It's no Alexander Nevsky, but
Prokofiev's Ivan the Terrible still puts on one heck of a show. Both works were originally conceived and executed as film scores, but while Nevsky has the advantage of having been turned into a cantata by the composer himself, Ivan was turned into an oratorio after the composer's death by Abram Stasevich. So while the music for Ivan may or may not be the equal of the music for Nevsky -- and the argument could easily go either way -- the dramatic cogency of Nevsky the cantata is far superior to Ivan the oratorio. In the right performance, however, Ivan can be extremely impressive, and this performance by
Valery Gergiev is easily the most impressive performance of the digital era. Although recorded with the
Rotterdam Philharmonic --
Gergiev's other orchestra -- the Dutch players really put their backs into their work and the result is a spectacularly successful orchestral performance of staggering might and stunning majesty. Of course, part of the reason for this success is
Gergiev's hell bent for leather conducting, which makes the most of everything in the score -- the massive, the monumental, the exhilarating, and the outright frightening. And, of course, using the chorus of the Kirov Opera --
Gergiev's full-time job is directing the Kirov Opera -- plus a fine pair of Russian soloists -- clarion mezzo-soprano Liubov Sokolova and stentorian baritone
Nikolai Putilin -- adds enormously to the verisimilitude of the performance. While not perhaps for everyone -- Ivan is a truly terrifying work -- those who respond viscerally to Nevsky will probably be overwhelmed by Ivan. This straight reissue of Philips' 1996 digital recording is as dazzling as the original.