Analysis of the cantata "Alexander Nevsky". WITH

Analysis of the cantata
Analysis of the cantata "Alexander Nevsky". WITH

S. Prokofiev cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

The historical theme occupied a special and important place in the work of the Soviet composer Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev. Among his works on a similar theme, the cantata "Alexander Nevsky", written for chorus, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, stands out. In it, the composer continues the traditions leading from the operas “ Ruslan and Ludmila "M. Glinka and" Prince Igor "A. Borodin.

History of creation

The famous Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein in 1938 turned to Prokofiev with a proposal to write music for his new film dedicated to Alexander Nevsky. It showed the heroic deed of the Russian prince and his squads, who fought against the Teutonic knights-crusaders. The composer gladly accepted this offer, especially since Sergei Sergeevich himself has long been an admirer of Eisenstein's directorial talent and it was doubly pleasant for him to work with such a person. To fulfill the order, Prokofiev even went to Hollywood to get acquainted with all the nuances of the musical design of the films. There he met with famous filmmakers: Mamulian and Disney, and was also able to gain experience and expand his understanding of the possibilities of sound cinema. By the way, this is not the first such work by Prokofiev, because he had previously composed the music for the film "Lieutenant Kizhe".

Returning to Russia, the composer immediately set to work, and he constantly consulted and worked closely with Eisenstein. Usually the director showed Prokofiev a small footage so that he could compose music for him. But sometimes Sergei Sergeevich already composed the musical part in advance, and Eisenstein then built the visual line, adjusting to the music. Often, Prokofiev had to spend whole days in the studio on Potylikh, where the shooting was taking place, in order to take part in the process himself. Thanks to this close collaboration, the work proceeded fairly quickly. The cantata texts were entrusted to the poet Vladimir Lugovsky, but some of them were composed by the composer himself.

The theme of the work required a thorough study of all materials related to this event, as well as familiarization with the music of Ancient Russia and Catholic hymns of the Middle Ages. Sergei Sergeevich decided to act innovatively and present the musical version not in the form in which it could have been during the Battle of the Ice, but in the modern one. The same was true for the Russian song. Prokofiev did not go into details of how this music sounded 700 years ago, but modernized it.

For the summer, Sergei Sergeevich went to rest in the North Caucasus, but there he continued to work on the score of "Alexander Nevsky", returning to the capital in the fall, he successfully completed the musical part. Already on December 1, 1938, the premiere of the film with the genius music of Prokofiev took place, which immediately won the love of the public. The composer was very inspired by this success and decided to compose a cantata based on the musical part of the film. For the next several months, he worked hard on the piece. The composer himself admitted that in reality everything turned out to be not so simple as it might seem at first glance. Prokofiev noted that it was easier for him to compose a new work than to come up with combinations. Some parts of the score remained unchanged - this is the introduction, "Song of Alexander Nevsky" and "Get up, Russian people", while the rest of the parts he had to significantly modify, and some fragments completely deleted, for example, the music for the duel between the prince and the Teutonic master.

And the score itself required orchestration, since the previous version was completely unsuitable for performance in a concert hall and was designed to create experimental effects. In addition, the entire score, which consisted of separate episodes, had to be combined and subordinated to the laws of the vocal-symphonic cycle. In total, the cantata included seven different parts, and each of them got its own name.


Interesting Facts:

  • A cantata is a vocal and instrumental work consisting of separate numbers and parts. All of them are interconnected in meaning. The word cantata comes from the Italian cantare and means to sing.
  • During a visit to Hollywood, Prokofiev received a very lucrative offer from a major American company to create film music, he was promised a salary of $ 10,000 a month. However, the composer refused such a generous offer, citing the heavy workload in Moscow. In fact, he did not want to leave his family and homeland.
  • While working on the music for the film, Prokofiev paid attention to all the details, including doing some sound engineering work. He noticed how this or that sound would be colored in timbre, directed exactly into the microphone. So, a strong direct sound could injure the film and give a rather harsh timbre. Then he came up with the idea to use this feature to record music that characterizes the enemy camp. This timbre was the best fit for depicting the crusaders. For this, the composer asked the musicians to play fanfare themes very close to the microphone.
  • When creating film music, the composer had to make experiments with “inverted” orchestration in order to find original effects.

Content


It is difficult to imagine another equally significant work in classical music, born out of film music. The entire structure of the cantata is sustained in a seven-part form with a strict logic of internal parts. Researchers note the presence in the work of features of the sonata form. Moreover, Prokofiev does this quite subtly, avoiding clear schemes of the sonata cycle, in comparing and developing two conflicting images. In general, the principles of cinema, with its rapid montage development, had a great influence on the cantata. In addition, Prokofiev widely uses the principle of sound writing and in his music you can clearly hear the croaking of a crow, military signals, neighing horses, crackling ice.

"Russia under the Mongol yoke"- the first part of the cantata. The researchers note that it is the most compressed and undeveloped of all. This is a kind of introduction to the whole cycle. Music very vividly conveys a desolate space, creating a mournful mood. Prokofiev very subtly managed to emphasize the feeling of time and emptiness with the help of a combination of very high and very low sounds, sounding in unison. A wild alien Mongolian theme is performed along with the sad tunes of wide breathing.

"Song about Alexander Nevsky"- the second part, which is very significant. She symbolizes the "Theme of Russia", expressing her invincible power. The choir performs a melody very close to Russian epics. However, Prokofiev transformed this melody, giving it dynamics and adding energy. A special epic warehouse gives the sound of harps, imitating the busting of gusli.

"Song about Alexander Nevsky" - listen

"Crusaders in Pskov"- the third movement, imbued with an atmosphere of horror and grief. The extreme parts of this episode convey enemy images, and the middle - the deep suffering of the defeated people. In this part, Prokofiev applies the theme of the Catholic chorale, performed by the choir in Latin. A coarse, dissonant sound only enhances the effect of this theme and highlights the middle episode, to which the Russian melody returns, only in it the folk lament is already transmitted. It is in this episode that two warring camps collide for the first time.

"Get up, Russian people!"- fourth movement of the cantata. This chorus is performed in the genre of a heroic druzhina song. Only in the middle of the chorus does the lyric-epic theme "The enemy cannot be in native Russia", which sounds smooth and light.

"Get up, Russian people!" - listen

"Battle on the Ice"- the fifth painting, which is the central and most grandiose in the cantata. It is in this issue that two forces collide, two opposing images. The beginning of this part shows a winter landscape on Lake Peipsi, the silence of which is broken only by the ominous croaking of crows. In the distance, the familiar signal of the crusaders is already heard, indicating the imminent approach of enemies. The episode of the race of the Teutonic knights, which was named "The Leap of the Pig" (because of the peculiarity of their construction), is very vividly shown. Quite accurately Prokofiev managed to pick up an alien sound to show enemies, he himself called it not very pleasant for the ear of a Russian person. The fifth episode ends with the theme "Native Russia will never be the enemy", which acquires a gentle "dawn" sound.

"Dead field"- the sixth part. This is a real solo aria bearing the traits of a folk cry. Austere melodic tune, depth and sincere feelings characterize this music. The composer wanted to convey in this part the grief of the Motherland itself about the fallen heroes, it is no coincidence that it is embodied in the image of a girl (bride) mourning the brave heroes who defend their land to the last.

"Alexander's entrance to Pskov"- the seventh movement, which is the final chorus. In this episode, the victorious Russia is glorified, as well as light themes from the second, fourth and fifth parts. In general, this choir is hymn in nature due to its solemn sound and four-part presentation.

"Alexander's entrance to Pskov" - listen

Music from the cantata by Sergei Prokofiev was reflected in the films of other directors:

  • The Gospel of Matthew (1964)
  • Pleasure Garden (1970)
  • Don Giovanni (1970)
  • Love and death (1975)
  • Winstanley (1975)
  • I was the master of the castle (1989)
  • Stalin (1992)
  • Children of the Revolution (1996)
  • Kiss J.W. (1997)
  • Anna Karenina (1997)
  • Renegade (2015)

In addition, cantata music can be found in the animated series The Simpsons (2016), the computer video game LittleBigPlanet, and the television series Monty Python's Flying Circus (1972).

The cantata "Alexander Nevsky" has a close relationship with the traditions of Russian classics. This is the general direction of the entire plot, national themes, the use of sound painting tools that paint landscapes. A special role is given to the images of nature, because they are indicated literally in all scenes - this is a dull picture of a devastated country, a frosty morning before the battle, gloomy outlines in Dead Field. The author has done a great deal of work on the score, because it is distinguished by its special ingenuity and bright orchestral palette. The composer boldly uses new techniques and attracts additional timbres. A choral part has been worked out in detail, in which an amazing variety of timbre gradations can be noted. Separately, it is worth noting the sense of modernity, which is inherent in the cantata "Alexander Nevsky". All the images of the 13th century shown in the work, Prokofiev reproduced through the prism of the events of the late thirties. “The past in the future” - these are the words that can characterize what is shown in the cantata, because the composer very sensitively predicted in it the victory of his people over the fascist invaders. He showed the courage of the Russian people in a fierce and just struggle against foreign enemies, sowing horror and suffering in their native land. This is a real victory of humanity over cruelty.

Video: listen to the cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

The analysis of S. Prokofiev's cantata "Alexander Nevsky" helps the teacher to tell the students in detail about the musical images created by the composer. Show what means of musical expression the master used to depict the musical characteristics of characters, pictures of nature, human feelings.

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Analysis of the cantata by S.S. Prokofiev "Alexander Nevsky"

Features of the musical language of the cantata;

Lesson objectives

  • educational:

To consolidate the concepts: "cantata", "contrast", "musical painting", "expressiveness and

Fine art ";

Assess the significance of the work of the great Russian composer S. Prokofiev in embodiment

A holistic image of the Russian people as a defender of the Motherland;

Conduct an analysis of the musical language of the work using the expressive means of music:

Tempo, register, timbre, melody, harmony, intonation, dynamics.

  • developing:

To instill a respect for the history of your people;

Develop the ability to analyze, compare, generalize;

Improve vocal and choral skills.

  • educational:

Awaken and educate the patriotic feelings of children, pride in the heroes of the Fatherland;

Tasks:

  • continue acquaintance with the genres of vocal music;
  • develop intonational hearing and creativity of students;
  • to form the ability to analyze a piece of music.

Musical material:

S. Prokofiev Cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

Equipment: computer, CD, portrait of S. Prokofiev, presentation.

Seven centuries have passed, and people know and revere A Nevsky, and works of various types of art help to convey to the descendants his image, "to call through the past to the present."

Cantata - vocal and instrumental work for soloists,chorus and orchestra.

Cantata "Alexander Nevsky" S.S. Prokofiev

A monumental piece for choir, mezzo-soprano and orchestra. The cantata was created in 1938-1939. based on the music for the film of the same name by S. Eisenstein. The textual basis of the poet V. Lugovsky and the composer himself.

"Alexander Nevsky" was released on December 1, 1938 and immediately won a colossal success. This success prompted the composer to write a cantata based on the music for the film. From the scattered fragments that sound throughout the film, it was necessary to compose harmonious sections of the vocal-symphonic cycle. The work went very quickly and on May 17, 1939, it premiered at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

"Alexander Nevsky" occupies the most important place in the work of the composer. Prokofiev. In this work he affirms the heroic and epic national theme.

The musical characterization of the Germans is based on the chorale created by Prokofiev in the familiar Bach style. Thanks to harmonic and orchestral techniques, he acquires dark and cruel features.

In the music of Russians, the song beginning dominates, the orchestration is dominated by strings. There is a whole string of melodies: sad, mournful, stately, heroic, daring and funny.

There are 7 parts in the cantata.

1. "Russia 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. "Entry of Alexander to Pskov"

“Rus under the Mongol yoke” is an introduction. A small orchestral picture of a three-part structure. The wild Mongolian theme, like a heavy heel, crushed the Russian land, and the joyless, widely drawn-out tunes.

"Song of Alexander Nevsky" for male choir and violas. The form of construction is a three-part reprise. This is the beginning of events given in an epic sense - a story about the recent victory of the Russians over the Swedes ("And there was a case on the Neva River"), about the upcoming new test ("We will not give up the Russian land"). “Whoever comes to Russia will be beaten to death” - this is the main idea of ​​this part.

"Crusaders in Pskov" is in sharp contrast to the previous issue. The appearance of the Crusaders is a mixture of bigotry and cruelty. The orchestra's gloomy intro is replaced with holy singing. The melodic line of the chorale is poorly developed (within a few notes), which shows the characters' obsession with one thought.

The second and third numbers of the cantata are an exposition of the opposing forces.

"Get up, Russian people" - a draft chorus. The oppressed Russia is shown in front of us in a new guise - heroic. The choir is remarkable for its activity, rhythmic energy.

An interesting fact: this choir was often listened to by soldiers during the Great Patriotic War, as a catalyst for the battle for their Fatherland.

The Battle on the Ice is the central issue of the cantata. It is a tremendous development. Here we hear new Russian themes.

At the beginning, a winter landscape is presented - a frozen lake in a frosty mist. The appearance of the crusaders - the sound of the Teutonic horn. The musical theme of the Russians is the sound of the melody "Get up, Russian people" at the trumpet. The highest dynamic moment is the simultaneous combination of both themes.

"Dead Field" - a song for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (only solo number) - one of the best numbers in the cantata. This is the sorrow of the Motherland for the victims. Incarnation in the symbolic image of a bride mourning "glorious falcons, her grooms, good fellows." The mournful melody of the song is based on folk intonations, emphasized in the orchestral introduction.

"Alexander's Entry to Pskov" number glorifying Russia. The beginning of the song is the already familiar melody "Songs about Alexander Nevsky", but with a different literary text. After the orchestral performance, folk jubilation sounds ("Have fun, sing, mother dear Russia"). Then the middle section from "Get up, Russian people" appears. The finale of the final number sounds very powerful due to the high tone of the entire chorus and dynamics (fff).

Conclusion: 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.

In his work, S. Prokofiev gave vivid musical characteristics to the characters of the cantata, using various means of musical expression.


Sergei Prokofiev. Cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

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

Many military exploits were accomplished by the Novgorodian prince Alexander Yaroslavich. His army fought heroically against the Swedes on the Neva River. For the victory over the enemy, the people called the Grand Duke Nevsky.

Soon after the Battle of the Neva, detachments of German knights-crusaders moved to Russia. Their banners were embroidered with black crosses, black crosses were also on the shields of the knights.

In the spring of 1242, a bloody battle broke out on Lake Peipsi.

“Alexander Nevsky was in the thick of the battle ... The battle (battle) was such that the lake ice became hot. The Russians fought violently. And how can one fight without rage when children and wives are left behind, villages and cities are left, there is a native land with a short and sonorous name - Russia ... ”(O. Tikhomirov).

Historical events associated with the name of the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky are reflected in the 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: a film by S. Eisenstein and a cantata by S. Prokofiev.

Word cantata comes from the Italian cantare, which means to sing. The cantata consists of several numbers (parts). Designed for individual singers (soloists), chorus and orchestra.

He approached the historical theme in a very peculiar 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 happened in the world at the end of the 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 based on the texts of 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 directed 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. It is an amazing example of the collaboration between director and composer. This has never happened in the history of music. Music was born under the direct impression of the frames of the film.

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

"Visibility" of images is a characteristic feature of Prokofiev's music. His observation is amazing, his ability to grasp and convey in music the voices of people, their gestures, movements. In this regard, the very process of creating music for "Alexander Nevsky" is interesting in this regard - under the direct impression of the film frames.

The director of the film "Alexander Nevsky" S. Eisenstein told about this well:

“The hall is dark. But not so much that in the reflections of the screen one cannot catch his hands on the arms of the chair: these huge, strong Prokofiev's hands, covering the keys with steel fingers, when, with all the spontaneous frenzy of temperament, he brings them down on the keyboard ...

A picture runs across the screen.

And along the arm of the chair, nervously shuddering, like a Morse telegraph receiver, Prokofiev's mercilessly clear fingers move. Is Prokofiev hitting the beat? No. He hits much more. In the sound of his fingers he catches the law of structure, according to which the durations and tempos of individual pieces are crossed among themselves on the screen in the montage, and both, taken together, are intertwined with the actions and intonation of the characters.

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

It seems to me that, besides this, he is still whispering or purring to himself. But the face is so concentrated. It can be so only when a person listens attentively to the scale of sounds sweeping outside or to the scale passing inside him. God forbid talking to him at this time! "

The cantata has seven parts:

I. Russia 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 entrance to Pskov.

The music of the cantata amazes with the brightness of the images. Listening to her, as if you see the frames of the film in front of you - the endless plains of Russia, devastated by the Teutons of Pskov, you observe the battle on Lake Peipsi, the frightening offensive of the crusaders, the swift attacks of the Russians, the death of the knights in the cold waves of the lake.

"Russia under the Mongol yoke" is a short symphonic prologue that introduces the harsh atmosphere of the era and events. Archaic melodies dominate with a wild "sobbing" grace note, with widely spaced unison, sounding at the highest and lowest instruments, thereby creating the impression of an immense distance, vast spaces.

"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 there was a case on the Neva River." Do you remember the words of Alexander Nevsky: “Who will come to us with a sword, and will die by the sword”? This is the main idea of ​​this part. The dignified and austere melody repeats the features of Old Russian epics. It looks like old legends. The lyrics and music are epic. The vocal part is performed by a unison choir - male voices, complemented by violas.

The main melody "And there was a case on the Neva River" is narrative, measured. Almost every syllable is pronounced one sound; chanting of syllables, characteristic of Russian lingering songs, is rare here.

The Song about Alexander Nevsky reproduces the features characteristic of the tunes of many Old Russian epics with their leisurely "telling" intonation. At the same time, it also has peculiar features characteristic of Prokofiev's style: a clear final octave move in the melody, a chased rhythm in an orchestral accompaniment (even movement of eighth notes).

In the middle part of the song “Wow! How we fought, how we fought! " the narration becomes more agitated and the pace 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 - clashing weapons, blows of swords. Harps imitate the sound of the gusli that accompanied epic songs in the old days. The reprise returns: the main, "heroic" melody of the chorus.

In the third part of the cantata "Crusaders in Pskov" the main themes of the knight-dogs appear for the first time.

Here, for the first time, opposing images collide. The harsh, with harsh accords, menacing-sounding heavy brass, harsh ascetic chant and warlike fanfare, the characterization of enemies is opposed to sorrowful tunes and tremulous emotionality of the sound of strings, embodying the people's grief.

To depict the crusaders, Prokofiev drew on means that were sharply different from those that we noted in the disassembled parts of the cantata. If song melodies sounded in the characterization of Russians, then in the music that characterizes the dogs-knights of the Teutonic order, the theme written by the composer in the spirit of the Catholic chant plays an important role.

Those who watched the film "Alexander Nevsky" probably remember the famous episode of the offensive of the Teutonic knights. The crusaders walk on the ice of Lake Peipsi under the menacing, bestial roar of huge pipes, and this roar freezes the blood in their veins ... This effect of unusual sound was invented by Prokofiev. He made the fanfare play, "blow" right into the microphone, against all recording rules. After all, a stream of air distorts the sound, presses on the membrane of the microphones, and a roar and crackle are obtained. This sound effect, marriage from the point of view of the sound engineer, strengthened the drama of the episode, its emotional mood. The hoarse roar of knightly trumpets is a threat to the entire Russian army, complacency, confidence in their impunity. Sergei Eisenstein has repeatedly emphasized the deep cinematography of Prokofiev's musical thinking.

Instead of clear diatonic harmonies - frightening discordant combinations. Instead of melodious, "human" timbres of strings, there are cutting, howling, piercing timbres of mainly copper instruments.

"Get up, Russian people!" - fourth part. This is a choral song of a completely different character: not a story about past events, but a call to battle for the Russian land. During the Great Patriotic War, the choir "Get up, Russian people" was often heard on the radio, and the film "Alexander Nevsky" was shown at the front to the soldiers of the Red Army.

Get up, Russian people,
For a glorious battle, for a mortal battle,
Get up, people are free
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 imperiously captured the soul. "

For a long time in Russia there was a custom - to announce important events with the strikes of the alarm bell. The orchestral introduction to the choir imitates the disturbing and menacing bell sounds that later accompany the choir's singing in its first movement (like "The Song of Alexander Nevsky", this chorus is written in three-part form). War cries and calls are heard in the melody, in its persistently repeated energetic intonations. The rhythm of the march emphasizes the heroic character of the music.

A new theme appears - melodious, free-spirited, light, reminiscent of some themes from "Ruslan" by M. Glinka. The chorus sings this melody to the words "In native Russia, in Russia there is no great enemy."

The fifth movement - "The Battle on the Ice" - a grandiose symphonic picture with the participation of a choir. This part collides with the main themes of the previous parts, drawing enemy camps.

In the beginning, a gloomy winter landscape is given, depicting a frozen lake in a frosty haze. A deserted winter morning before the slaughter begins. The sound of a Teutonic horn is heard from afar. Prokofiev was looking for a timbre for this signal for a very long time. He believed that he should be "Unpleasant for the Russian ear." In the film, this signal is played by a French horn recorded with a special distortion. In concert practice, this theme is entrusted to the English horn and trombone with a mute. The famous episode of the Crusader race begins, which is commonly called the "Dap of the Pig".

Remember the movie. This episode makes a very vivid impression. Teutonic knights clad in heavy armor are racing hard. Remember their weapons? Long swords, spears. They wear horned helmets, hoods cover their faces, on which only the eye holes are gaping. In Prokofiev's music, this leap is very reminiscent of the psychic or tank attacks of the Nazis. No wonder Eisenstein, shocked by the music, said that it creates "an unforgettable image of an iron blunt 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 chant in Latin.

But now the squad of Alexander Nevsky enters the battle. The theme "Get up, Russian people!" Sounds at the trumpet. The Russian attack begins. It is accompanied by a new fast-paced, daring theme.

These themes, like opponents in battle, clash with each other. Then the enemy theme weakens and becomes distorted. This part ends with a quiet and light theme of the middle section of the fourth part "In native Russia, in Russia there is no great enemy". Peace and silence came to the liberated Russian land.

The sixth movement - "Dead Field" - is one of the most lyrical and mournful pages of Prokofiev's work.

The ice battle is over. Silent and motionless is an ice field, only the lights of torches flicker in the darkness. The women are looking for warriors who have not returned from the battle.

I will walk across the white field
I will fly across a bright field.
I will look for glorious falcons,
My grooms are good fellows.

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

Crying intonations, coming from Russian folk habits and from classical opera “crying” (remember “Lament of Yaroslavna” from Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor”), are heard in Prokofiev's music. A woeful melody sounds at the very beginning, in the introduction played by violins. The vocal melody is deeply sad, but its movement is even and strict.

The cantata ends with a solemn, majestic finale - "Entry of Alexander Nevsky to Pskov".

Pskov meets the winners. Song again - happy, joyful. High ringing voices twist like a sparkling thread around her melody, wonderfully merging with the crimson chime of the festive bells.

In Russia, big,
In Russia, native
The enemy should not be!

In the choir finale, glorifying Russia - the winner, Russian themes of the cantata are combined: the song about Alexander Nevsky, the theme of the middle section of the choir "Get up, Russian people."

Miraculously transformed, as if dressed in a festive outfit, they did not lose, however, their mighty strength ... Let the enemies remember: “Whoever enters us with a sword will die by the sword. The Russian land stands and will stand on that. "

With this music, which became the main participant in the film about the great love for 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 struggle against the fascist invaders. Today this music, having left the movie screen, lives a full-fledged independent life.

The cantata is over. A wonderful Soviet composer Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev!

Questions and tasks:

  1. What place does the historical theme occupy in the composer's work? List the works written on this topic.
  2. What composition of Prokofiev is associated with the creation of the cantata "Alexander Nevsky"?
  3. How many parts are there in the cantata "Alexander Nevsky"? What are their names?
  4. How did the composer show in the music of the cantata the clash of two warring camps - Russian and Teutonic?
  5. What works of other Russian composers do you know on subjects from Russian history?

Presentation

Included:
1. Presentation - 15 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Prokofiev. Alexander Nevskiy:
Russia under the Mongol yoke, mp3;
Song about Alexander Nevsky, mp3;
Crusaders in Pskov, mp3;
Get up, Russian people, mp3;
Battle on the ice, mp3;
Dead field, mp3;
Alexander's entrance to Pskov, mp3;
3. Accompanying article - lesson synopsis, docx.

S.S. Prokofiev,

cantata, Alexander Nevsky "

Cantata Alexander Nevsky was based on the music for the film of the same name by Sergei

Eisenstein, released in 1938. Exceptional success that fell on

share of the film and comparable only to Chapaev, allowed Prokofiev to make

film music an independent work and transfer it to the stage of the concert hall,

practically nothing in it, except for some details of the orchestration.

Personnel, the visibility of images is one of the characteristic features of Prokofiev's music in general and

this work in particular. The listener seems to see what is happening on stage, even

if the impression of watching a film is not behind the musical experience.

Cantata Alexander Nevsky is a monumental work for choir, mezzo-soprano and

orchestra. The text of the poet V. Lugovsky and the composer himself.

Alexander Nevsky occupies the most important place in Prokofiev's work, claiming in him

heroic and epic national theme, which then develops in the opera War and Peace, in

music to Ivan the Terrible, in the Fifth Symphony and in some other works. This new

the valuable side of Prokofiev's talent is characterized by his constant and deep interest in

the people and their history.

Prokofiev is not carried away by a direct appeal to ancient musical material.

The music of the Crusaders, he writes, seemed to him more "profitable" to give "the wrong form,

in which it really sounded during the Battle of the Ice, and in which we are now

we imagine it. It is the same with the Russian song: it had to be given in a modern warehouse,

leaving aside the question of how it was sung 700 years ago.

The composer's approach to the historical theme is remarkable.

Prokofiev has a surprisingly faithful sense of the historical era.

But the images of antiquity in Alexander Nevsky, austere, like ancient frescoes, are at the same time imbued with a keen sense of our modernity. The soulless iron music of the crusaders is perceived, in essence, as a characteristic of modern aggressive and reactionary forces - the cantata was written in the era of rampant fascism in Western Europe.

The best features of Prokofiev's work are embodied in the music of Alexander Nevsky -

the versatility of a style capable of embodying Russian heroic images with equal force,

soulful lyrics, tough, mechanized images of the invaders. Composer

combines picturesque and pictorial episodes with song and choral scenes close to

opera and oratorio style. The breadth of musical generalizations does not interfere with the visual

the concreteness of individual images.

In the structure of the cantata itself, you can trace the features of a symphonic poem, where the first movement is

prologue, second and third - an exposition that characterizes two opposing forces: the Russian knights in the person of Alexander and the knights of the Livonian Order. The fourth and fifth movements are a development in which the culminating and central number of the entire cantata is undoubtedly the fifth - the scene of the battle on Lake Peipsi.

The sixth part - an episode, crying for the dead soldiers, the only solo number in everything

piece (mezzo-soprano). And finally, the seventh movement - the finale, reprise, celebration and

the triumph of the victorious Russian soldiers.

The musical characterization of the crusaders is based on the chorale created by Prokofiev

in the familiar Bach style. Thanks to special harmonic and orchestral techniques

he takes on dark and harsh features. Harmonic, timbre and rhythmic sides

prevail over the melody in it; tense discordant combinations are characteristic,

ostinate mechanical rhythm; roaring piercing copper (often with mute), percussion.

In the characterization of Russians, the song beginning dominates, clear diatonic

harmony; strings predominate in the orchestra. Here is a whole string of melodies of sad and

sorrowful, dignified and heroic, daring and cheerful. The continuation is clearly felt in them.

epic traditions of Glinka and the Kuchkists, refracted, however, through the originality

Prokofiev's style. Prokofiev in Alexander Nevsky came to create an organic

contemporary epic musical style on a brightly national basis.

, Russia under the Mongol yoke "- a short symphonic prologue that introduces the harsh atmosphere of the era of events. Archaic melodies dominate with a wild

a sobbing grace note, with wide-spread unison

the highest and lowest instruments, thereby creating the impression of immeasurable distance,

huge spaces.

In the epic Song of Alexander Nevsky the main theme of Russia arises, its

invincibility and greatness (and there was a case on the Neva River ”).

The chorus is unison (which is typical for epic narratives) and is built on alternation

we fought as we fought! ” more lively and picturesque. The sounds of battle, the clatter of weapons

blows of swords are transmitted in the orchestra by a combination of: dry pizzicato, grace notes from wooden

accompanied by drums (drum, tambourine). At the same time, the harps goose busting gives

music character of an epic story. The melody is distinguished by the variability of the meter (2/4 and

3/4), corresponding to the rhythm of the verse.

The harmonious composition of the entire part is strictly diatonic.

3rd part - Crusaders in Pskov- constitutes a sharp contrast with the previous and

itself is internally contrasting (in the middle of it there is a Russian theme).

In the part of the Crusaders in Pskov, for the first time, opposing images collide.

Hard, with harsh accords, menacing sounding heavy brass, severe ascetic

chant and belligerent fanfare, the characterization of enemies opposed the

tunes and quivering emotionality of the sound of strings, embodying the people's grief.

The main melody of the chorus breathes with fighting prowess and courage.

In the orchestral introduction of the Crusaders, frightening dissonances are like stone

lumps falling one on top of the other, and at the same time - like a shrill cry and moan,

standing in a conquered city. This music is played three times before the start of each

three sections of this part. The dominant timbre coloring is copper, some of which with

mute.

The appearance of the knights is a mixture of bigotry and cruelty. Gloomy orchestral intro takes over

the quiet "holy" singing of "Regegrinus" - the chorale of the Crusaders. But in the orchestra - a menacing

a figure at the brass instruments and contrabassoon. Here comes the four-bar bass

chromatic theme (like an old basso ostinato). A triad is superimposed on it before -

sharp minor with discordant B sharp sound.

At the second conduction (second varied stanza), the chorale sounds already fanatical -

frenzied. From bar 5 to bar 17, all voices in an octave repeat

the fortissimo has the same dull motive ”(G-sharp and F-sharp). The orchestra has new

threatening themes - the war signal of the Crusaders and the relentlessly descending chromatic

All this together merges into a stunning symphony of horror and destruction.

Part 4:

Get up, Russian people, born of Russian folk songwriting.

Russia oppressed, stately and mournful now appears from the other side - heroic.

The choir is remarkable for its activity and rhythmic energy (remember the intention

Prokofiev to give a Russian song in a modern twist). This chorus was very loved in

years of the Great Patriotic War. He really is a militant patriotic

As an alarming alarm, a short introduction to the choir appears (the alarm bell sounds in

orchestra throughout the first movement of the chorus). Its main melody contains chased

inviting intonation, especially its second half.

Characterized by sudden shifts from E-flat major to C-B major with the words, Alive

honor and honor to fighters ”, as well as from E flat major to D major when moving to middle

Wonderful D major theme of the middle part (the chorus is written in three-part form),

performed by violas, and then by basses, with its plasticity it resembles some themes from

Glinka Ruslan; she embodies the image of the Motherland:

the enemy will not be. " This theme will be heard in the 5th and 7th parts of Alexander Nevsky.

The center of the cantata - a grandiose picture of the Battle on the Ice.

The picturesque introduction draws a picture of a morning landscape on the shores of Lake Peipsi.

And then, gradually increasing and accelerating, a terrible inhuman force approaches with an inexorable gait. Against the stubbornly hammered ostinat background, the Catholic chant from the third movement sounds, reaching to frenzy. They are opposed to a brave theme, Get up, Russian people ", and mocking buffoonery tunes, and the rapid rhythm of the race of Russian horsemen. The battle episode ends with an almost visible picture of catastrophe (the crusaders fall through the ice).

5th movement - The Battle of the Ice - the central issue of the cantata... He is

grandiose development, where the main dramatic themes directly collide,

sounded in the previous issues, and also new Russian themes appear. Ice

the carnage makes you remember the Sich at Kerzhenets. Both paintings compete in

picturesqueness, tangibility of the transmission of the battle scene, which contains a huge

drama.

First, a gloomy winter landscape is given - a frozen lake in a frosty haze. Shivering background

(strings), colored with deep gloomy juxtapositions of triads in C minor and

G sharp minor; the ominous "croaking" sounds of sul ponticello violas (playing technique

bowed at the stand).

The distant sound of the Teutonic horn is heard - the signal of the Crusaders, already familiar from the 3rd

parts. The famous episode of the Crusader Race, titled in the film Skok, begins

pigs (Pig is a fighting formation of the Teutonic army in the form of a wedge). Accurate

pictorial technique - evenly alternating chords for string basses sul ponticello

It conveys a characteristic fractional tapping, the horse stomp of an approaching detachment.

Prokofiev was looking for a timbre here, which he himself characterized as unpleasant for a Russian

ear. In the music for the film, he boldly used the possibilities of sound recording. Signal in the scene

The massacre was played by a French horn, specially recorded with distortion. In the cantata in

in a similar place it is performed by an English horn and a trombone with a mute.

A new, purely battle-like episode begins in E flat major. An acute

buffoonery theme (close to Kamarinskaya), clearly distinguishable among the sounds of battle.

Then a new section follows: Andante - a higher stage of dramatic tension.

The music of the crusaders becomes fierce and formidable, more confident and impetuous

Music of Russians. A new topic appears, full of enthusiasm and daring. In the film, her sound

corresponds to the episode of the Russian attack.

The heroic Russian theme is heard again (from the chorus, Get up, Russian people ”).

Until now, the struggle of hostile topics has been expressed in alternating contrasting

conducting. The Climax Pages of the Slaughter are a series of

simultaneous combinations of these themes. Each of them retains its own tonal and timbre

coloring. Crusader themes (choral and signal) are played in C sharp minor by the copper

instruments with mute, Russian themes (heroic and daring) - in various major

the keys of the strings.

Thus, as a result of the polyphonic technique, polytonal combinations arise, creating a tremendous harmonic tension corresponding to the dramatic

The picture of the death of the knights is vividly pictorial: crackling ice, dark cold waves,

flooding the battlefield.

The harsh mourning music expresses the tragic nature of what happened. Ends

picture of the Battle of the Ice with the most gentle dawn sounding of the theme -, On native land

the enemy will not be ”, (from the middle section of the 4th movement) - in high register, accompanied by tremolating strings. This lyrical, landscape end brings completeness to the whole picture.

In addition, the musical integrity of the huge and rich material of Ice

The carnage is manifested in the rond-like structure of its structure.

Repetitive moments (repetition is not exact, but dynamized) - the music of the crusaders; contrasting episodes - Russian music. The highest dynamic moment is the simultaneous combination of both themes.

Sixth part - Dead field- the only solo aria in the cantata that has features

the cry of the people. She conquers with the severity of the melody, depth and sincerity

the senses. This is a song for mezzo soprano and orchestra.

sounds with special touching after the grandiose battle scene. Dead field is one of

the best numbers of the cantata. This is the sorrow of the Motherland for the dead, embodied in a symbolic

the image of the bride mourning the glorious falcons, her grooms, good fellows.

Naturally, Prokofiev bases the mournful melody of the song on the intonations of folk

crying, which is especially emphasized in the orchestral introduction.

Prokofiev managed to create in the Dead Field a deeply expressive and strict Russian

a melody that ranks among the classic samples. Subtly and peculiarly implemented by him

folk song intonations. Such is, for example, the air septima (C - B flat),

given at a distance.

In harmonic language, along with the turns of the natural minor (C minor), it is characteristic

expressive use of A-flat-minor triads within C minor.

Interestingly, this is a deep and dark juxtaposition of minor tonic and minor VI.

steps have been known in Russian music since the time of Ruslan's aria about the dead field. In Alexandra

Nevsky Prokofiev repeatedly uses it to create a dark color -

remember the beginning of the Crusaders in Pskov (C-sharp - la) and the beginning of the Battle on the Ice -

C is G sharp (A flat).

In the middle of the song (from the words, Who lies, chopped with swords "), there is a Russian theme from the 3rd

parts of the cantata. This woeful, agitated melody represents the development of more

calm main theme.

The reciprocal Russian theme (for stringed instruments) is permeated with bitter sadness. Flexible

Teutonic signal. This Russian theme will then appear in the middle of the Dead Field.

The chant in the reprise is varied (captures a higher register) and is enhanced by the theme's support

in the orchestra. At the very end, the music of the introduction and the chorale sound again, which gradually

dies down.

7th part - Alexander's entrance to Pskov. In the choir finale glorifying Russia

the winner, the familiar Russian themes of the cantata are combined in a more powerful sound:

song about Alexander Nevsky and a light melody from the middle part of the choir, Get up, people

Russians ”. The first, truly heroic theme is given here in magnification, and then in double

increase (already at the very end of the final). Thanks to the four-part choral presentation

(instead of unison) it takes on a hymn, solemn character. At the same time with

in chorus, the melody sounds in the orchestra. The second topic is also given in slow motion and in more

broad choral presentation. In addition to these two, in the finale there is also a new funny

dance theme at the choir (, Have fun, sing, mother dear Russia ") and buffoonery tunes from the 5th

In Alexander Nevsky it is extremely convincing by the very course of musical development

the victory of the living human principle of the people over cruelty and violence is affirmed.

The dramaturgy of the cantata is based on the sharpest contrast between these two opposite worlds.

It is interesting that in Alexander Nevsky it is impossible to single out any one through

a Russian theme that runs throughout the cantata. There are several such topics. Characteristic

Russians are multi-dark, (also a characteristic of the crusaders). In the course of development in connection with

new moments of action arise new themes (for example, the victorious onslaught of the Russians

troops in the Battle of the Ice is expressed by the appearance of a perky, daring theme). This method

musical characteristics and development of images are typical for Prokofiev.

The harmony and integrity of the composition of the entire cantata are remarkable. In its center is

The Battle on the Ice is a dramatic peak. In this part, the main

themes of the work. Along the edges of the cantata are epic choral parts based on

on the theme of the song about Alexander Nevsky.

Alexander Nevsky was for Prokofiev the first experience of incarnating a great

heroic theme. He turns to her for the second time in the opera by Semyon Kotko (based on the novel

VP Kataeva, I am the son of a working people "), but already on a modern plot telling about

the events of the civil war in Ukraine.

"Whoever enters us with a sword will die by the sword."

Sergei Prokofiev. Cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

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

Many military exploits were accomplished by the Novgorodian prince Alexander Yaroslavich. His army fought heroically against the Swedes on the Neva River. For the victory over the enemy, the people called the Grand Duke Nevsky.
Soon after the Battle of the Neva, detachments of German knights-crusaders moved to Russia. Their banners were embroidered with black crosses, black crosses were also on the shields of the knights.
In the spring of 1242, a bloody battle broke out on Lake Peipsi.
“Alexander Nevsky was in the thick of the battle ... The battle (battle) was such that the lake ice became hot. The Russians fought violently. And how can one fight without rage when children and wives are left behind, villages and cities are left, there is a native land with a short and sonorous name - Russia ... ”(O. Tikhomirov).
Historical events associated with the name of the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky are reflected in the 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: a film by S. Eisenstein and a cantata by S. Prokofiev.
Sergei Prokofiev approached the historical theme in a very peculiar 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 happened in the world at the end of the 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 based on the texts of 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 directed 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. It is an amazing example of the collaboration between director and composer. This has never happened in the history of music. Music was born under the direct impression of the frames of the film.

And along the arm of the chair, nervously shuddering, like a Morse telegraph receiver, Prokofiev's mercilessly clear fingers move. Is Prokofiev hitting the beat? No. He hits much more. In the sound of his fingers he catches the law of structure, according to which the durations and tempos of individual pieces are crossed among themselves on the screen in the montage, and both, taken together, are intertwined with the actions and intonation of the characters.

... Tomorrow he will send me music, which will permeate my montage structure with the same sound counterpoint, the structure of which he carries away in the rhythmic figure that his fingers tapped out.
It seems to me that, besides this, he is still whispering or purring to himself. But the face is so concentrated. It can be so only when a person listens attentively to the scale of sounds sweeping outside or to the scale passing inside him. God forbid talking to him at this time! "


The cantata has seven parts:

I. Russia 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 entrance to Pskov.

The music of the cantata amazes with the brightness of the images. Listening to her, as if you see in front of you the endless plains of Russia, devastated by the Teutons of Pskov, you observe the battle on Lake Peipsi, the frightening offensive of the crusaders, the swift attacks of the Russians, the death of the knights in the cold waves of the lake.
"Russia 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 there was a case on the Neva River." Do you remember the words of Alexander Nevsky: “Who will come to us with a sword, and will die by the sword”? This is the main idea of ​​this part. The dignified and austere melody repeats the features of Old Russian epics. It looks like old legends. The lyrics and music are epic.
The main melody "And there was a case on the Neva River" is narrative, measured.
The Song about Alexander Nevsky reproduces the features characteristic of the tunes of many Old Russian epics with their leisurely "telling" intonation.
In the middle part of the song “Wow! How we fought, how we fought! " the narration becomes more agitated and the pace 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 - clashing weapons, blows of swords. Harps imitate the sound of the gusli that accompanied epic songs in the old days. The reprise returns: the main, "heroic" melody of the chorus.
In the third part of the cantata "Crusaders in Pskov" the main themes of the knight-dogs appear for the first time.
Here, for the first time, opposing images collide. The harsh, with harsh accords, menacing-sounding heavy brass, harsh ascetic chant and warlike fanfare, the characterization of enemies is opposed to sorrowful tunes and tremulous emotionality of the sound of strings, embodying the people's grief.
To depict the crusaders, Prokofiev drew on means that were sharply different from those that we noted in the disassembled parts of the cantata. If song melodies sounded in the characterization of Russians, then in the music that characterizes the dogs-knights of the Teutonic order, the theme written by the composer in the spirit of the Catholic chant plays an important role.
"Get up, Russian people!" - fourth part. This is a choral song of a completely different character: not a story about past events, but a call to battle for the Russian land. During the Great Patriotic War, the choir "Get up, Russian people" was often heard on the radio, and the film "Alexander Nevsky" was shown at the front to the soldiers of the Red Army.

Get up, Russian people,
For a glorious battle, for a mortal battle,
Get up, people are free
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 imperiously captured the soul. "
For a long time in Russia there was a custom - to announce important events with the strikes of the alarm bell. War cries and calls are heard in the melody, in its persistently repeated energetic intonations. The rhythm of the march emphasizes the heroic character of the music.
A new theme appears - melodious, free-spirited, light, reminiscent of some themes from "Ruslan" by M. Glinka. The chorus sings this melody to the words "In native Russia, in Russia there is no great enemy."
The fifth movement - "The Battle on the Ice" - a grandiose symphonic picture with the participation of a choir. This part collides with the main themes of the previous parts, drawing enemy camps.
In the beginning, a gloomy winter landscape is given, depicting a frozen lake in a frosty haze. A deserted winter morning before the slaughter begins. The sound of a Teutonic horn is heard from afar. Prokofiev was looking for a timbre for this signal for a very long time. He believed that he should be "Unpleasant for the Russian ear." The famous episode of the Crusader race begins, which is commonly called the "Dap of the Pig".
Teutonic knights clad in heavy armor are racing hard. Long swords, spears. They wear horned helmets, hoods cover their faces, on which only the eye holes are gaping. In Prokofiev's music, this leap is very reminiscent of the psychic or tank attacks of the Nazis. No wonder Eisenstein, shocked by the music, said that it creates "an unforgettable image of an iron blunt 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 chant in Latin.
But now the squad of Alexander Nevsky enters the battle. The theme "Get up, Russian people!" Sounds at the trumpet. The Russian attack begins. It is accompanied by a new fast-paced, daring theme.
These themes, like opponents in battle, clash with each other. Then the enemy theme weakens and becomes distorted. This part ends with a quiet and light theme of the middle section of the fourth part "In native Russia, in Russia there is no great enemy". Peace and silence came to the liberated Russian land.
The sixth movement - "Dead Field" - is one of the most lyrical and mournful pages of Prokofiev's work.
The ice battle is over. Silent and motionless is an ice field, only the lights of torches flicker in the darkness. The women are looking for warriors who have not returned from the battle.

I will walk across the white field
I will fly across a bright field.
I will look for glorious falcons,
My grooms are good fellows.



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

Crying intonations, coming from Russian folk habits and from classical opera “crying” (remember “Lament of Yaroslavna” from Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor”), are heard in Prokofiev's music. A woeful melody sounds at the very beginning, in the introduction played by violins. The vocal melody is deeply sad, but its movement is even and strict.
The cantata ends with a solemn, majestic finale - "Entry of Alexander Nevsky to Pskov".
Pskov meets the winners. Song again - happy, joyful. High ringing voices twist like a sparkling thread around her melody, wonderfully merging with the crimson chime of the festive bells.
In Russia, big,
In Russia, native
The enemy should not be!
In the choir finale, glorifying Russia - the winner, Russian themes of the cantata are combined: the song about Alexander Nevsky, the theme of the middle section of the choir "Get up, Russian people."
Miraculously transformed, as if dressed in a festive outfit, they did not lose, however, their mighty strength ... Let the enemies remember: “Whoever enters us with a sword will die by the sword. The Russian land stands and will stand on that. "