Prokofiev's Sixth and Seventh

Synopsis

By a coincidence, the last two symphonies of Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev premiered on today’s date: his Symphony No. 6 premiered in Leningrad in 1947, and his final, Symphony No. 7, in Moscow, in 1952.

The Symphony No. 6 is tragic in tone, and Prokofiev confided that it was about the physical and emotional wounds suffered by his countrymen during World War II. It was premiered at the opening concert of the Leningrad Philharmonic’s 1947 season and was applauded warmly by both audiences and the official Soviet critics. But early in 1948, he somehow ran afoul of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and his Symphony No. 6 was quickly withdrawn from further performances.

Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7 was intended to be for children, a kind of symphonic Peter and the Wolf, written in a deliberately populist style and with a wary eye on the dictates of the Central Committee. It’s an airy, almost transparently melodic score. Originally, it had a wistful, somewhat melancholic ending, with the music trailing off into silence. During the final dress rehearsals, however, he wrote an alternative, perhaps more “politically correct” finale, decidedly chipper and upbeat in tone.

Music Played in Today's Program

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Symphony No. 6; National Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, conductor; RCA/BMG 68801; and Symphony No. 7; French National Orchestra; Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor; Erato 75322

On This Day

Births

• 1882 - Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, in Drummondsville, Ontario

Deaths

• 1896 - Austrian composer Anton Bruckner, 72, in Vienna

Premieres

• 1727 - Handel: Coronation Anthems, in London at Westminster Abbey during the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline (Gregorian date: Oct. 22)

• 1830 - Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, in Warsaw, composer as soloist

• 1928 - Nielsen: Clarient Concerto, at a public concert in Copenhagen, with the composer conducting and Aage Ozenvad the soloist; This concert had been given a private performance in Humlebaek on September 14, 1928)

• 1947 - Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6, by Leningrad Philharmonic, Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting

• 1952 - Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7, by Moscow Philharmonic, Samuil Samosud conducting

• 1953 - Messiaen: Réveil des Oiseaux, in Donaueschingen, Germany

• 1955 - B.A. Zimmermann: Nobody Knows de Trouble I See for Trumpet and Orchestra, in Hamburg, by the North German Radio Orchestra conducted by Ernest Bour, with Adolf Scherbaum the soloist

• 1962 - Carlisle Floyd: opera The Passion on Jonathan Wader, by the New York City Opera

• 1977 - Bernstein: Songfest, Three Mediations from 'Mass' and Slava! by the National Symphony, conducted by the composer (Songfest and Meditations and Mstislav Rostropovich (Slava!). Rostropovich was also the cello soloist in the Meditations.

• 1980 - Bernstein: A Musical Toast (A Fanfare in Memory of André Kostelanetz) by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta

• 1980 - Zemlinksy: opera Der Traumgörge (Goerge the Dreamer), posthumously, in Nuremberg at the Opernhaus (This opera was written in 1906)

• 1985 - John Harbison: String Quartet No. 1, at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., by the Cleveland Quartet

• 1985 - Michael Torke: Vanada for brass, keyboards and percussion, at the Concertgebouw Chamber Hall in Amsterdam, by the Asko Ensemble, Lukas Vis conducting