Paul Jr and I were in the chorus for Arizona MusicFest performance of
Alexander Nevsky on Sunday, February 24, 2013.
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| the performers and . . . |
Everything about this exceeded expectations. We've been at this choir thing for eight years now (mostly at ASU; though this is already year three in MusicFest) and there have been so many fine moments. This particular performance moment is among the very top - which was a surprise. Prokofiev's music really, really works in a live performance setting - even if it's not exactly the kind of thing I would listen to repeatedly in the car (which I do with lots of our other performance music).
Some combination of circumstances came together here - small performance setting at Pinnacle Presbyterian; Bob Moody is very, very good; Rebecca Lord does a great job pulling out whatever the choir has to offer during the prep process; the orchestra is somewhere beyond impressive; Denyse Graves herself adds an entire sheen or gravitas to the proceedings; we had a really large turn-out of family and friends (including Nicole's first appearance at one of our concerts, it is nice to have her here in AZ!); PJ pulled off a great dinner for all at the house after; Pat H's apple pie even turned out. Not sure how to beat this kind of day.
Some short video clips below (half of the
a cappella Rachmaninoff work and about 90% of movement five of
Nevsky). My source assures me all copyright rules were followed. But the recording volume was ridiculously low, so it's almost inaudible without turning up speakers.
I wrote up some before-and-after descriptive stuff in emails that are copied (with somewhat erratic font and color results) below in this post, with some details.
I found everything about
Nevsky to be highly interesting.
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From: Paul Gales
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 11:19 PM
To: 'Dolores Cullen'
Subject: RE: Nevsky update
It was wonderful to be a part of this performance, better than I expected. (Though the way the dress rehearsal went on Saturday, you could tell the performance was going to be pretty special.) When I was in the midst of the performance on Sunday, I kept thinking “I don’t want this to be over, I don’t want this to be over” – it was that captivating. It is quite an experience to be in the midst of this kind of performance while it happens. The festival orchestra is just amazing, at least to this pretty unsophisticated observer of orchestras. And it is a good sign, better than vigorous clapping, when people in the crowd are jumping to their feet and yelling right after the closing note.
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| . . . key audience members. |
I think I like being such a complete amateur about all this – naiveté is good – I have to believe some of the thrill wears off, or at least transmutes into something different (probably better, but whatever), for professional performers who are regularly involved in high-level performances like this.
Prokofiev, Shostakovitch those folks – I don’t how to take them. I’ve never liked listening to their stuff on CDs or whatever – it strikes me as agitating, noisy; but usually I’m doing something else like reading or trying to work or whatever, so that’s a recipe for a bad outcome. The few times I’ve attended live – it’s been very compelling. I need to be more open-minded on this.
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From: Paul Gales
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2013 4:50 PM
Subject: Nevsky update
Reminder that show-time is 3p tomorrow (Sunday). We will
need to be early to deal with will-call lines for ticket pickup. It takes
30 minutes from our house to get up there.
Today’s dress rehearsal – was fantastic. We got to hear
Denyse Graves do her solo – that alone will easily make the trip worthwhile.
We also learned that a translation of the Alexander Nevsky
words will be projected as superscript – which is great. You need to
actually live the story right along with us to get the feel for the work,
and the ready-translation will help.
Some thoughts you might find useful as you listen to the seven
movements comprising the 40-minute work:
- First movement – “Russia under
the Mongolian Yoke” – the orchestra is setting the stage here; no
chorus. This movement is about the Russians dealing with the “Golden
Horde” (Mongol threat from the east). Bad times indeed; and then
another threat rises from the west.
- Second movement – “Song about
Alexander Nevsky” – I just love the very opening line of music in this
movement (which is the very first thing the chorus does) – very simple,
but sounds great. (Listen carefully for it, you will want to
remember this first exposition when the very same line returns, big-time,
leading off the seventh and final movement.) This second movement is
all about setting up the story – an overview of the epic fight to save the
homeland. Starting with whomping on up some nasty Swedes on the Neva
River (this is hundreds of years before Peter the Great built his city
there). The Russians splinter the bad guys’ ships! The
Russians don’t spare shedding blood! Things like that, very
edifying.
- Third movement – “The Crusaders
in Pskov” – if it isn’t one thing, it’s another – now the Teutonic
Knights, invading from the west (modern Germany), capture the City of
Pskov as part of their evil designs. The chorus sings in Latin here
– which I guess is what Prokofiev associated with the German
invaders? (Anyway – whenever you hear Latin, we are channeling the
Germanic bad guys.) Awful, awful things happen in Pskov as it is
captured by the brutal Teutons. The situation is dire, to say the
least.
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| we're in here somewhere . . . middle of third row from the bottom |
- Fourth movement – “Arise Ye
Russian People” – The Russians now prepare to attempt to expel the heathen
invaders; I much like this movement. Mostly this is martial, Russian
music; but with heavy folk music flavor. There is a beautiful
melodic theme in the middle – you will hear it from the women, then
repeated immediately from the bass section. (Worth remembering!
because this melody will come back, most effectively, with violins-only at
the very end of the fifth movement, and then again from the full chorus in
the final movement.)
- Fifth movement – this is the
famous “Battle on the Ice” – a showpiece for this hand-picked
orchestra. The chorus contributes music from time to time, very
similar to our Germanic riffs from the third movement – meaning we again
sing in Latin – the same Latin words but at what I’ll call “ramming speed”
as the Germans hurl themselves into the decisive battle. The battle
rages; you will hear the chorus (as voice of the Germans) weaken and drop
out. The orchestra starts hitting some more triumphant-sounding
themes from the Russian melodies. The orchestra sounds just great;
you can feel the big losses as each side continues fighting; then the
battle sounds die away and the movement ends with a sad, almost-haunting,
violin-only repeat of that beautiful theme from the fourth movement.
It was a victory, if a terrible one, for the Russians.
- Sixth movement – Denyse Graves
steps up for her solo – “The Field of the Dead” – lamenting the loss of so
many brave Russians in the noble and victorious cause, praising
them. I’ve never performed with a “star” before and yes, you can
tell the difference. The lyrics are evocative; pathos; the words
include a powerful image of the female singer’s kiss on the eyelids (which
really is quite the homage to the deceased if you think about it . . . )
- Seventh (and final movement) –
“Alexander’s Entry into Pskov” – the very first thing you will hear is a
reprise of that very first line from the second movement that I love so
well – but in a much grander presentation – I think I’m in the minority,
but still think these opening moments of the final movement are the very
finest part of the entire work – it is a great melodic line, and even more
effective here because it follows immediately after all that ice-battle
mayhem and then the Denyce-lament. I think these first few lines of
movement seven are just priceless. But others prefer later moments
in this final movement and they may well be right, especially the way
Prokofiev works with that wondrous theme from the fourth movement.
There are some folk-music type passages, including where the women-singers
are getting flirty or coquettish with the manly Russian warriors (quite
understandably given our prowess). Throughout the final movement you
will be hearing reprises, with Prokofiev-wonderful orchestration, of the
best passages from the entire work; it is a great finish.
After a few rehearsals, I can now see why this entered – and has
stayed in – the canon of works for full chorus and orchestra.
And then there’s the a cappella Rachmaninoff Ave Maria
that we will be performing just before Nevsky, styled in old church
Slavonic . . .
See you there. Dinner follows here at 11419 (thanks, PJ).
From: Paul Gales
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 2:42 PM
Subject: Alexander Nevsky
We’ve mentioned to most of you already that the MusicFest
performance of Alexander Nevsky is on Sunday, February 24 at Pinnacle
Peak Presbyterian (same place as MusicFest performances in the last couple
years). Here is a bit more info.
Alexander Nevsky background is highly interesting,
at least to me – two big Russian names involved - Sergei Prokofiev wrote the
music for a film by Sergei Eisenstein – the history is here in this article
(involving Joseph Stalin, anti-German sentiment, pulling the movie out of
theaters when Stalin and Hitler entered into their surprising 1939 truce,
etc.): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_(film).
The movie itself is easily findable on YouTube – the plot involves the hero
(Nevsky) fighting off foreign invaders in medieval times.
Prokofiev’s music was then reshaped into a choral work.
Lots of very nice moments, and a finale that I expect will cause you to take a
detour on your way home to attack any Germans you can find (and maybe even a
few Swedes for good measure).
Let us know if anyone is able to attend and we will figure out
post-concert accordingly.
Thanks as always.
