LIEUTENANT KIJE SUITE (OP 60) - ROMANCE

Created on 12/01/2009
Latest update on 11/02/2023

Artist: Nina Shaternikova
Author: Sergei Prokofiev
Label: Belgoskino
Year: 1934

As the harp playing Princess Gagarina at the court of Tsar Paul I in Russian film Poruchik Kizhe, a funny parody pulling the despotism of both the Romanovs (obviously) and Stalin (well between the lines). Director Alexander Faintsimmer found Prokofiev for the delicate musical accents, who - following the film's success - wove all of his musical themes into a full blown symphonic Suite, named after the film's unexisting main character: Lieutenant Kijé Suite.

Covers:

1934:

Orchestra of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre [instrumental reprise of the same tune during the burial of (meanwhile General Major) Kijé near the end of the same film]

1934:

Moscow Radio Orchestra [with Prokofiev conducting during the première of the Lieutenant Kije Suite]

1969:

Wannes Van de Velde [musical coloring of Pieter Breughel In Brussel]

1985:

Sting [in Russians]

1999:

Khadja Nin [idem]

Greg Lake's I Believe In Father Christmas (n°2 UK in '75) was inspired by the Troïka from that same Suite (see there). ELO's Nellie Takes Her Bow ('72) comes from another part of this same suite.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

No Facebook No Twitter