Russian Overture : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russian Overture

Orchestral work by Sergei Prokofiev

large orchestra

Russian Overture, Op. 72, (Russian: Русская увертюра, romanized: Russkaya yvertyura, IPA: [rˈuskəjə ʊvʲɪrtʲˈʉrə]) is an overture composed in 1936 by Sergei Prokofiev.

In 1936 Prokofiev returned permanently to the USSR. He showed sketches of the overture to Eugen Szenkar, who accepted it for his orchestra. Prokofiev used a large orchestra, as he had previously in the Scythian Suite and Seven, They are Seven. The overture was completed on 25 September 1936 and premiered on 29 October in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory by Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Szenkar, who subsequently performed it in Paris and elsewhere in Europe. After the premiere, Prokofiev reorchestrated the piece on the advice of Szenkar, reducing the number of brass, woodwind and percussion players. On 15 October 1937, it was given its American premiere by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Serge Koussevitzky. According to Prokofiev's biographer, Simon Morrison, the overture "includes motives derived from Russian folkdance, salon song and liturgical chant."^[1]^[2]^[3]

References

^ Morrison, Simon (2010). The People's Artist: Prokofiev's Soviet Years. Oxford University Press. p. 53. ISBN 9780199830985.
^ Bauchhenß, Elisabeth (2016). Eugen Szenkar (1891–1977): Ein ungarisch-jüdischer Dirigent schreibt deutsche Operngeschichte (in German). Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar. p. 158. ISBN 9783412501174.
^ Slonimsky, Nicolas (1949). Music Since 1900. Coleman-Ross Company. p. 416.

External links

Ouverture Russe: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Cummings, Robert. Russian Overture at AllMusic

Sergei Prokofiev

List of compositions

Operas

The Giant
Maddalena
The Gambler
The Love for Three Oranges
The Fiery Angel
Semyon Kotko
Betrothal in a Monastery
War and Peace
The Story of a Real Man

Ballets

Ala i Lolli
Chout
Trapèze
Le pas d'acier
Prodigal Son
On the Dnieper
Romeo and Juliet
Cinderella
The Tale of the Stone Flower

Symphonies

No. 1 in D major ("Classical")
No. 2 in D minor
No. 3 in C minor
No. 4 in C major
No. 5 in B♭ major
No. 6 in E♭ minor
No. 7 in C♯ minor

Concertos

Piano	No. 1 in D♭ major No. 2 in G minor No. 3 in C major No. 4 in B♭ major (left-hand) No. 5 in G major No. 6 (unfinished)
Other	Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor Cello Concerto in E minor Symphony-Concerto for Cello in E minor Cello Concertino in G minor (unfinished)

Orchestral works

Sinfonietta in A major (orig. & rev.)
Summer Night
Symphonic Song
Russian Overture
The Year 1941
Peter and the Wolf
Pushkin Waltzes
Waltz Suite

Film music

Alexander Nevsky
Ivan the Terrible
Lieutenant Kijé
The Queen of Spades

Vocal music

Alexander Nevsky
Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution
Flourish, Mighty Land
On Guard for Peace
Seven, They Are Seven
Songs of Our Days
Zdravitsa

Chamber music

Overture on Hebrew Themes
Quintet in G minor
Divertissement
String Quartet No. 1
String Quartet No. 2
Violin Sonata No. 1
Violin Sonata No. 2
Flute Sonata in D major
Cello Sonata in C major
Sonata for Two Violins in C major
Sonata for Solo Violin
Sonata for Solo Cello in C♯ minor

Piano music

Sonatas	No. 1 in F minor No. 2 in D minor No. 3 in A minor No. 4 in C minor No. 5 in C major (orig. & rev.) No. 6 in A major No. 7 in B♭ major No. 8 in B♭ major No. 9 in C major No. 10 (unfinished)
Other	Toccata in D minor Sarcasms Visions fugitives Tales of an Old Grandmother March and Scherzo from The Love for Three Oranges Three Pieces from War and Peace Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet Three Pieces & Six Pieces & Ten Pieces from Cinderella Fantasia on Scheherazade (1926)