Prokofiev - 6 Operas
Kirov Opera and Orchestra / Gergiev
Decca 478 2315 (14CD)

Release date February 2010

Prokofiev’s star is decidedly in the ascendant. The post-Soviet publication of his diaries and other documentary material has thrown new light on his creative life, and authoritative biographies have been written. All this activity has brought the operas to the fore and we have seen some striking British productions: in 2009 the students of the Glasgow RSAMD combined with Scottish Opera to give us a hugely entertaining Love for Three Oranges, one of the better known works, and earlier this year we were treated to thrilling performances of his masterpiece War and Peace (based on scenes from Tolstoy). Now we have the chance to acquire in one fell swoop recordings of his six most important operas, from the early Dostoyevsky-based The Gambler (a recent success at Covent Garden) and Bryusov’s The Fiery Angel to three Soviet-period operas culminating in War and Peace; the other two are Semyon Kotko and Betrothal in a Monastery, contrasted works of which the first is a piece of socialist realism based on a story by Katayev and the second a light-hearted comedy derived from Sheridan’s play The Duenna. This compact set is drawn from live recordings of Kirov (Mariinsky) productions given in the 1990s. The works differ markedly in style, ranging from the remorseless ostinato of The Gambler (in tune with the obsessive theme of the story), via the demonic Fiery Angel, a relentless tour de force (have a stiff drink handy), to the more lyrical comedy of The Love for Three Oranges and Betrothal in a Monastery. All six are performed with great assurance and sensitivity, supported by magnificent orchestral playing and fine singing (Galina Gorchakova outstanding in The Fiery Angel). If I had to pick a favourite it would be Semyon Kotko: despite its stark setting in Ukraine at the end of the First World War it contains some ravishing music. Especially moving is the opening scene, in which the hero Semyon returns home from the war with a prepared speech to greet his mother but the words fail him as the tears take over. The version of War and Peace we hear is the full one of 13 scenes, including the ball scene and several fine choral passages. The booklet includes notes and brief synopses, but regrettably no texts; even so, the opportunity to hear these gripping and often beautiful works in compelling performances at such a modest cost is surely irresistible.

Reviewed by Robert Allen