Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Sergei Prokofiev with his operatic masterpiece, "Betrothal in a Monastery." Released on January 1, 1988, under the Decca Music Group Ltd. label, this album is a testament to Prokofiev's genius, blending classical and neoclassical elements with orchestral brilliance. Spanning over two hours and thirty-two minutes, the album is a comprehensive journey through the intricate and engaging narrative of the opera.
"Betrothal in a Monastery" is a vibrant and dynamic composition that showcases Prokofiev's unique ability to weave complex emotions and vivid imagery through music. The opera, divided into four acts and eight tableaux, is brought to life with a rich orchestration that highlights the dramatic and comedic elements of the story. From the overture's stirring opening to the final act's climactic moments, Prokofiev's score is a masterclass in orchestral storytelling.
The album features a wide range of musical styles and moods, from the playful and whimsical to the intense and dramatic. Prokofiev's use of leitmotifs and his ability to create memorable melodies make this opera a delight for both new and seasoned listeners. The orchestral arrangements are intricate and rich, with each instrument contributing to the overall narrative and emotional depth of the piece.
Sergei Prokofiev, a towering figure in the world of classical music, brings his distinctive voice to this opera, blending traditional and modern elements to create a work that is both timeless and innovative. "Betrothal in a Monastery" is a perfect example of Prokofiev's ability to push the boundaries of classical music while remaining rooted in its traditions.
Whether you are a fan of classical music, a lover of opera, or simply someone looking to explore new musical horizons, "Betrothal in a Monastery" is an album that promises to captivate and inspire. Dive into the world of Sergei Prokofiev and experience the magic of this extraordinary operatic journey.
Betrothal in a Monastery: OvertureSergei Prokofiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: "But that is just fantasy!"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: "Plain. Round-shouldered"Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Liadov, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Georgy Zastavny, Nikolai Gassiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: "She has shaken your hand"Sergei Prokofiev, Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Nikolai Gassiev, Alexander Gergalov, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: "The moon looks in at your window"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Liadov, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Georgy Zastavny, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: "Stop that mewing"Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Liadov, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Georgy Zastavny, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: Masker's DanceSergei Prokofiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: " I had better get her married her off"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 1 Tableau 1: "Friends, depart"Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Liadov, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Georgy Zastavny, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 2: "It will work, Nanny, won't it?"Sergei Prokofiev, Anna Netrebko, Larissa Diadkova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 2: "Splendid, Señor, splendid"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Anna Netrebko, Alexander Gergalov, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 2: "Will you cherish me in my old age?"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Anna Netrebko, Alexander Gergalov, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 2: "Give it back!"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Larissa Diadkova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 2: "If you have a daughter"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 2: "It looks like the first act"Sergei Prokofiev, Larissa Diadkova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 3: "Buy some fish"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Chorus, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 3: "Rosina...Rosina..."Sergei Prokofiev, Ljubov Sokolova, Marianna Tarassova, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 3: "Ferdinand alone is dearer"Sergei Prokofiev, Marianna Tarassova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 3: "If I had known"Sergei Prokofiev, Anna Netrebko, Marianna Tarassova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 3: "My beard?"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Sergei Aleksashkin, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 3: "There is no greater happiness"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Chorus, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 4: "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"Sergei Prokofiev, Lyudmlla Kasianenko, Nikolai Gassiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 4: "My prettty...My pretty..."Sergei Prokofiev, Larissa Diadkova, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 4: "When the cheerful fop starts hanging around"Sergei Prokofiev, Larissa Diadkova, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 2 Tableau 4: "Well?"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 5: "Ah, time does not want to move on at all"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 5: "Come in, come in, Antonio"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Yuri Shkliar, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 5: "Should we take a sly look"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 5: "It's bad to peep"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 5: "How my soul is beaming!"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 6: "You are not playing in tune"Sergei Prokofiev, Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 6: "My respectful greetings to the Señor"Sergei Prokofiev, Yuri Shkliar, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 6: "Please, let us continue"Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 6: "Lopez!"Sergei Prokofiev, Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 7: "Here I am, a nun"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Marianna Tarassova, Anna Netrebko, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 7: "They have gone gladdened"Sergei Prokofiev, Marianna Tarassova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 3 Tableau 7: "It must be here..."Sergei Prokofiev, Marianna Tarassova, Alexander Gergalov, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 8: "The bottle is the sun of our lives"Sergei Prokofiev, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Sergei Liadov, Valery Sobanov, Vladimir Kniazev, Georgy Zastavny, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 8: "To the pretty nun"Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Liadov, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Vladimir Vaneev, Georgy Zastavny, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 8: "They're bring more wine!"Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Liadov, Vladimir Vaneev, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Valery Sobanov, Vladimir Kniazev, Evgeny Akimov, Georgy Zastavny, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 8: "Take care, Antonio!"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Vladimir Vaneev, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Valery Sobanov, Vladimir Kniazev, Anna Netrebko, Alexander Gergalov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Marianna Tarassova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 8: "Straight down to business now"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Liadov, Fyodor Kuznetsov, Vladimir Vaneev, Valery Sobanov, Vladimir Kniazev, Georgy Zastavny, Marianna Tarassova, Alexander Gergalov, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 9: "I can't understand it"Sergei Prokofiev, Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Nikolai Gassiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 9: "Aha, here's Mendoza at last"Sergei Prokofiev, Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Nikolai Gassiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 9: "What is this?"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Vladimir Zhivopistsev, Nikolai Gassiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Anna Netrebko, Larissa Diadkova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 9: "Son! At last"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Nikolai Gassiev, Alexander Gergalov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Larissa Diadkova, Anna Netrebko, Marianna Tarassova, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Betrothal in a Monastery / Act 4 Tableau 9: "Don Jerome, Don Jerome!"Sergei Prokofiev, Evgeny Akimov, Nikolai Gassiev, Anna Netrebko, Alexander Gergalov, Marianna Tarassova, Mariinsky Chorus, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev