PROKOFIEV, S.: War and Peace (Kirov Opera, 1991) (PAL)

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
War and Peace

An opera in thirteen scenes after the novel by Leo Tolstoy
Live From the Kirov Opera in St Petersburg

Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Kirov Opera
Conducted by Valery Gergiev

Picture Format: 4:3
Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Menu Languages: GB, D, F, SP
Subtitle Languages: GB, D, F, SP
Running Time: 240 min
Region Code: 2, 5
Recording Date: 1991
Sung in Russian

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"What a wonderful company, reminding us what Russian opera is all about; the importance of continuity and tradition, and how a large company of gifted singers ... and a really powerful chorus can transform such a score. The orchestra, too, was gripping under the sustained intensity of Valery Gergiev's musical direction." MusicWeb

This sumptuous version of Prokofiev's War and Peace comes from the heart of Russian opera, the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and performed by the unmatched Kirov Opera. Conducting is Valerey Gergiev, returning to the work that gave him his 1978 debut with the Kirov.

Sergey Prokofiev devoted the last twelve years of his life to War and Peace. Having completed the first version (containing eleven scenes) unusually quickly, the composer continued working on the opera over the next ten years. Consequently, the work has appeared in different versions and orchestrations.

The greatest landmark in the stage history of the opera came with the 1991 production at the Mariinsky Theatre, when Prokoviev¡¦s complete score was performed for the first time with no cuts (the musical director and conductor was Valery Gergiev and the production was directed by Graham Vick and designed by Tim O¡¦Brian). This production, staged at the start of the third millennium, presents a fresh reading of Prokofiev¡¦s masterpiece.