Ah, them Russians! You want some excitment in your music? You want some romance? Some work from the orchestra and conductor? Here you go!

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was one of those composers that was trained in St. Petersburg in the heady days before the Revolution. The Tsar might have been a lousy monarch, but he gave the world a great treasure in the musicians that he helped to patronize. Prokofiev was trained in one of the Imperial music conservatories and he quickly shot up to the heights of promising young composers.

On this album we get two of his works, the suite from the ballet Romeo and Juliet and the Symphony Number I: the Classical. The conductor is one of the last century's greats, Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which is one of the best orchestras in the United States. If you have a chance to see either of the pieces performed live, I urge you to do so -- it's even more exciting than any recording.

Romeo and Juliet, Ballet in 4 Acts, op. 64

Shakespeare's play of the same name about two doomed teenage lovers, has inspired a great many musical works, not to mention a lot of film: Gounoud's opera; Tchaikovsky wrote a ballet, and Prokofiev wrote this one late in the 1930's. When the first performances of the ballet flopped, the composer went back and reworked a great deal of it, then further divided it into two sections, the ballet itself, and then an orchestral work that took sections of the ballet. Both versions have proved immensely popular and were received by audiences worldwide with great fervour. A side note, if you listen to Prokofiev's fifth symphony, sections of it will appear very similar to this piece.

1. Romeo & Juliet, Op.64: Introduction
Starting off with a lyrical sweep of the violins that becomes the lover's theme, it's a rich, romantic delight that sets the mood for each character. Juliet's purity and innocence is in the light violins and oboe; Romeo's youthful enthusiam and energy in the horns, and the two coming together into a grand combination of the two.

2. Act I: Nos. 2, 3, 4, 10, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21
The first act opens on the city streets, and we are introduced to the various people of this city. Each of the feuding families of the Montagues and the Capulets are introduced with their own themes, as well as the knights of the town. The sequences of the nurse, and the knights are the most easy to pick out, with a quick, purposeful sequence for the nurse, and more melancholy horns and strings for the knights. This is the longest track on the cd, coming in almost thirty minutes in length.

3. Act II: Nos. 33-36
Having introduced the characters of the drama, we now move into the action of the piece. Namely the lushly romantic and beautiful meeting and night when the two lovers come together. It's a gorgeous piece of music, and the closest I've ever come to hearing what love would sound like. It's heartbreaking and very nearly perfect.

4. Act III: Nos. 37, 38
Starting off strongly with a barrage of strings and brass and then some lighter woodwinds, we get the separation of the two lovers the morning after, and the rage of Juliet's father when he hears of his daughter's romance. Then it sooths into a lighter sequence, but only for a little while and Romeo's duels with Mercutio and Tybalt. The duels are racing, with strong percussion, especially at the death of Tybalt, it's terrifying to listen to the booming kettledrums marking the shock of everyone.

5. Romeo & Juliet, Op.64: Act IV: No. 52
Horror at the deaths of Tybalt and Mercurtio are marked with a savage sequence of notes, that quickly subside into the mock suicide and the funeral of Juliet. Funeral horns and sorrow mark her burial, and Romeo's finding of her grave. The ballet comes to a close here, but the music is still hopeful and rises to an ecstasic climax, with the two lovers united at last, but in death.

Symphony No. 1, op. 25 'Classical'

Completed in 1917, just before the start of the Revolution, this first famous work by Prokofiev was recieved with a great deal of interest. It has remained popular ever sense. Fun, almost lighthearted, it has almost the feel of an earlier work, and it is often cited as a sample of what Mozart would have written if he lived in the early twentieth century. What's interesting is that this was composed when Prokofiev was in his mid-twenties, and it remains the most popular and well known pieces next to Peter and the Wolf.

I. Allegro Starting off with a bang and flourish of strings and horns, it's sparkling. It dashes and darts about the air in very quick 5/4 time, then swoops into a comical duel and scales with the woodwinds and strings. Everything moves with almost the precision of a clockwork toy in spots, and it never misses a beat.
II. Larghetto This is a slower piece, but still moving at a good pace. It's much more langourous, recalling a summer day in the heat of the afternoon.
III. Gavotta: Non troppo allegro A gavotte is a dance, very quick with springing steps, the additional note means 'but not too quickly.' Think sweeping silk gowns, courteous young men, and people dancing in couples with many flourishes and bows. The composer used bits of it later in the ball sequence in Romeo and Juliet.
IV. Finale: Molto vivace Picking up the themes in the three previous movements, this one brings them all back and folds them together into a lively, strong finish of the symphony. It's a marvelous, happy work, and guaranteed to cheer you up with its virve and energy.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing