War and Peace (Op. 91) (Война и мир in Russian, Voyna i mir in transliteration) is an opera in two parts (an Epigraph and thirteen scenes), sometimes arranged as five acts, by Sergei Prokofiev to a Russian libretto by the composer and Mira Mendelson, based on the novel of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokof’ev; 15/April 271, 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир, Vojna i mir; in original orthography: Война и миръ, Vojna i mir) is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869 in Russki Vestnik, which tells the story of Russian society during the Napoleonic Era. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828 [O.S. August 28] – November 20, 1910 [O.S. November 7]) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of...

Background

Mendelson and Prokofiev's original scheme for the libretto of the opera envisaged eleven scenes, and Prokofiev began composing the music in the summer of 1941, spurred on by the German invasion of the Soviet Union which began on June 22, 1941. The description "lyric-dramatic scenes" in the libretto accurately suggests both a homage to Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and an emphasis on individuals and their emotions rather than on the bigger picture of a country at war. Combatants Germany Romania Finland Italy Hungary Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Joseph Stalin Strength ~ 3. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... Young Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1874) Tchaikovsky redirects here. ... Eugene Onegin (Евгений Онегин in Russian, Yevgeny Onegin in transliteration) is an opera in three acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a Russian libretto by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer, based on the novel of the same name by Aleksandr Pushkin. ...

A piano score was completed by the summer of 1942 (two scenes having been changed from the original version), and it was submitted to the Soviet Union's Committee on the Arts. The Committee demanded that the Part 2 (War) scenes needed a more patriotic and heroic emphasis. Prokofiev, who had wanted to see his masterpiece staged as quickly as possible, added marches, choruses, and other materials to Part 2 to satisfy the committee. In addition, he composed the choral Epigraph, which emphasises the Russian people's defiance in the face of the enemy.

Characters

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Synopsis

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Instrumentation

Chorus

Orchestra

Piccolo

2 Flutes

2 Oboes

Cor Anglais

2 Clarinets

Bass Clarinet

2 Bassoons

Contrabassoon

4 Horns

3 Trumpets

3 Trombones

Tuba

Timpani

Percussion (Triangle, Wooden Drum, Tambourine, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Tam-tam, Glockenspiel, Xylophone)

Harp

Strings (1st and 2nd Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double basses)

Performance history

Plans were drawn up for a 1943 première at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, to be directed by Sergei Eisenstein and conducted by Samuil Samosud. Nothing came of this project, although a private performance of eight scenes with piano accompaniment took place at the Moscow Actors’ Centre on October 16, 1944, and a public concert performance of nine scenes, conducted by Samosud, was given in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on June 7, 1945. The first staged performance was of a newly extended seven-scene version of Part 1 (what is now Scene 2 having been added at Samosud’s suggestion), together with Scene 8, the first scene of Part 2. This took place on June 12, 1946, at the Maly Theatre in Leningrad, again conducted by Samosud. Part 2, also with an additional scene (Scene 10), was to be performed there in July 1947, but after the Dress Rehearsal no public performances were given, “for reasons beyond the control of the theatre and the composer”. Theatre Square in Moscow. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... Sergei Eisenstein in 1920s Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, Latvian: Sergejs EizenÅ¡teins) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet theatrical scenic designer-turned-film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober, which vastly influenced early documentary... Samuil Samosud (born Tblisi, Georgia, 18 May, 1884, died Moscow, 6 November, 1964) was a Russian conductor. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Moscow Conservatory (Московская Государственная Консерватория им. П.И.Чайковского) is a prominent music school in Russia. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Knipper Theatre, Kniper Theatre or Knieper Theatre (Russian: Театр Карла Книпера) was the venue of a German theatrical troupe led by Karl Kniper which performed in Saint Petersburg beginning in 1777. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and...

Following the Zhdanov decree of February 1948, Prokofiev started work on a shortened single-evening version of the opera, at the same time making various revisions to his original scheme, although the thirteen-scene framework remained. This version was first performed on May 26, 1953 at the Teatro Comunale, Florence, conducted by Artur Rodziński, two months after the composer’s death. Scenes 2 and 9 were, however, omitted. The Russian première of this version was given at the Maly Theatre, Leningrad, on April 1, 1955, conducted by Eduard Grikurov, in this case with the omission of Scenes 7 and 11. All thirteen scenes (but with cuts) were eventually first performed together on November 8, 1957 at the Stanislavski-Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre in Moscow, under the baton of Alexander Shaverdov. On December 15, 1959, the thirteen scenes and Epigraph were finally staged uncut (conducted by Alexander Melik-Peshayev at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, although this was preceded in the United States by an NBC telecast conducted by Peter Herman Adler on January 13, 1957. The Zhdanov decree was issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on 10 February 1948. ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Florences skyline Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Artur RodziÅ„ski was featured on the cover of Time magazine (link to cover story) on February 17, 1947 Artur RodziÅ„ski (January 1, 1892 - November 27, 1958) was a Polish conductor. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NBC (an abbreviation for National Broadcasting Company, its former corporate name) is an American television network based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center and is shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Peter Herman Adler (1899 - 1990) was a U.S. (Czechoslovakian-born) conductor. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The first British performance was a Leeds Festival concert performance at Leeds Town Hall on April 19, 1967 (conductor Edward Downes). The first British staged performance was by Sadlers’ Wells Opera on October 11, 1972, and the first American staging by the Opera Company of Boston on May 8, 1974. In other countries, the opera was first performed in Germany (Leipzig) in 1961, Croatia (Zagreb) in 1961 and Australia (the opening performance at the Sydney Opera House) in 1973. Leeds Town Hall Leeds Town Hall was built in 1858, on a site in Park Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Sir Edward Downes, CBE (born June 17, 1924 in Birmingham, England) is an English conductor. ... The London Coliseum, home of the English National Opera English National Opera (ENO), located at the Coliseum Theatre on St. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Opera Company of Boston was founded by the American conductor Sarah Caldwell in Boston, Massachusetts in 1958. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... [] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the Federal State (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. ... Zagreb (pronounced: ) is the largest and capital city of Croatia. ... Internationally, the Sydney Opera House is the most recognised symbol of Sydney Sydney Opera House at Night The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Ettore Bastianini (September 24, 1922–January 25, 1967) was an Italian opera singer who began his professional career as a bass, then earned worldwide acclaim as a baritone, particularly in Verdi roles, before dying of throat cancer at the age of forty-four. ... Galina Vishnevskaya The Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya (Гали́на Па́вловна Вишне́вская) (born 25 October 1926) is well-known opera singer and recitalist. ... Franco Corelli. ...

Recordings

Sir Richard Hickox, CBE (born March 5, 1948) is a English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music. ... Chandos Records is an independent classical music label based in the UK. They have high standards of sound engineering quality. ... Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev, Russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев (born 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company director. ... Philips HQ in Amsterdam Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Royal Philips Electronics N.V.), usually known as Philips, (Euronext: PHIA, NYSE: PHG) is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. ... Exterior of the Palais Garnier. ... Exterior of the Palais Garnier. ... Gary Bertini (1928 - 18 March 2005) was an Israeli conductor and musician. ... TDK Corporation ), formerly TDK Electronics Co. ... Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (Мстисла́в Леопо́льдович Ростропо́вич) (born March 27, 1927), affectionately known as Slava, is Russian and a naturalized American cellist and conductor, considered to be one of the greatest cellists ever. ...

External links

• War and Peace at prokofiev.org

Sources

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Operas by Sergei Prokofiev

Maddalena | The Gambler The Teatro alla Scala in Milan. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokof’ev; 15/April 271, 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... Image File history File links Sergei_Prokofiev. ... The Gambler (Russian: Игрок — Igrok in transliteration) is an opera in four acts by Sergei Prokofiev to a Russian libretto by the composer, based on the story of the same name by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. ... The Love for Three Oranges | The Fiery Angel Sergei Prokofiev // The Love for Three Oranges (Любовь к трём апельсинам in Russian, Lyubov k Tryom Apelsinam in transliteration) is an opera written in 1919 by Sergei Prokofiev to a libretto based on the play Lamore delle tre melarance by Carlo Gozzi. ... The Fiery Angel (Russian: Огненный ангел — Ognenny angel in transliteration) is an opera in five acts by Sergei Prokofiev to a Russian libretto by the composer, based on the novel by Valery Bryusov. ... Semyon Kotko | Betrothal in a Monastery Semyon Kotko (Семён Котко in Russian) is an opera in five acts by Sergei Prokofiev (Op. ... Betrothal in a Monastery (Obrucheniye v monastïre in transliteration) is Sergei Prokofievs 6th opera with an opus number. ... War and Peace | Khan Buzay The Story of a Real Man | Distant Seas