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Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) The Tale of the Priest and his worker Balda: music
to the cartoon film by Mikhail Tsekhanovsky op. 36 (1933-34)
[54:53]
(Part I: Overture [1:23]; A Fair [1:52]; A Fair (continuation)
[2:30]; Carousel [1:25]; Balda’s March [0:54]; Bell-Ringers
Dance [2:16]; Carousel II [2:08]; The Bear’s Dance [2:55];
Balda’s Song [1:35]; The meeting of Balda and the Priest
[1:32]; Dialogue of Balda and the Priest [1:15]; Finale
of Part 1 [1:32]; Part II: A Village (Prelude) [2:00];
Balda’s first job [1:32]; The Metropolitan priest (Tea
Drinking) [1:13]; Overture to the Evening Party [1:53];
Lullaby [4:25]; The Priest’s Daughter’s Dream [2:06]; Waltz
[3:12]; Balda’s second job [0:54]; The Priest’s dance with
the Devil [1:06]; Dance of the corpses [2:34]; Procession
of Obscurantists [1:05]; Dialogue of Balda and the Old
Devil [1:34]; First dialogue of Balda and the Imp [3:34];
The Devil’s couplets [1:18]; Second dialogue of Balda and
the Imp [1:49]; The three knocks [1:56]; Balda’s Galop
[1:25]) Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District - Suite from
the Opera op. 29a (1932) [6:41]: (Allego con brio [2:06];
Presto [2:41]; Allegretto [1:54])
Dmitri Beloselsky
(Balda), Fyodor Bakanov (Imp), Sergei Blalashov (Priest),
Dmitri Ulyanov (Devil)
Moscow State Chamber Choir
Russian Philharmonic Orchestra/Thomas Sanderling
Russian State TV & Radio Company Kultura, Studio 5, Moscow,
May 2005 (Lady Macbeth), May-June 2005 (Balda), DDD DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 477 6112 [61:34]
With
the Shostakovich centenary (2006) the rush of new and reissued
recordings has come pretty much as expected. The vast majority
of the material has covered fairly well-worn territory -
not necessarily to disadvantage - but as in previous anniversary
binges the odd interesting corner has also been revealed
to the spotlight. The disc under consideration most certainly
falls into that category.
Not
that I’m pretending Balda is a masterpiece – a claim only
tenable from out-and-out Shostakovich groupies - nevertheless
it does throw more light on a key period in the composer’s
life and career.
The
tale of Balda, adapted by Tsekhanovsky from a Pushkin original,
was probably known to every Russian child. A priest hires
Balda as his worker, for the price of “three knocks on the
forehead”. To escape from his deal the Priest tries to give
Balda impossible tasks to accomplish. However he completes
them all and the Priest is forced to repay his debt. He bears
his forehead and with the knocks he is driven senseless,
with Balda repeating reproachfully, “So Priest you wanted
a good price …”
Tsekhanovsky’s
approach to tackling the work was dominated by the principle “first
the music, then the film!”. It’s therefore no great surprise
that he approached the 26 year old Shostakovich to meet the
challenge, a young lion whose cinematic and ballet scores
were already delighting audiences throughout Russia.
The
director reported in his diaries that Shostakovich liked
his scenario and that “he goes about his work like an
inspired, first-rate artist”. It’s arguably the closest
the composer came to working with the Russian folk-tale element
so prominent elsewhere in his countrymen’s music. Despite
relishing the opportunity to compose within this tradition,
Shostakovich was conscious of impending criticism. He recalled: “Perhaps
after the Tale of the Priest is shown on screen, I will again
hear reproaches from certain music critics at my superficiality
and mischief, at the absence of the real human emotions that
at “long last” materialized in my Lady Macbeth. But what
should we consider as human emotion? Do only lyricism, grief
and tragedy count? Surely laughter also has a right to this
honourable title?”
Despite
working on the film for four years, Tsekhanovsky was unable
to complete it and thus it’s only with the present issue
that listeners are at last able to hear the work in its full
and authentic form. The completion and finishing of the score
was undertaken by one of his pupils Vadim Bibergan, at the
instigation of Irina Antonovna, Shostakovich’s widow.
As
befits a cartoon score the result is a rather bitty piece
with a degree of commonplace writing designed to accompany
a fairly sharp-moving scenario. Moreover Shostakovich seems
to enjoy the task hugely. Listen to the wonderfully crude
trombone glissandi in the overture, or the fairground style
for the circus scene. The carousel music suggests Kurt Weill,
with piquant scoring also reminiscent of his own early opera The
Nose. The Bear dance also evinces smile-inducing farts
in the low brass, reminding me of the “juicy, fat beetles” his
great contemporary Prokofiev was so fond of.
The
short suite from Lady Macbeth comes as a complete
and understandable contrast, entering a totally different
sound-world. It is hardly necessary for me to repeat here
the crucial nature of the opera and its aftermath to Shostakovich’s
career. The impact of the presumed Stalin-led criticism was
devastating for the composer. He probably came as close to
losing his life during the months following the Pravda attack
as he did at any time during his tortuous existence under
the Soviet regime.
Having
had reissued Rostropovich’s memorable sound recording of
this great opera during the year (on EMI
Great Recordings of the Century), as well as a couple of DVDs of recent productions,
it’s particularly interesting to hear this suite, arranged
immediately after Shostakovich had completed the score. It
consists of three interludes: those between the second and
third, seventh and eighth, and sixth and seventh scenes,
the order being deliberately swapped around. Once again this
is claimed as a first recording.
Altogether
a fascinating disc which sheds new light during a major anniversary.
The Russian Philharmonic performs admirably under Sanderling’s
direction and the recording is reasonably bright and close,
presumably in an attempt to create an appropriate “celluloid” feel.
For
the adventurous or curious Shostakovich fan a must.
Ian Bailey
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