Ivan the Terrible (), Op. 116, is the score composed by Sergei Prokofiev for Sergei Eisenstein's film Ivan the Terrible (1945) and its sequel (1958), the first two parts of an incomplete trilogy.
In 1973 the composer Mikhail Chulaki and choreographer Yuri Grigorovich drew on Prokofiev's film score and other music to create the ballet Ivan the Terrible for the Bolshoi Ballet, which was given its premiere in 1975. Later performing editions of the scores include an oratorio put together by Michael Lankester (1989), and a concert scenario by Christopher Palmer (1991). The restoration of the entire original film score has been published and recorded.
History Composition history
Sergei Prokofiev composed the first part of the film score for Ivan the Terrible for Sergei Eisenstein's 1945 film Ivan the Terrible, based on the life of Ivan the Terrible. The project was Prokofiev's second collaboration with Eisenstein, the first being the popular Alexander Nevsky (1938). The majority of the non-liturgical song texts were written by Vladimir Lugovskoy, who collaborated with Prokofiev on the texts for Alexander Nevsky. Prokofiev also composed the score for its 1958 sequel. A planned third part of a trilogy was not performed.
Performance history The film Ivan the Terrible (Part One) premiered on 30 December 1944. The sequel, The Boyar Conspiracy (Part Two), was not shown until 1958.
The concert premiere of the soundtrack film score, as restored by Frank Strobel, took place on 16 September 2016 at the Musikfest Berlin, accompanied by a showing of the film in the Great Hall of the Konzerthaus Berlin. Strobel conducted the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Rundfunkchor Berlin, with soloists Marina Prudenskaya (contralto) and Alexander Vinogradov (bass).
Publication history 1958, 'Songs and Choruses from the Music for the Film Ivan the Terrible, vocal scores, published by Levon Atovmyan in the magazine Sovetskaya Muzyka; the six numbers included:GSCMMC-Sikorski (2000: p. 10) 'The Black Cloud' 'Ocean-Sea' 'Song of Praise' 'The Swan' 'The Cannoneers' 'Song about the Beaver' 1960, 'Songs and Choruses from Cantatas, Oratorios, and Films', published by Levon Atovmyan, vocal scores, Sovetskiy Kompozitor; the numbers from Ivan the Terrible included:Kravetz (2010: p. 5 'The Oath of the Oprichniki' 'Song of Fyodor Basmanov and the Oprichniki' 'Song of the Oprichniki' 1997, Ivan the Terrible, manuscript film score, full score, edition by Marina Rakhmanova and Irina Medvedeva, Musikverlage Hans Sikorski, HamburgGSCMMC-Sikorski (2000: p. 1) 2016, Ivan the Terrible, soundtrack film score, full score, edition by Frank Strobel, Musikverlage Hans Sikorski, Hamburg
Structure and content The subject of the "First Tale" (Part 1) is the early years, 1547 to 1565, of the reign of Ivan IV of Russia: his coronation, his intent to curb the powers of the boyars, his wedding, his conquest of Kazan, his almost fatal illness, the poisoning and death of his first wife Anastasia, the formation of the oprichniki, and his abdication.
The "Second Tale" (Part 2), subtitled The Boyar Conspiracy, covers the years 1565 to 1569, and concerns the defection of Prince Kurbsky to Poland-Lithuania, Ivan's disputes with Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow, the intrigues of the boyars, the excesses of the oprichniki, the attempted coup by the boyars and Ivan's aunt, Yefrosinya Staritskaya, the murder of her son Vladimir Staritsky, and Ivan's triumph over his domestic enemies.
The film scores were not published during Prokofiev's lifetime. They were arranged in 1961 as an oratorio for soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Levon Atovmyan, one of Prokofiev's assistants. However, before this version could be performed, the music received its concert premiere in 1961 in Moscow in the form of an oratorio for speaker, soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Abram Stasevich, who had conducted the film soundtracks for Eisenstein.
Scoring and instrumentation The two film scores together require a contralto or mezzo-soprano (in 'Ocean-Sea' and 'Song about the Beaver'), a baritone or bass (in 'Song of the Oprichniki'), a bass (in 'Many Years!'), mixed (SATB) chorus, and the following instrumentation:
Strings: violins I & II, violas, cellos, double basses Woodwinds: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, english horn, 3 clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, 4 bassoons, contrabassoon Brass: 5 horns, 5 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas Percussion: timpani, bass drum, snare drum, triangle, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, bells, church bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, wood block, whip Other: piano, harp
Manuscript numbers The numbers in Prokofiev's manuscript scores are listed in the table below. The table can be sorted by clicking on the buttons in the title bar. The default sequence can be restored by refreshing the browser (press F5).
Note: The column marked 'S' shows the numbering of the musical numbers by Musikverlage Hans Sikorski, the publisher of the restored manuscript film score (zeros have been inserted before single digit numbers for sorting purposes). 'A' stands for Anhang (the appendix), which includes the liturgical numbers used in the film that were either arranged by Prokofiev or were not written into his score of Ivan the Terrible. KeyPinkUsed only in Part 1 of the filmBlueUsed only in Part 2 of the filmPurpleUsed both in Part 1 and in Part 2GrayUsed neither in Part 1 nor in Part 2
No.STitleEnglishSourceScoring0101УвертюраOvertureProkofievChorus, orchestra0202Смерть ГлинскойDeath of GlinskayaProkofievChorus, orchestra0303Марш молодого ИванаMarch of the Young IvanProkofievOrchestra0404aОкеан-мореOcean-SeaProkofievSoloist, chorus, orchestra0504bОкеан-мореOcean-SeaProkofievOrchestra0605Шуйский и псариShuyskiy and the HuntsmenProkofievOrchestra07A01Кирие элейсонKyrie eleisonLiturgyChorus08A02Софрониевская херувимская песньSofroniy's Cherubic SongMonastic song, transcribed by KastalskyChorus09a06Многая лета!Many Years!Traditional, arranged by ProkofievChorus, bells09bA03Многая лета!Many Years!TraditionalChorus1007ВеличаниеPraise SongProkofievChorus, orchestra1108ЛебедьThe SwanProkofievChorus, orchestra1209ЮродивыйThe Holy FoolProkofievOrchestra1310БунтThe RiotProkofievOrchestra1411Выход татарEntrance of the TatarsProkofievOrchestra1512Пушки движутся на КазаньThe Cannons Move to KazanProkofievOrchestra1613Палатка ИванаIvan's TentProkofievOrchestra1714Степь татарскаяTatar SteppeProkofievChorus, orchestra1815ПушкариThe CannoneersProkofievChorus, orchestra1916ТатарыThe TatarsProkofievOrchestra2017Трубы КурбскогоKurbskiy's TrumpetsProkofievBrass2118АтакаAttackProkofievOrchestra2219Зависть МалютыMalyuta's JealousyProkofievOrchestra2320Казань взятаKazan is TakenProkofievOrchestra24A04Душе мояMy SoulObikhodChorus25A05Многомилостиве ГосподиMost Merciful LordObikhodChorus2621Иван умоляет боярIvan Implores the BoyarsProkofievOrchestra2722Болезнь АнастасииAnastasiya's IllnessProkofievOrchestra2823Отравление АнастасииThe Poisoning of AnastasiyaProkofievOrchestra29A06Вечная памятьEternal RemembranceObikhodChorus30A07Со святыми упокойRest with the SaintsObikhodChorus31A08Сам един есиThou AloneObikhod, transcribed by VinogradovChorus3224Иван у гроба АнастасииIvan at Anastasiya's CoffinProkofievOrchestra33a25Клятва опричниковOath of the OprichnikiProkofievChorus, orchestra33b25Клятва опричниковOath of the OprichnikiProkofievChorus, orchestra3426Вернись!Come Back!ProkofievChorus, orchestra3527ФанфарыFanfaresProkofievBrass3627aПолонезPolonaiseProkofiev, from Boris Godunov (incidental music, Op. 70a: No. 10)Orchestra37A09Не рыдай мене, матиDo not Sob for Me, MotherIvanovChorus38A10Уне тебе бяше, ИудоIt Were Better for You, JudasLiturgyChorus39a28aДивен БогWondrous is GodBortnyanskyChorus, bells39bA11Дивен БогWondrous is GodBortnyanskyChorus40a28bПение отроковSinging of the BoysProkofiev3 Boys40bA12We Are Innocent and at Their Mercy3 Boys4129Песня про бобраSong about the BeaverProkofievSoloist, orchestra4230aПляски опричников:Хаотическая пляскаDances of the Oprichniki:Chaotic DanceProkofievOrchestra4330bПляски опричников:Организованная пляскаDances of the Oprichniki:Orderly DanceProkofievOrchestra4431Куплеты опричниковSong of the OprichnikiProkofievSoloist, chorus, orchestra4531aКуплеты опричниковSong of the OprichnikiProkofievOrchestra4632a32bХор опричниковChorus of the OprichnikiProkofievChorus, orchestra4732cУбийство ВладимираVladimir's MurderProkofievOrchestra4833Выход ИванаEntrance of IvanProkofievOrchestra
The performance duration is about 100 minutes.
Several numbers can be divided into two parts, which are sometimes quoted in the film separately:
The first half of the 'Overture' is the orchestral 'A Storm Approaches' (the Ivan theme), which is used very liberally in both films as a leitmotiv; the second half is the chorus 'The Black Cloud', which is used only at the beginning of each film as part of the overture. The first part of 'The Death of Glinskaya' accompanies, in the second film, the flashback of the poisoning of the 8-year-old-Ivan's mother; the second part is the chorus 'On the Bones of our Enemies' (the sung portion of which was used in neither film). The first half of 'Come Back!' depicts the people's chorus of supplication after Ivan's abdication; the second half is the 'Finale' (a variation of 'A Storm Approaches'), which concludes both films.
Film score cues Ivan the Terrible (Part 1, 1944) SceneCueNumbersScoringOverture1A Storm ApproachesOrchestraThe Black CloudChorus, orchestraA Storm Approaches (2 times)OrchestraCoronation2BellsBellsKyrie EleisonChorusSofroniy's Cherubic SongChorus4To Tsar Ivan, Crowned by GodBass soloistMany Years!ChorusSofroniy's Cherubic SongChorusAlliluyyaChorusThe Wedding7Praise SongChorus, orchestraBellsBells8Ivan's TentOrchestraThe RiotOrchestraThe SwanChorus, orchestra9The Death of GlinskayaOrchestraThe RiotOrchestra10Entrance of the TatarsOrchestraA Storm ApproachesOrchestraThe Taking of Kazan11The Cannons Move to Kazan OrchestraIvan's TentOrchestraThe Tatar SteppeChorus, orchestra12The CannoneersChorus, orchestraThe TatarsOrchestraThe CannoneersChorus, orchestraIvan's TentOrchestra14Kurbskiy's TrumpetsBrassAttackOrchestraKazan is TakenOrchestraIvan's Illness15My SoulChorusMost Merciful LordChorusIvan Pleads with the BoyarsOrchestraThe Tatar SteppeChorus, orchestraThe Death of Anastasiya18The Poisoning of AnastasiyaOrchestraAnastasiya's IllnessOrchestra19Eternal RemembranceChorusRest with the SaintsChorus20The Poisoning of AnastasiyaOrchestraIvan at Anastasiya's CoffinOrchestraIvan's Abdication21Chorus of the OprichnikiChorus, orchestraCome back!Chorus, orchestraFinaleOrchestra
Ivan the Terrible: The Boyar Conspiracy (Part 2, 1946)