Alexander Nevsky

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Prokofiev wrote the film score to 'Alexander Nevsky' for the 1938 Sergei Eisenstein film of the same name. He later arranged the music as the cantata of the same name, and in this form it has become one of the few examples of film music which has found a permanent place in the standard repertoire. The music reflects the action on screen impressively, with the composer using different sections of the orchestra, and different musical styles, to evoke its various elements. The invading Teutonic knights are depicted with dissonant heavy brass in a martial style, while the Russian nation are scored with more delicate and refined woodwind and strings, often playing in a quasi-folk music style. The work as a whole is both epic and beautiful, and is one of the composer's most highly-regarded pieces. Composer: Sergei Prokofiev Performers: BBC Symphony Orchestra Performers: Bilbao Choral Society Performer: Zandra McMaster (Mezzo-soprano) Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek Recording date: 21 October 2011 Date of broadcast: 26 October 2011