Ending of the cantata by Alexander Nevsky. WITH

1.Org. moment.

Greetings.

2. Checking homework.

Performance of the song “My Russia”.

What genres of vocal music do you know?

What is a song? Name the genres of the song. Give an example.

What is romance? Give an example.

- Today in the lesson we will get acquainted with the cantata genre of vocal - instrumental creativity.

- Do you know what a cantata is?

A cantata is a large work consisting of several parts. It is usually performed in a concert hall by a choir, orchestra and solo singers.

Today in class we will listen to fragments of the cantata “Alexander Nevsky”.

- Do you know who Alexander Nevsky is? Alexander - Grand Russian Duke, born in November 1220 In 1236 he was placed under the reign of Novgorod, since his father Yaroslav went to reign in Kyiv, and in 1239 he married the Polotsk princess Alexandra Bryachislavna . In honor of his victory in the battle with the Swedes on the Neva River, he was given the nickname Nevsky.
In the conditions of terrible trials that befell the Russian lands, Alexander Nevsky managed to find the strength to resist the Western conquerors, gaining fame as a great Russian commander, and also laid the foundations for relations with the Golden Horde. In the conditions of the devastation of Rus' by the Mongol-Tatars, he, through skillful policies, eased the burdens of the yoke and saved Rus' from complete destruction. “The preservation of the Russian land,” says Solovyov, “from troubles in the east, famous exploits for faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Rus'. Alexander Nevsky was elevated to sainthood for his merits.

S.S. Prokofiev, a Russian composer, admiring the exploits of the Russian prince, wrote a musical work - a cantata, which he called “Alexander Nevsky”.

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

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

“Song about Alexander Nevsky”- second part of the cantata. The music is majestic and austere. It looks like a fresco by an ancient Russian painter who depicted a warrior stern and devoted to his homeland. The song talks about the Russian victory over the Swedes and gives a warning: “Whoever comes to Rus' will be beaten to death.” Both the text and music are in an epic spirit. The vocal part is performed by a unison choir - male voices, supplemented by altos. The main melody is narrative and measured.

The “Song of Alexander Nevsky” reproduces features characteristic of the tunes of many ancient Russian epics.

In the middle part of the song, the narration becomes more agitated and the tempo quickens. In accordance with the rhythm of the verse, two- and three-beat sizes replace each other in music. The orchestra reproduces the sounds of battle - the clanking of weapons, the blows of swords. Harps imitate the sound of harps that accompanied epic songs in the old days.

(talk about the three-part form) When listening again, work with cards.

“Get up, Russian people"- fourth part. This is a choral song of a completely different nature. Not a story about past events, but a call to fight for Russian soil. During the Great Patriotic War, the choir “Rise up, Russian people” was often heard on the radio. The film “Alexander Nevsky” was shown to soldiers of the Soviet Army at the fronts.

For a long time, there has been a custom in Rus' to announce important events by striking an alarm bell. The orchestral introduction to the choir imitates the alarming and menacing bell sounds that later accompany the singing of the choir in its first part. In the melody, in its persistently repeated energetic intonations, battle cries and appeals are heard. The rhythm of the march emphasizes the heroic nature of the music.

- What is an alarm? ( A signal to gather people in the event of a fire or other disaster, given by the striking of a bell. The sounds of the alarm. Ring the alarm - 1) by ringing a bell to notify of a disaster, to call for help; = 2) transl. raise the alarm, draw public attention to something. danger).

Is there a three-part form in this fragment?

When listening again, work with cards.(children identify the three-part form of music by ear and show cards)

Describe each part of the musical fragment .

- In Russian folklore and in the works of composers there are works that glorify heroes, defenders of the Motherland. Today we will get acquainted with r.n.p. “Soldiers, brave boys.”
- What is r.n.p.?

When listening to a song, determine its genre and try to understand what the song is about?

- What genre should we classify the song? What is the song about?

Learning in an ensemble with a teacher.
3. Lesson summary.

What did we talk about in class today?

What is the topic of our lesson?

What new did you learn in class today?

What is a cantata?

What composer did we meet today?

What piece did we listen to today?

What song did we learn today?

What is this song about?

4.Homework

Learn the definitions in your notebook.

“Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword”

Sergei Prokofiev. Cantata "Alexander Nevsky"

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

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

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

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

The cantata has seven parts:

I. Rus' under the Mongol yoke;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cast: mezzo-soprano, mixed choir, symphony orchestra.

History of creation

At the beginning of 1938, the largest Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein conceived a big sound film about Alexander Nevsky. He decided to involve Prokofiev, whom he had known well since the 1920s, as the author of the music. “Being a long-time admirer of his wonderful directorial talent, I gladly accepted the offer,” the composer recalled. Soon he went on his last trip abroad, and in Hollywood he specially studied the technique of musical design for films, although he himself was no longer a novice in this matter: he had previously written the music for the film “Lieutenant Kizhe”.

Upon returning from the trip, Prokofiev set to work. It proceeded in the closest collaboration with Eisenstein. The work proceeded in two ways: either the director showed the composer a completed piece of film, leaving him to decide what the music for it should be, or Prokofiev wrote this or that musical episode in advance, and Eisenstein built the visual sequence based on this music. It also happened that the director told Prokofiev about some episode, illustrating it with pencil drawings, and then filmed it based on the finished score.

This creative community was based on the boundless trust of artists in each other. Prokofiev was convinced that the famous director “turned out to be a very subtle musician,” while Eisenstein was amazed by Prokofiev’s ability to instantly become infected with a visual impression and convey in music the essence of the artistic image captured on film. “The next day he will send me music that... will permeate my editing structure with sound counterpoint, the law of structure of which he carries away in the rhythmic figure that his fingers tapped,” the director said, recalling how Prokofiev tapped his fingers while watching filmed episodes some complex rhythmic structures on the arm of the chair. The text for the vocal fragments was written partly by Prokofiev himself, partly by the poet Vladimir Lugovskoy (1901-1957).

“Alexander Nevsky” was released on December 1, 1938 and immediately became a huge success. This success gave the composer the idea of writing a cantata based on the music for the film. He devoted the winter of 1938-1939 to this work. The task turned out to be very difficult. “Sometimes it’s easier to write a completely new play than to come up with spikes,” he complained to his loved ones. It was necessary to completely re-orchestrate all the music, since the previous orchestration was designed for the use of electronic means used in recording film music, various effects associated with the approach and distance of an instrument from the microphone, etc. In addition, from the scattered fragments sounding throughout the film, it was necessary to compose harmonious sections of the vocal-symphonic cycle. Cantata, which received Op. 78, consists of seven parts - “Rus under the Mongol yoke”, “Song about Alexander Nevsky”, “Crusaders in Pskov”, “Rise up, Russian people”, “Battle of the Ice”, “Dead Field” and “Alexander’s Entry into Pskov ", - absorbed all the best that was in film music. On May 17, 1939, its premiere took place in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

Music

The music of “Alexander Nevsky” embodies the best features of Prokofiev’s work - the universality of a style capable of embodying Russian heroic images, soulful lyrics, and harsh, mechanized images of invaders with equal force. The composer combines pictorial episodes with song and choral scenes, close to the operatic oratorio style. The breadth of musical generalizations does not interfere with the visible concreteness of individual images.

“Rus under the Mongol Yoke” is a short symphonic prologue that introduces the harsh atmosphere of the era and events. Archaic chants with a wild “sobbing” grace note dominate, with widely spaced unisons sounding from the highest and lowest instruments, thereby creating the impression of immeasurable distance and vast spaces. In the epic “Song of Alexander Nevsky” the main theme of Russia, its invincibility and greatness arises (“And that was the case on the Neva River”). In the part “Crusaders in Pskov”, opposing images collide for the first time. The harsh, with sharp harmonies, menacing-sounding heavy brass, harsh ascetic chorale and warlike fanfares characterize the enemies are contrasted with mournful tunes and the tremulous emotionality of the sound of the strings, embodying the people's grief. The main melody of the choir “Get up, Russian people”, born of Russian folk song, breathes combat prowess and courage. The center of the cantata is a grandiose painting of the “Battle on the Ice”. The picturesque introduction paints a picture of the morning landscape on the shores of Lake Peipsi. And then, gradually growing and accelerating, a terrible inhuman force approaches with an inexorable pace. Against a persistently hammered-in ostinato background, the Catholic chorale from the third movement sounds, reaching the point of frenzy. They are contrasted with the brave theme “Get up, Russian people”, and mocking buffoon tunes, and the rapid rhythm of the galloping of Russian horsemen. The battle episode ends with an almost visible picture of the disaster (the crusaders fall through the ice). The sixth part, “Dead Field,” is the only solo aria in the cantata that has the features of a folk lament. She captivates with the severity of the melody, the depth and sincerity of feeling. The victorious and patriotic finale is distinguished by its bright, festive orchestration, the ringing of bells, and the sound of Russian themes that appeared earlier. The majestic sound of the chorus “In Rus' is dear, in Rus' there is no great enemy” completes the cantata.

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 similar topics, the cantata “Alexander Nevsky”, written for choir, 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. Borodina.

History of creation

The famous Soviet 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 feat of the Russian prince and his squad, who fought against the Teutonic crusading knights. The composer gladly accepted this offer, especially since Sergei Sergeevich himself had long been a fan 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 familiarize himself with all the nuances of the musical design of films. There he met famous film directors: Mamulyan 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 of Prokofiev, because earlier he had already composed 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 fragment of footage so that he could compose music for it. But sometimes Sergei Sergeevich already composed the musical part in advance, and Eisenstein then built the visual sequence, adjusting to the music. Often Prokofiev had to spend whole days in the studio on Potylikha, where the filming was taking place, in order to take part in the process himself. Thanks to such close cooperation, the work proceeded quite quickly. The texts of the cantata 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 Rus' 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 applied to Russian songs. Prokofiev did not go into detail about how this music sounded 700 years ago, but modernized it.

For the summer, Sergei Sergeevich went on vacation to the North Caucasus, but even 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 brilliant 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. Over the next few months, he worked hard on the piece. The composer himself admitted that in reality everything was not as 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 connections. Some parts of the score remained unchanged - this is the introduction, “Song of Alexander Nevsky” and “Rise up, Russian people”, but he had to significantly modify the remaining parts, and some fragments were 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 received its own name.

Interesting Facts:

A cantata is a vocal and instrumental work consisting of separate numbers and parts. They are all interconnected in meaning. The word cantata comes from the Italian “cantara” 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 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 carrying out some sound engineering work. He noticed how this or that sound would be colored in timbre, directed exactly into the microphone. Thus, strong direct sound could damage the film and give a rather harsh timbre. Then he came up with the idea of using this feature to record music characterizing the enemy camp. This timbre was perfect for depicting the crusaders. To achieve this, the composer asked the musicians to play fanfare themes very close to the microphone.
When creating film music, the composer had to experiment with “inverted” orchestration in order to find original effects.

Content

It is difficult to imagine another equally significant work in classical music born from film music. The entire structure of the cantata is maintained in a seven-part form with a strict logic of internal parts. Researchers note the presence of sonata form features in the work. Moreover, Prokofiev does this quite subtly, avoiding clear schemes of the sonata cycle, in the comparison and development of two conflicting images. In general, the cantata was greatly influenced by the principles of cinema, with its rapid development of editing. In addition, Prokofiev widely applies the principle of sound recording and in his music one can clearly hear the croaking of a raven, military signals, the neighing of horses, and the cracking of ice.

"Rus under the Mongol yoke"- first part of the cantata. Researchers note that it is the most compressed and undeveloped of all. This is a kind of introduction to the entire cycle. The music very vividly conveys the deserted space, creating a mournful mood. Prokofiev very subtly managed to emphasize the feeling of time and emptiness through a combination of very high and very low sounds, sounding in unison. The wild alien Mongolian theme is carried out along with the sad tunes of wide breathing.

"Song about Alexander Nevsky"– the second part, which is very significant. It symbolizes the “Theme of Rus'”, expressing its invincible power. The choir performs a melody very close to Russian epics. However, Prokofiev transformed this tune, giving it dynamics and adding energy. The sound of harps imitating the plucking of harps gives a special epic quality.

“Song about Alexander Nevsky” - listen

"Crusaders in Pskov"– the third part, permeated with an atmosphere of horror and grief. The extreme parts of this episode convey enemy images, and the middle - the deep suffering of defeated people. In this movement, Prokofiev uses the theme of a Catholic chorale, sung by a choir in Latin. The rough, dissonant sound only enhances the effect of this theme and highlights the middle episode, in which the Russian melody returns, only it conveys folk lamentation. It is in this episode that the two warring camps collide for the first time.

“Get up, Russian people!”- the fourth part of the cantata. This choir is made in the genre of a heroic squad song. Only in the middle of the choir does the lyrical-epic theme “There is no enemy in native Rus'” appear, sounding smoothly and lightly.

“Get up, Russian people!” - listen

"Battle on the Ice"- the fifth picture, which is the central and most grandiose in the cantata. It is in this issue that two forces, two opposing images, collide. At the beginning of this part, a winter landscape on Lake Peipus is shown, the silence of which is broken only by the ominous cawing of crows. In the distance the familiar signal of the crusaders can already be heard, indicating the imminent approach of enemies. The episode of the race of the Teutonic knights, which was called “Pig Leap” (due to the peculiarity of their construction), is very clearly shown. Very precisely, Prokofiev managed to select an alien sound to show his enemies; he himself called it not very pleasant to the ear of a Russian person. The fifth episode ends with the theme “There is no enemy in native Rus'”, acquiring a gentle “dawn” sound.

"Dead Field"- part six. This is a real solo aria, bearing the features of folk lament. A strict, seasoned melody, depth and sincere feelings characterize this music. The composer wanted to convey in this part the grief of the Motherland itself for 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 entry into Pskov"- the seventh part, which is the final chorus. This episode glorifies victorious Rus', and also covers light themes from the second, fourth and fifth parts. In general, this choir has a hymn character due to its solemn sound and four-voice presentation.

“Alexander’s Entry into Pskov” - listen

Music from Sergei Prokofiev's cantata was also reflected in the films of other directors:

The Gospel of Matthew (1964)
Garden of Delights (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 Zh.V. (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 includes the general direction of the entire plot, national themes, and the use of sound recording tools to paint landscapes. Images of nature are given a special role, because they are depicted in literally all scenes - this is the sad picture of a devastated country, the frosty morning before the battle, the gloomy outlines in “The Dead Field”. The author did a lot of work on the score, because it is particularly inventive and has a bright orchestral palette. The composer boldly uses new techniques and uses additional timbres. The choral part is worked out in detail, in which one can note an amazing variety of timbre gradations. Separately, it is worth noting the sense of modernity that is inherent in the cantata “Alexander Nevsky”. All images of the 13th century shown in the work are Prokofiev reproduced through the prism of the events of the late thirties. “The past is 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 cruel and fair struggle against foreign enemies who were sowing horror and suffering in their native land. This is a real victory of humanity over cruelty.

Video: listen to the cantata “Alexander Nevsky”

Plot, history of the creation of the cantata "Alexander Nevsky" BRIEFLY

Cantata Alexander Nevsky - The most famous piece (fragment) from this cantata is the Battle of the Ice. This cantata carries a patriotic and heroic style. At the end the final choir performs: Arise, Russian people.
This cantata shows how Prince Alexander Nevsky stood up to defend his Motherland along with his soldiers against the Swedes.
"Rus under the Mongol yoke"
"Song about Alexander Nevsky"
"Crusaders in Pskov"
"Get up, Russian people"
"Battle on the Ice"
"Dead Field"
"Alexander's entry into Pskov"
In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky" with music by Sergei Prokofiev was released on cinema screens in our country. It was an alarming time: Hitler's fascism had already begun its barbaric invasion of European countries and the threat of a fascist invasion loomed over the whole world. There were less than three years left before the war with the Germans, and the plot of the film was based on the events of another war, but the same with the German invaders.
The cantata "Alexander Nevsky", a monumental work for choir, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, was created by Prokofiev in 1939 based on the film score. The text for the cantata was written by the poet Vladimir Lugovskoy and the composer himself. The cantata sounded like a decisive warning, like a formidable reminder of what awaits the enemy who decides to attack our Motherland. Despite the fact that the music was previously composed for the film, in the cantata it acquired its own dramaturgy, its own development, its own form, and became a new and completely independent musical and dramatic work.
“Alexander Nevsky” occupies the most important place in Prokofiev’s work, establishing in it a heroic-epic national theme, which then develops in the opera “War and Peace”, in the music for “Ivan the Terrible”, in the Fifth Symphony and in some other works. This new valuable side of Prokofiev’s talent was revealed in the atmosphere of Soviet art, characterized by its constant and deep interest in the people and their history.
The composer's approach to the historical theme is noteworthy. Prokofiev has a surprisingly accurate sense of the historical era. But strict, like ancient frescoes, images of antiquity in “Alexander Nevsky” are imbued with that 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.
Prokofiev is not interested in directly turning to ancient musical material. It seemed to him more “profitable” to give the music of the crusaders, he writes, “not in the form in which it actually sounded during the Battle of the Ice, but in the form in which we now imagine it. It’s the same with the Russian song: it’s not necessary was given in a modern warehouse, leaving aside the question of how it was sung 700 years ago."
The musical characterization of the crusaders is based on a chorale created by Prokofiev in the familiar “Bach” style. Thanks to special harmonic and orchestral techniques, it acquires dark and harsh features. The harmonic, timbre and rhythmic aspects prevail in it over the melody; characterized by tense dissonant combinations and ostinato mechanical rhythm; roaring piercing brass (often with mutes), percussion.
The characterization of Russians is dominated by the song principle, clear diatonic harmonies; The orchestra is dominated by strings. There is a whole string of sad and mournful melodies, majestic and heroic, daring and cheerful. In them one can clearly sense the continuation of the epic traditions of Glinka and the Kuchkists, refracted, however, through the originality of Prokofiev’s style. Prokofiev in "Alexander Nevsky" came to the creation of an organic modern epic musical style on a strongly national basis.
The cantata has seven parts, each of them represents a complete number:
"Rus under the Mongol yoke"
"Song about Alexander Nevsky"
"Crusaders in Pskov"
"Get up, Russian people"
"Battle on the Ice"
"Dead Field"
"Alexander's entry into Pskov"
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Novgorod Prince Alexan performed many military exploits
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The cantata is an example of a Soviet historical and heroic epic. The work reflects pictures of the enemy invasion, the patriotic upsurge of the entire people, the decisive battle, mourning the fallen and glorifying the Motherland. The author used contrasting means to depict the opposing forces: expressive diatonic melodies are characteristic of the Russian themes in the cantata, while the crusaders are represented by emphatically dissonant music in the Catholic style, based on the stylized Latin hymn Peregrinus expectavi.
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History of creation
At the beginning of 1938, the largest Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein conceived a big sound film about Alexander Nevsky. He decided to involve Prokofiev, whom he had known well since the 1920s, as the author of the music. Being a long-time admirer of his remarkable directorial talent, I gladly accepted the offer, the composer recalled. Soon he went on his last trip abroad, and in Hollywood he specially studied the technique of musical design for films, although he himself was no longer a novice in this matter: he had previously written the music for the film Lieutenant Kizhe. Upon returning from the trip, Prokofiev set to work. It proceeded in the closest collaboration with Eisenstein. The work proceeded in two ways: either the director showed the composer a completed piece of film, leaving him to decide what the music for it should be, or Prokofiev wrote this or that musical episode in advance, and Eisenstein built the visual sequence based on this music. It also happened that the director told Prokofiev about some episode, illustrating it with pencil drawings, and then filmed it based on the finished score.
This creative community was based on the boundless trust of artists in each other. Prokofiev was convinced that the famous director turned out to be a very subtle musician, while Eisenstein was amazed by Prokofiev’s ability to instantly become infected with a visual impression and convey in music the essence of the artistic image captured on film. The next day he will send me music that... will permeate my editing structure with sound counterpoint, the law of structure of which he carries away in the rhythmic figure that his fingers tapped, the director said, recalling how Prokofiev, while watching the filmed episodes, tapped some complex rhythmic structures on the arm of a chair. The text for the vocal fragments was written partly by Prokofiev himself, partly by the poet Vladimir Lugovskoy (1901-1957).
Alexander Nevsky was released on December 1, 1938 and immediately won enormous success. This success gave the composer the idea of writing a cantata based on the music for the film. He devoted the winter of 1938-1939 to this work. The task turned out to be very difficult. Sometimes it’s easier to write a completely new play than to come up with spikes, he complained to his loved ones. It was necessary to completely re-orchestrate all the music, since the previous orchestration was designed for the use of electronic means used in recording film music, various effects associated with the approach and distance of an instrument from the microphone, etc. In addition, from the scattered fragments sounding throughout the film, it was necessary to compose harmonious sections of the vocal-symphonic cycle. Cantata, which received Op. 78, consists of seven parts, Rus' under the Mongol yoke, Song about Alexander Nevsky, Crusaders in Pskov, Arise, Russian people, Battle of the Ice, Field of the Dead and Alexander's Entry into Pskov, absorbed all the best that was in film music. On May 17, 1939, its premiere took place in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
Music
Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev / Sergei Prokofiev
The music of Alexander Nevsky embodied the best features of Prokofiev's work - the universality of a style capable of embodying Russian heroic images, soulful lyrics, and harsh, mechanized images of invaders with equal force. The composer combines pictorial episodes with song and choral scenes, close to the operatic oratorio style. The breadth of musical generalizations does not interfere with the visible concreteness of individual images.
Rus' under the Mongol yoke is a short symphonic prologue introducing the harsh atmosphere of the era and events. Archaic chants with a wild, sobbing grace note dominate, with a wide range of
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Sergei Prokofiev. Cantata Alexander Nevsky
Every nation has its own national heroes who are loved, honored and remembered. Their names remain for centuries, and their moral character is not only not erased in the memory of their descendants, but, on the contrary, becomes brighter and lighter over time. This fully applies to Alexander Nevsky. This name in Rus' is still pronounced with special pride and respect.
The Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich performed many military feats. His army heroically fought the Swedes on the Neva River. For the victory over the enemy, the people nicknamed the Grand Duke Nevsky.
Soon after the Battle of the Neva, detachments of German crusading knights moved to Rus'. Their banners were embroidered with black crosses, and there were black crosses on the shields of the knights.
In the spring of 1242, a bloody massacre took place on Lake Peipsi.
Alexander Nevsky was in the thick of the battle. The battle (battle) was going on all around such that the ice of the lake became hot. The Russians fought fiercely. And how can one fight without fury when children and women are left behind, villages and cities are left behind, the native land with a short and sonorous name remains - Rus' (O. Tikhomirov).
Historical events associated with the name of the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky are reflected in works of various arts. The artist P. Korin created the triptych Alexander Nevsky, which consists of three independent paintings-parts that form a single whole.
Two more outstanding works of the same name are devoted to the same topic: the film by S. Eisenstein and the cantata by S. Prokofiev.
The word cantata comes from the Italian cantara, which means to sing. The cantata consists of several numbers (parts). Designed for individual singers (soloists), choir and orchestra.
Sergei Prokofiev approached the historical topic in a very unique way. He had a true sense of the historical era. The ancient images of Alexander Nevsky were imbued with a keen sense of modernity. Remember what was happening in the world in the late 30s? Fascism is rampant in Western Europe. And the iron music of the crusaders sounded like a characteristic of modern aggressive forces.
The cantata Alexander Nevsky was written to texts by the poet Vladimir Lugovsky and the composer himself. It is intended for mezzo-soprano, mixed choir and orchestra.
The cantata originated from the music for the film of the same name, which was staged in 1938 by the outstanding Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein. The picture told about the heroic struggle of the squad of Alexander Nevsky with the Teutonic knights-crusaders. This film has become a classic of Soviet cinema. He is an amazing example of the collaboration between director and composer. This has never happened in the history of music. The music was born under the direct impression of the film footage.
After filming a certain episode of the film, Eisenstein called Prokofiev. Sergei Sergeevich looked through the footage, as if absorbing it into himself, trying to feel the character and rhythm of each scene. Then he went home and the next day brought the finished music, which amazed with the brightness of the images.
The visibility of images is the most characteristic feature of Prokofiev's music. His powers of observation and ability to capture and convey in music the voices of people, their gestures and movements are amazing. In this regard, the very process of creating music for Alexander Nevsky is interesting - under the direct impression of the film footage.
The director of the film Alexander Nevsky S. Eisenstein spoke about this well:
Tmen Hall. But not so much that in the reflections of the screen you can’t catch his hands on the arms of the chair: these huge, strong Prokofiev hands, with steel fingers covering the keys, when with all the elemental fury of his temperament he brings them down on the keyboard...
A picture runs across the screen.
And along the arm of the chair, trembling nervously, like the receiver of a Morse telegraph, Prokofiev’s mercilessly precise fingers move. Is Prokofiev beating time? No. He hits a lot more. He's in about