I. Yakovleva

The image of Moscow in the opera «Peace and War» by S. Prokofiev

Some aspects conformably to artistic realization of the Moscow image in the opera masterpiece by S. Prokofiev are examined in the article. The researcher pays special attention for the purposeful development of the named image. This development is retraced in the course of analytical comparing of principal author’s opera wordings (with regard for various contextual factors). There is noted in the article that image of Moscow is one of key elements in conformity with not only staging but also musical dramaturgy of the mentioned work. It is visually confirmed both in crowd scenes and in oppositions of the personages (Kutuzov – Napoleon, Bezuchov – Karataev, etc.). And what’s more the lyrical-psychological opera line is also directly connected with the image of Moscow. For example the heroes leave the capital equally through starting military operations and disastrous events of their private life; the liberation of the capital raises some hopes of a new happiness etc. The researcher draws the parallels between S. Prokofiev’s interpretation of the considered image and traditions of the Russian classical operas of the XIXth century (M. Glinka, M. Mussorgsky). As a whole the image of Moscow realizing by S. Prokofiev is the substantial link of «the Moscow myth» historical evolution in Russian culture. The main conclusion to which the author of the article, is that the image of Moscow in the Opera by S. S. Prokofiev is the main link of the development-related conflict and epic-dramatic line.

Key words

S. Prokofiev, opera «War and Peace», image of Moscow, operatic dramaturgy.

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