Prokofiev's Cantata for the Twentieth Anniversary of the October Revolution may be considered either one of the great choral works to come out of the Soviet Union, or a bombastic and bathetic contribution to the dubious genre of musical socialist realism. Here, in one of only three digital recordings of the work, listeners can make up their own minds.
Neeme Järvi and the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra do their best by the work. The singing is forceful and in tune, the playing is powerful and together, and the conducting is cogent and convincing. With the addition of
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, the great Russian conductor, as the speaker, it's hard to find fault with any aspect of the performance. Whether one finds fault with the work is another matter. Some may be swept away by its massive chorus, gargantuan climaxes, and its additional military band and accordion band. Others may think it all too much ado about nothing and go back to Alexander Nevsky. Also included here are six excerpts from the composer's late ballet, The Tale of the Stone Flower, likewise performed with power and cogency by
Järvi and the Philharmonia (though, it should be noted, these excerpts are also included on other discs in the conductor's survey of
Prokofiev's orchestral works). Chandos' early digital sound, like the work, is big, colorful, and packs an incredible punch.