wimpel69
01-20-2017, 02:32 PM
Beyond the symphonies and the concertos, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote a large number of orchestral
works, ballets, operas, etc - some of which are considered "lesser" or "inferior". Well, truth be told, he occasionally
composed on "autopilot" and, like a film composer, he often left the actual orchestration to other hands, namely,
his students. But even the "lesser" works are very colorful, often commanding, and almost always very entertaining.
So here they are, on 8x Chandos CDs conducted by Neeme J�rvi (whose readings are never less than very good,
sometimes they have never been bettered - as in Alexander Nevsky, e.g.), in one place.
Please request the links in this thread, PM's will be ignored. Artwork and booklets are included. My rips.
In breathing new life into the symphony, sonata, and concerto, Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953 - he died on the same day
as Josef Stalin!) emerged as one of the truly original musical voices of the twentieth century. Bridging the worlds of pre-revolutionary
Russia and the Stalinist Soviet Union, Prokofiev enjoyed a successful worldwide career as composer and pianist. As in the case of
most other Soviet-era composers, his creative life and his music came to suffer under the duress of official Party strictures. Still,
despite the detrimental personal and professional effects of such outside influences, Prokofiev continued until the end of his career
to produce music marked by a singular skill, inventiveness, and �lan.
As an only child (his sisters had died in infancy), Prokofiev lived a comfortable, privileged life, which gave him a heightened sense
of self-worth and an indifference to criticism, an attitude that would change as he matured. His mother taught him piano, and he
began composing around the age of five. He eventually took piano, theory, and composition lessons from Reyngol'd Gliere, then
enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory when he was 13. He took theory with Lyadov, orchestration with Rimsky-Korsakov, and
became lifelong friends with Nicolai Myaskovsky. After graduating, he began performing in St. Petersburg and in Moscow, then in
Western Europe, all the while writing more and more music. Prokofiev's earliest renown, therefore, came as a result of both his
formidable pianistic technique and the works he wrote to exploit it. He sprang onto the Russian musical scene with works like the
Sarcasms, Op. 17 (1912-1914), and Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (1915-1917), and his first few piano sonatas. He also wrote orchestral
works, concertos, and operas, and met with Diaghilev about producing ballets. The years immediately after the Revolution were
spent in the U.S., where Prokofiev tried to follow Rachmaninov's lead and make his way as a pianist/composer. His commission for
The Love for Three Oranges came from the Chicago Opera in 1919, but overall Prokofiev was disappointed by his American
reception, and he returned to Europe in 1922. He married singer Lina Llubera in 1923, and the couple moved to Paris.
He continued to compose on commission, meeting with mixed success from both critics and the public. He had maintained
contact with the Soviet Union, even toured there in 1927. The Love for Three Oranges was part of the repertory there, and
the government commissioned the music for the film Lieutenant Kij� and other pieces from him. In 1936, he decided to return
to the Soviet Union with his wife and two sons. Most of his compositions from just after his return, including many for children,
were written with the political atmosphere in mind. One work which wasn't, was the 1936 ballet Romeo and Juliet, which
became an international success. He attempted another opera in 1939, Semyon Kotko, but was met with hostility from
cultural ideologues. During World War II, Prokofiev and other artists were evacuated from Moscow. He spent the time in
various places within the U.S.S.R. and produced propaganda music, but also violin sonatas, his "War Sonatas" for piano,
the String Quartet No. 2, the opera War and Peace, and the ballet Cinderella. In 1948, with the resolution that criticized
almost all Soviet composers, several of Prokofiev's works were banned from performance. His health declined and he
became more insecure. The composer's last creative efforts were directed largely toward the production of "patriotic" and
"national" works, typified by the cantata Flourish, Mighty Homeland (1947), and yet Prokofiev also continued to produce
worthy if lesser-known works like the underrated ballet The Stone Flower (1943).
Music Composed by
Sergei Prokofiev
Played by the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra
Conducted by
Neeme J�rvi
"Neeme J�rvi was one of the busiest stars on the international conducting scene. Brought up within the
USSR's system for developing musical talent, J�rvi studied percussion and conducting at the Tallinn Music School.
He made his debut as a conductor at age 18. From 1955 to 1960 he pursued further studies at the Leningrad
Conservatory, where his principal teachers were Nikola� Rabinovich and Yevgeny Mravinsky.
From the early '60s, J�rvi took a leading role in the musical life of his homeland. In 1963 he assumed the directorship
of the Estonian Radio & Television Orchestra, his first important post. He also founded the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra,
and for 13 years was the chief conductor of Opera House Estonia in Tallinn. From 1976 to 1980 he was chief conductor
and artistic director of the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, then in its infancy. By the late 1970s his fame had
spread throughout the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and he received favorable notices for his appearances in
the West. He made history by leading the first performances of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier and Gershwin's Porgy
and Bess ever given in the USSR.
While with the ESSO J�rvi developed a particular interest in unearthing and performing neglected repertory by both
little-known and important composers. He was a particular champion of the Estonian composers Eduard Tubin and
Arvo P�rt. In 1979 he premiered P�rt's Credo, a work that represents a turning point in that composer's stylistic
evolution. J�rvi, recognizing the importance of Credo (which incorporates biblical texts), presented it without first
navigating through the usual channels of the Communist Party or the Composers' Union. The resulting controversy
and official disfavor induced J�rvi to emigrate. He was permitted to leave Estonia in 1980; within a month of his
departure, he made his debut performances with the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New
York Philharmonic. He quickly received important appointments: principal guest conductor of the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra in England (1981-1983), music director of the Royal Scottish Orchestra (1984-1988), music
director of the Gothenburg (Sweden) Symphony Orchestra (1982-2004), and principal guest conductor of the
Japan Philharmonic.
In 1990 he assumed the post of music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. With that ensemble he made
30 of some 150 recordings on the Chandos label. J�rvi has also recorded for BIS, Deutsche Grammophon, and
Orfeo; his various recording projects include cycles of orchestral music by Sibelius, Prokofiev, Shostakovich,
Tubin, Brahms, Schumann, Shostakovich, and others. J�rvi announced his decision to step down from his Detroit
post in 2005. He has also served as principal conductor of the New Jersey Symphony, and accepted music director
positions with the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande for 2012.
J�rvi's children have made their mark on the musical world as well: son Paavo is gaining an international
reputation as a conductor and holds posts with the Orchestre de Paris and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Orchestra; Kristjan is the founder and conductor of the Absolut Ensemble of New York City; and daughter
Maarika was principal flutist with the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid."
Source: CHANDOS RECORDS CDs (my rips!)
Format: FLAC(RAR), DDD Stereo
File Sizes: 304 MB + 253 MB + 306 + 316 + 279 MB + 350 MB + 309 MB + 296 MB
Total Size: 2.35 GB (incl. covers & booklets)
Beyond the symphonies and the concertos, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote a large number of orchestral
works, ballets, operas, etc - some of which are considered "lesser" or "inferior". Well, truth be told, he occasionally
composed on "autopilot" and, like a film composer, he often left the actual orchestration to other hands, namely,
his students. But even the "lesser" works are very colorful, often commanding, and almost always very entertaining.
So here they are, on 8x Chandos CDs conducted by Neeme J�rvi (whose readings are never less than very good,
sometimes they have never been bettered - as in Alexander Nevsky, e.g.), in one place.
Please request the links in this thread, PM's will be ignored. Artwork and booklets are included. My rips.
works, ballets, operas, etc - some of which are considered "lesser" or "inferior". Well, truth be told, he occasionally
composed on "autopilot" and, like a film composer, he often left the actual orchestration to other hands, namely,
his students. But even the "lesser" works are very colorful, often commanding, and almost always very entertaining.
So here they are, on 8x Chandos CDs conducted by Neeme J�rvi (whose readings are never less than very good,
sometimes they have never been bettered - as in Alexander Nevsky, e.g.), in one place.
Please request the links in this thread, PM's will be ignored. Artwork and booklets are included. My rips.
In breathing new life into the symphony, sonata, and concerto, Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953 - he died on the same day
as Josef Stalin!) emerged as one of the truly original musical voices of the twentieth century. Bridging the worlds of pre-revolutionary
Russia and the Stalinist Soviet Union, Prokofiev enjoyed a successful worldwide career as composer and pianist. As in the case of
most other Soviet-era composers, his creative life and his music came to suffer under the duress of official Party strictures. Still,
despite the detrimental personal and professional effects of such outside influences, Prokofiev continued until the end of his career
to produce music marked by a singular skill, inventiveness, and �lan.
As an only child (his sisters had died in infancy), Prokofiev lived a comfortable, privileged life, which gave him a heightened sense
of self-worth and an indifference to criticism, an attitude that would change as he matured. His mother taught him piano, and he
began composing around the age of five. He eventually took piano, theory, and composition lessons from Reyngol'd Gliere, then
enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory when he was 13. He took theory with Lyadov, orchestration with Rimsky-Korsakov, and
became lifelong friends with Nicolai Myaskovsky. After graduating, he began performing in St. Petersburg and in Moscow, then in
Western Europe, all the while writing more and more music. Prokofiev's earliest renown, therefore, came as a result of both his
formidable pianistic technique and the works he wrote to exploit it. He sprang onto the Russian musical scene with works like the
Sarcasms, Op. 17 (1912-1914), and Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (1915-1917), and his first few piano sonatas. He also wrote orchestral
works, concertos, and operas, and met with Diaghilev about producing ballets. The years immediately after the Revolution were
spent in the U.S., where Prokofiev tried to follow Rachmaninov's lead and make his way as a pianist/composer. His commission for
The Love for Three Oranges came from the Chicago Opera in 1919, but overall Prokofiev was disappointed by his American
reception, and he returned to Europe in 1922. He married singer Lina Llubera in 1923, and the couple moved to Paris.
He continued to compose on commission, meeting with mixed success from both critics and the public. He had maintained
contact with the Soviet Union, even toured there in 1927. The Love for Three Oranges was part of the repertory there, and
the government commissioned the music for the film Lieutenant Kij� and other pieces from him. In 1936, he decided to return
to the Soviet Union with his wife and two sons. Most of his compositions from just after his return, including many for children,
were written with the political atmosphere in mind. One work which wasn't, was the 1936 ballet Romeo and Juliet, which
became an international success. He attempted another opera in 1939, Semyon Kotko, but was met with hostility from
cultural ideologues. During World War II, Prokofiev and other artists were evacuated from Moscow. He spent the time in
various places within the U.S.S.R. and produced propaganda music, but also violin sonatas, his "War Sonatas" for piano,
the String Quartet No. 2, the opera War and Peace, and the ballet Cinderella. In 1948, with the resolution that criticized
almost all Soviet composers, several of Prokofiev's works were banned from performance. His health declined and he
became more insecure. The composer's last creative efforts were directed largely toward the production of "patriotic" and
"national" works, typified by the cantata Flourish, Mighty Homeland (1947), and yet Prokofiev also continued to produce
worthy if lesser-known works like the underrated ballet The Stone Flower (1943).
Music Composed by
Sergei Prokofiev
Played by the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra
Conducted by
Neeme J�rvi
"Neeme J�rvi was one of the busiest stars on the international conducting scene. Brought up within the
USSR's system for developing musical talent, J�rvi studied percussion and conducting at the Tallinn Music School.
He made his debut as a conductor at age 18. From 1955 to 1960 he pursued further studies at the Leningrad
Conservatory, where his principal teachers were Nikola� Rabinovich and Yevgeny Mravinsky.
From the early '60s, J�rvi took a leading role in the musical life of his homeland. In 1963 he assumed the directorship
of the Estonian Radio & Television Orchestra, his first important post. He also founded the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra,
and for 13 years was the chief conductor of Opera House Estonia in Tallinn. From 1976 to 1980 he was chief conductor
and artistic director of the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, then in its infancy. By the late 1970s his fame had
spread throughout the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and he received favorable notices for his appearances in
the West. He made history by leading the first performances of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier and Gershwin's Porgy
and Bess ever given in the USSR.
While with the ESSO J�rvi developed a particular interest in unearthing and performing neglected repertory by both
little-known and important composers. He was a particular champion of the Estonian composers Eduard Tubin and
Arvo P�rt. In 1979 he premiered P�rt's Credo, a work that represents a turning point in that composer's stylistic
evolution. J�rvi, recognizing the importance of Credo (which incorporates biblical texts), presented it without first
navigating through the usual channels of the Communist Party or the Composers' Union. The resulting controversy
and official disfavor induced J�rvi to emigrate. He was permitted to leave Estonia in 1980; within a month of his
departure, he made his debut performances with the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New
York Philharmonic. He quickly received important appointments: principal guest conductor of the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra in England (1981-1983), music director of the Royal Scottish Orchestra (1984-1988), music
director of the Gothenburg (Sweden) Symphony Orchestra (1982-2004), and principal guest conductor of the
Japan Philharmonic.
In 1990 he assumed the post of music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. With that ensemble he made
30 of some 150 recordings on the Chandos label. J�rvi has also recorded for BIS, Deutsche Grammophon, and
Orfeo; his various recording projects include cycles of orchestral music by Sibelius, Prokofiev, Shostakovich,
Tubin, Brahms, Schumann, Shostakovich, and others. J�rvi announced his decision to step down from his Detroit
post in 2005. He has also served as principal conductor of the New Jersey Symphony, and accepted music director
positions with the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande for 2012.
J�rvi's children have made their mark on the musical world as well: son Paavo is gaining an international
reputation as a conductor and holds posts with the Orchestre de Paris and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Orchestra; Kristjan is the founder and conductor of the Absolut Ensemble of New York City; and daughter
Maarika was principal flutist with the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid."
Source: CHANDOS RECORDS CDs (my rips!)
Format: FLAC(RAR), DDD Stereo
File Sizes: 304 MB + 253 MB + 306 + 316 + 279 MB + 350 MB + 309 MB + 296 MB
Total Size: 2.35 GB (incl. covers & booklets)
Beyond the symphonies and the concertos, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote a large number of orchestral
works, ballets, operas, etc - some of which are considered "lesser" or "inferior". Well, truth be told, he occasionally
composed on "autopilot" and, like a film composer, he often left the actual orchestration to other hands, namely,
his students. But even the "lesser" works are very colorful, often commanding, and almost always very entertaining.
So here they are, on 8x Chandos CDs conducted by Neeme J�rvi (whose readings are never less than very good,
sometimes they have never been bettered - as in Alexander Nevsky, e.g.), in one place.
Please request the links in this thread, PM's will be ignored. Artwork and booklets are included. My rips.
