for his dramatic climaxes and there are plenty to be heard in this vibrant interpretation. The Scythian Suite may not be as swift or as dramatic as Abbado's critically acclaimed interpretation, but Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra have one which is just as successful. Theirs is a brooding, intense performance which harkens to Stravinsky's Sacre du Printemps. The sound quality is superb for both performances, especially the Alexander Nevsky, which was recorded live in Moscow. Fans of Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra will not be disappointed with this recording.

Best Nevsky ever recorded!.......2003-05-27

Quite an intense performance, scattering to the winds Shostakovich's criticism of the score as unemotional. Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra are some of the best Prokofiev interpreters out there. The Scythian Suite is also interesting, though not as gripping as Nevsky.

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