Salomon Past Concerts

17th October 2006 at St John's Smith Square

Conductor Philip Ellis

Cello Jessica Burroughs

Tchaikovsky The Voyevoda (Воевода)

Walton Cello Concerto

Prokofiev Symphony No. 6

There is no real musical connection between Tchaikovsky's symphonic ballad The Voyevoda of 1891and his first opera of the same name 20 years before, except that Tchaikovsky destroyed the score of both but re-used some of the music later (in the case of the ballad the central section was transcribed for piano as Aveu Passioné). Taneyev may have been largely responsible for cracking Tchaikovsky's brittle confidence by comparing the ballad unfavourably to earlier works, but after it was published in 1897 (from orchestral parts that original concert organiser Ziloti refused to give up for destruction) he expressed regret that he had misjudged it and jeopardised its survival. Based on Pushkin's translation of Mickiewicz' ballad, the voyevoda (the 'provincial governor' - original Slavic meaning 'warrior lead' or 'warlord') ordered a servant to shoot his unfaithful wife, but then took the bullet himself. The orchestration is notable for Tchaikovsky's first use of celesta, shortly to be followed by its more famous outing in the Nutcracker.

Cello Jessica Burroughs (click for her biography)

Walton's Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra was dedicated to and first performed by Gregor Piatigorsky in Symphony Hall Boston in 1957 under the direction of Charles Munch. The 3 movements are Moderato, Allegro Appassionato, and Theme and Variations. The initial model for the cello concerto was probably Prokofiev's first violin concerto which appears later in Salomon's 43rd season.

Prokofiev's 6th Symphony was greeted by a 30 minute ovation at its first performance at the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic, directed by Mravinsky on 10th October 1947. Tickets for the Moscow première sold out a fortnight before the concert. Musicologist Grigory Shneyerson said ' It is philosophic, has the depth of Shostakovich'.

Prokofiev had said that rejoicing at the victory at the end of 'The Great Patriotic War' had to be tempered with remembrance of all that had been lost, hence the symphony's nostalgic feel in the first two movements. The sadness may be as much for Prokofiev's failing health, and also that of the great film director Eisenstein who was ill following a heart attack while celebrating the completion of Ivan the Terrible (for which Prokofiev composed the score).

However in 1948 the Communist party denounced the symphony, possibly recognising that the nostalgia may have been for a time before Stalin's terror, and the bumbling but increasingly powerful bass rhythms in the lively finale could be a depiction of the Soviet apparatus - or as we now think of Stalin himself. Prokofiev and Shostakovich both feared for their lives under the terror, and both used irony (albeit Shostakovich in a more emotional manner) so they could produce meaningful music that also had to pass superficial Soviet judgement. If some of their works are simpler and more obviously doing the Party's bidding it should not be used to detract from their best: after all Tchaikovsky did not want to write the 1812 Overture, but his reputation as a great Russian symphonist is assured.

The final irony for Prokofiev - he died less than an hour before Stalin in 1953.

Conductor Philip Ellis (click for his biography including previous appearances)

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2006

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