Prokofiev's music for the Grigorovich "Ivan"

[bart]

At the end of the Paris Opera Ballet DVD of "Ivan the Terrible," -- based on Yuri Grigorovich's production for the Bolshoi -- there is the following musical credit:

"Version for the ballet, Mikhail Tchoulaki, editions de chant du monde. Musical additions by Mikhail Tchoulaki with the agreement of the estate of Serge Prokofiev."

It's been a while since I've seen the Eisenstein film version. But much of the ballet music seems quite different (not to mention inferior) to what I remember from the film score. Other music was familiar, though used as a background to different scenes from in the film.

Does anyone know the story behind the music patched together for the Bolshoi (and now Paris) production?

[rg]

here's what my sourvenir prog. from '75 says, in part:

"the idea for creating a ballet to prokofiev's music for eisenstein's film 'ivan the terrible' came originally from the conductor a.l.stasevich. stasevich had already arranged the film music as a cantata, and it was he who drew grigorovich's attention to its great potential as a ballet score.

'unfortunately stasevich died before he could evolve the score for the ballet. but grigorovich's imagination had already been fired by this deeply expressive music. the ballet began to take form in his mind as an independent work, which did not slavishly follow the plot of the film, but drew its theme from the quality of prokofiev's music.

'the thematic material from the film 'ivan the terrible' became the basis for the ballet score. in certain episodes other stylistically related works by prokofiev were used: the 'russian overture,' three sections from the 'third symphony,' and a fragment from the cantata 'alexander nevsky.' this additional music gave grigorovich a broader psychological spectrum to work with - from ivan's unbounded happiess with anastasia, to his horrifying visions.'

[this is signed by mikhail chulaki]

hope it helps.

[Mashinka]

There is also a faily large chunk from Prokofiev's strange opera "The Fiery Angel" in there too.

[bart]

Thanks rg and mashinka. That would explain the credit to Tchoulaki (or Chulaki) at the end of the film. My memory is off, but I think the lovely melody (long lines, great peacefulness) that is used for one of Anastasia's seens may indeed be from the Nevsky film rather than Ivan. It's sung in that film, I think.

I didn't recognize the rest. But much of it seemed rather generic and not particularly good for dance -- though good for busy movement scenes. Maybe my ear turned to tin during this viewing.