Alexandre Nevski

I want you tell about Prokofiev. You don't maybe know the name, but his music is very famous, and listen over the world.
Let me present you a Russian movie called Alexandre Nevski. It was directed by Eisenstein in 1938.

For me, it's an incredible movie and it's the most popular of Eisenstein 's sound films.

The story tells the big battle in the 13th century between the Russian people and the Teutonic Knights. Russians lead by Alexandre Nevski, a prince. After a terrible massacre of Pskov's people, Nevski aks the whole nation to join him in the fight.

This film was made during the Stalinist period. At that moment, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany collaborated. Alexandre Nevski, through Einsenstein's vision, expresses the political situation. He draws a portrait of Nevski, like a folk hero. I's also a anti-clerical movie.

Less experimental than the other E. movies, Alexandre Nevski is his first dramatic film to use sound.

Prokofiev collaborated on the score. He created a brilliant, triumphant, terrific music narrative, using horns.

Let me show you the decisive Battle on Ice.

Who is Serge Prokoviev?

Prokofiev is a famous Russian composer. He lived during the last century.

He composed music for children with Peter and the Wolf. But he made scores for ballets. In other, Romeo and Juliet which is his most best-known works.

Listen this poignant, inspired moment telling the Montagues and Capulet's fight...

Unfortunetly, Serge Prokofiew died the same day as Staline, March 5th 1953. That's why the Russian autorities forgot to make a public announcement. Nobody was present for his funeral.

Le mépris

Today, I introduce you to a great French composer who lived also in the United States.
His name: Georges Delerue (1925 / 1992)

Probably, you don't remember his name. He composed a lot of soundtracks, a hundred.

In my opinion, his most beautiful inspiration is "Le mépris" by Godard. This is probably his most famous and appreciated score. Moreover, this soundtrack was used again in Scorsese 's movie, Casino.

Georges Delerue has composed this score only for a string orchestra. This music evokes a love tragedy . It expresses the slowly split between Paul and Camille (played by Brigitte Bardot). The couple is breaking up from their daily.
This theme is very useful for the director, Jean-Luc Godard. This is more than a basic soundtrack. This is a essential key of the narrative line.
We can imagine the Greek side of the tragedy when you listen the harp and the violin which speak together. Georges Delerue has touch the perfect note, he catches with intensitiy all the emotion of the drama (with the continous bass by the cellos).

This is a marvellous score which reminds us a nostalgic close to a Bach aria, this musician's work.
It's impossible to stay far from emotion, sadness and romantic feelings also when you heard this theme of Camille.


To continue, this is a Geoges Delerue's interview (From Ina's site) which introduces the work of this musician.

retrouver ce média sur www.ina.fr

Spirited away by Hayao Miyasaki

"Spirited Away" by the famous Japan director Hayao Miyasaki was released in 2002.
Spirited Away is a fantasy adventure with a ten year-old girl (Chihiro), which starts in a "contemporary" Japan but goes somewhere very different. Chihiro and her family find a mysterious tunnel and discove the Land of Spirits, inhabited by gods and monsters. This land is ruled by the greedy witch Yu-baba. Chihiro's parents are transformed into pigs. To rescue them, she must surrender her name and serve in this world. Luckily, she finds friends and allies. One of them is a handsome and mysterious boy named Haku.

Joe Hisaishi composed the soundtrack. It's not his firth contribution to a Miyasaki animated movie.
To my mind, both, they are able to transpose the perfect emotion. To create the musical soundscape for this phantasmagorical adventure, Joe Hitsaishi uses ancient Japanese modalities and percussion. This composer explores Westernized influences too ( String and piano, gentle woodwinds). The collection ends with a warm note: Youmi Kimura sings a neo baroque sonf called Always xith me. It's wonderful.

For me, Hisaishi has reinvented and refined an instrumental language that evoques perfectly the magic of fantastic Miyazaki's movies.

This composer is a fabulous player too. Listen this concert in live concert: Joe Hisaiki plays Summer's Day from Spirited Away. It will catch your senses...