So what's so superb about this score? Why should a guy like me, who was born in 1981, go out and buy a score to a 1939 film, which I will probably never see.

And how's the best way to hear it? Apparently there is a concert suite, an expanded score, a reconstructed score etc.

Now for versions. First off, there is a newly-recorded version that was used to track new copies of the film and a Soundtrack Library CD with some of the original tracks, but I much prefer the Concert Cantata version with the Opus number to those 2 versions. Prokofiev removed repeating phrases and tightened it up in general for the concert version.

There are many recordings of this and picking the best version of it is up to interpretation. My absolute favorite is OOP, a 50s recording w/The NY Phil conducted by Thomas Schippers (one track of it is on a budget Prokofiev's Greatest Hits CD but not the entire thing). But chances are you'd like a newer performance and sound. The one thing to avoid is any version sung in English. To really appreciate this score, you've got to get a version with the chants in Russian and Latin. I don't even know why there's a version translated into English in the first place but it has been recorded and trust me you don't want to step in it. I'm sure others will chime in soon with their ideas of the best versions to pick up. I'm sure the Slatkin and the Previn are fine to begin with.

This has all been discussed here before of course and if you put Alexander Nevsky into the message board search engine, you'll probably turn up all the info you're looking for.

And, incidentally, the film is from 1937 not 1939 and it's on VHS and DVD so you actually COULD go watch it if you wanted to. Visually, it's remarkable and worth the look. A guy like you born in 1981 doesn't have to exist on current culture alone. You could expand your horizons and read, say, Shakespeare from the year 1600 and still get something worthwhile out of it. The same goes for watching movies made before 1981--there's a lot of good stuff there. Just a thought.

You guys seriously think I don't care about all that came before 1981? Why even Jaws and Star Wars came before 1981.

My point was:
a) please let me know why this score has withstood the test of so much time
b) The film is by and large forgotten, whereas Shakespeare most definetely isn't. What makes this score so great, when the film is unheard of by 99% of people in the street.

Oh, and more importantly - What's the music like?
It is thematic? Mainly action or mainly sweeping melodies?
Which other composers besides Poledouris have been influenced?
Are there any other score besides Conan which owe a lot to this score.

And finally (and before Dan pips in with his usual links ad nauseum):
I have typed into the searched engine and read what I found, and boy did I find a lot. That's where I got all the info about the different versions. It's just that there were many conflicting opinions back then and I was wondering if maybe there is a definitive version out.

Is the one on sale here at Moviemusic (the one with the black and red helmet cover) the best one?

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Originally posted by Camillu:
The film is by and large forgotten, whereas Shakespeare most definetely isn't.

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Not so Camillu. Whilst incomparable to the impact of Shakespeare on contemporary culture - Alexander Nevsky remains one of the greats of cinematic history.

You may not get to discuss it with the average person on the street but then again you probably couldn't have back then either. Largely remembered for (1) being part of Eisenstein's body of work (2) a great of Soviet Cinema (3) the battle sequence on the lake.

Asking how the music has stood the test of time is to answer your own question at the same time. Musically astounding....
..Prokofiev....Russian canon etc

I can recommend the RCA Victor release that has the choruses sung in Russian and recorded with the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

If you ever come across the film - please make you see it. You may find it at one of the local cinematheques and as such - see it on the big screen.

Beautiful film and score. Russian/Early Soviet Cinema...sigh....

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Originally posted by Camillu:
Oh, and more importantly - What's the music like?

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Horner?

Seriously: I can't really describe it, I'll leave that to the others. However, for $15 (and I'm pretty sure my copy was cheaper), Amazon.com has this 2CD set containing both Ivan the Terrible (conducted by Muti) and Alexander Nevsky (Previn), plus Rachmaninov's The Bells (also Previn). Wedge will tell you to get the cheap Vox Box set, but I prefer this one. Perhaps you can find sound clips somewhere.

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Originally posted by Lou Goldberg:
My absolute favorite is OOP, a 50s recording w/The NY Phil conducted by Thomas Schippers (one track of it is on a budget Prokofiev's Greatest Hits CD but not the entire thing).

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BASTARD! I've been looking for that for ages. I'm jealous now. REEEAALLLY jealous.

BTW, I read some review of Sony's Masterworks Heritage series the other day, and the rumour at that time (late 1999) was that future releases in the catalogue would include a remastered CD release of Schippers.

I emailed Sony last week asking about this. Still no reply.

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Originally posted by Marian Schedenig
Seriously: I can't really describe it, I'll leave that to the others. However, for $15 (and I'm pretty sure my copy was cheaper), Amazon.com has this 2CD set containing both Ivan the Terrible (conducted by Muti) and Alexander Nevsky (Previn), plus Rachmaninov's The Bells (also Previn). Wedge will tell you to get the cheap Vox Box set, but I prefer this one. Perhaps you can find sound clips somewhere.

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Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
I was grabbed by the ideas of Muti, Previn, the LSO, the Philharmonia, Nevski and Ivan all on one cheap double disc.

Unfortunately, the sound on mine is awful. The strings sound distorted. The brass is squeaky. The chorus unclear.
But then, maybe it's just my copy. I spoke with Marian about this a while back, and his was not like that. :|

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Originally posted by Dinko:
But then, maybe it's just my copy. I spoke with Marian about this a while back, and his was not like that. :|

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I didn't say that. I said that it was a while since I played it, and I can't remember noticing anything like that. I believe I haven't played the disc since then. Must check out soon. I think I generally pay more attention to the transparency than to minor distortions (I don't believe there are strong distortions on my disc, I should have noticed that).

Is yours the 1999 remastering, too? ("Remastered at Abbey ROad Studios and noise-shaped via the Prism SNS system for optimum sound quality" - whatever a Prism SNS system is)

Gae

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Originally posted by Marian Schedenig:
I didn't say that. I said that it was a while since I played it, and I can't remember noticing anything like that.

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oops! thanks for rectifying my memory.

Is yours the 1999 remastering, too? ("Remastered at Abbey ROad Studios and noise-shaped via the Prism SNS system for optimum sound quality" - whatever a Prism SNS system is)

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Originally posted by Camillu:

b) The film is by and large forgotten, whereas Shakespeare most definetely isn't. What makes this score so great, when the film is unheard of by 99% of people in the street.

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YOU have heard about it, so you can't say it is forgotten. It has been available in every video format. I just learned today that the Austin Symphony will be performing the score live to the film next year.

The CD with the Red Helmet is the score as it was added to new prints of the film. Not bad and it is the actual score and not the cantata suite, but I prefer the concert version (I do not consider it comically condensed).

I was giving your ribs a poke. Eisenstein is to some film people what Shakespeare is to drama. Maybe Nevsky is not as well known to the public at large as say Hamlet, but that doesn't mean anything. Some of the films and scores I cherish most are very little known, known far far less than Nevsky or Hamlet, but that doesn't make them any less important to me.

Nevsky could be a real find for you both as a score and a film.

It is very hard to describe this score. I'll go through the cantata version and see if it helps.

Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke--A kind of savage 4-note motif played thrice representing the Mongols starts things off. Then a lot of downbeat woodwinds and slow tempi tell you things in Russia suck for 3 minutes.

Song About Alexander Nevsky--The Mongols want to make a deal with Nevsky but he won't help them. A male chorus sings this both in the film and the cantata, a slow pretty upbeat tune with an ever qucker neat break in the center.

The Crusaders in Pskov--The German Teutonic Knights are invading Russia. They take Pskov and toss live babies into bonfires. Bad news. They get a savage descending 3-note Bum, Bump, Bum that scares the crap out of you. This is followed by slow and low Latin choir, another 3-note motif that goes up in the middle on solo brass that becomes their main motif and all of it makes 'em sound like a mean bunch of bastids.

Arise Ye Russian People--Short, quick, sweet. A fanfare starts off a rousing male chorus singing a call to arms like a sea shanty. Women come in with an even lighter break (Hey, Xylophones!).

Battle on the Ice--Now that the Russians are all excited from hearing Prokofiev's Arise music they're off to get slaughtered fighting the German knights on a frozen lake. Everything comes in here--Alex's song, the Knights choir, the Arise music, plus a scherzo, and lots of great horse riding galops. It starts with crawling strings that set the mood of anticipation and then a galop shows that gets faster and faster and kicks off 12 minutes of non-stop Medieval horse and mace and sword and spear action.

Field of the Dead--The Russkies win but at a big cost. At night people look over the dead to see who's bit the dust. The chorus sings a dirge lament.

Alexander's Entry into Pskov--Kiss those Teutonic motifs good-bye, nothing but all the upbeat Alex and Arise music with more breaks and scherzos, to tell you that The Russkies can kick German ass any day of the week (at least in 1937).

Motifs and tunes, fanfares and atmosphere, heavy choirs and light ones too. It tries for a rough savage sound to go with the time period--1200s: anvyls, low brass, orientalisms, etc. but all the music for the Russians is like folk tunes, warm beefy choirs that make you feel good for these guys.

Whatever you decide on, get a complete version. There are CDs that have just the Battle cue or one of the others--get the whole thing.

Dinko--I can send you a tape of the Schippers. My LP has some surface noise, but that's better than not having it at all.

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Originally posted by Dinko:
Unfortunately, the sound on mine is awful. The strings sound distorted. The brass is squeaky. The chorus unclear.
But then, maybe it's just my copy. I spoke with Marian about this a while back, and his was not like that. :|

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Playing CD #1 (Ivan) right now, and the sound is in fact excellent. Will report on the second disc shortly.