Prokofiev plays and talks about his music

Rare footage of the composer Sergei Prokofiev playing his own music and being interviewed about the activities he was engaged with at the time.

The Russian translates thus:

Prokofiev is being asked: "Sergei Sergeevich, maybe you will tell our viewers about your work?"

He replies: "Well, right now I am working on a symphonic suite of waltzes, which will include three waltzes from Cinderella, two waltzes from the War and Peace, and one waltz from the movie score "Lermontov." [The War and Peace] has just been brilliantly produced in Leningrad, where the composer Cheshko (?) made an especially noteworthy appearance as a tenor, giving a superb performance in the role of Pierre Bezukhoff. Besides this suite, I am working on a sonata for violin and piano [no.1 in f minor], upon completion of which I will resume work on the sixth symphony, which I had started last year. I have just completed three suites from the Cinderella ballet and I am now turning the score over to copyists for writing the parts, so that most likely the suites will already be performed at the beginning of the fall season."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Prokofiev
• classical music

[HoldeKunstBonnie]

For those wondering, Sergei is playing the B section of the Waltz from Scene 5 of "War and Peace." Anatole Kuragin has been making a play for the engaged Natasha and here he gets her alone and hands her the fateful love letter. The entire scene IS a waltz, except for Natasha's monologes concerning her struggle to maintain her feelings for Prince Andrei. By the end of the scene, she's totally taken in by Kuragin. The scene is well directed on the Paris DVD by Francesca Zembello. Recommended.

[S2HVU]

I love this. Love love love.

[BasileusR]

@M3town3 no.

[canturgan]

I have some great footage of Mozart, I didn't even realise that he was an American.

[M3town3]

@prokofievop16 he much OLDER... too old...

[prokofievop16]

And what about Rachmaninov ? Is there also recorded interview from him ?

[prokofievop16]

GREAT !!!! Does anyone know if other video exist ??

I would like to understand what he said : Is there a voluntary to translate what he said?

[Flutist11]

I love to see him smash that piano. :D

I'd respond to Prokofiev: "Call me when you find out the date for that Concert premiere for the Cinderella suites! I gotta hear that!!"

[Flutist11]

@4thMG They suppose... no one knows for sure, but I bet one could figure out exactly if they analyze the exact keys he's hitting.

[dicthash]

@Bobbnoxious

what archival material was destroyed during "Stalin's purges"? what bullshit do you talk?

[avealta]

It's actually the second part of scene 4..

[Bobbnoxious]

This was filmed on the porch of Prokofiev's country house at Nikolina Gora, 30 miles west of Moscow, which he bought in the Summer of 1946. He was enjoying temporary recovery from a long health crisis (chronic hypertension and injuries in a fall) and would soon relapse, but he looks and sounds good here.

Priceless clip. With all the archival material destroyed during Stalin's purges I never thought I'd get to hear Prokofiev speaking. Thanks so much for the post!