Prokofieff, Serge

War and Peace (1941/52)

Duration: 230 minutes
Lyric-dramatic scenes

Libretto by the composer and Mira Mendelson, after the novel by Tolstoy (R,E)

Scoring
lyrdramS,S,lowS,6M,4C,dramT,T,2highT,comicT,lowT,T(or Bar),hBar,hBar (or B),6Bar,2Bar(or B),3BBar,3hB,10B,lowB,2speakers,6silent roles; chorus 2.picc.2.corA.2.bcl.2.dbn-4.3.3.1-timp.perc:tgl/wooden dr/tamb/SD/ BD/cyms/tam-t/glsp/xyl-harp-strings This work is represented by Boosey & Hawkes in the UK, British Commonwealth (excluding Canada), Republic of Ireland, mainland China, Korea and Taiwan.
Abbreviations (PDF).

Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the UK, the countries of the Commonwealth (excluding Canada), Republic of Ireland, mainland China, Korea and Taiwan.

World premiere incomplete
6/7/1945
Moscow
Conductor: Samuil Samosud
Company: USSR State Symphony Orchestra



World premiere complete
11/8/1957
Moscow
Conductor: Alexander Sharverdov
Company: Stanislavsky Opera Theatre



World stage premiere
6/12/1946
Leningrad
Conductor: Samuil Samosud
Company: Maly Opera Theatre



World premiere of version
4/1/1955
Leningrad
Conductor: Eduard Grikurov
Company: Leningrad State Academy Maly Opera Theatre

Roles

PRINCE ANDREI BOLKONSKY	Baritone
NATALYA ROSTOVA (NATASHA)	Soprano
SONYA, Natasha's cousin	Mezzo-Soprano
MARIA DMITRIEVNA AKHROSIMOVA	Contralto
COUNT ILYA ROSTOV, Natasha's father	Bass
COUNT PYOTR BEZUKHOV (PIERRE)	Tenor
HELENE BEZUKHOVA, his wife	Mezzo-Soprano
PRINCE ANATOL KURYAGIN, her brother	Tenor
FEDYA DOLOKHOV, an officer	Baritone
COLONEL VASSKA DENISOV	Baritone
FIELD-MARSHAL PRINCE MIKHAIL KUTUZOV	Bass
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE	Baritone
PLATON KARATAEV, an old soldier	Tenor
THE HOST	Tenor
HIS MAJOR-DOMO	Tenor
MADAME PERONSKAYA	Soprano
THE TSAR	Silent
PRINCE NIKOLAI BOLKONSKY, Andrei's father	Bass-Baritone
HIS MAJOR-DOMO	Baritone
AN OLD VALET	Baritone
A HOUSEMAID	Soprano
PRINCESS MARYA BOLKONSKAYA, Andrei's sister	Mezzo-Soprano
BALAGA, a troika driver	Bass
MATRIOSHA, a gypsy	Mezzo-Soprano
DUNYASHA, Natasha's maid	Soprano
GAVRILA, Akhrosimova's butler	Bass
METIVIER, a French doctor	Baritone
A FRENCH ABBE	Tenor
TIKHON SHERBATSKY, a partisan	Baritone
VASILISA	Mezzo-Soprano
FYODOR, a partisan	Tenor
MATVEYEV, a Muscovite	Baritone
TWO PRUSSIAN GENERALS	Speaking roles
PRINCE ANDREI'S ORDERLY	Tenor
TWO RUSSIAN GENERALS	Speaking roles
KAIZAROV, aide-de-Camp to Kutuzov	Tenor
ADJUTANT TO GENERAL COMPANS	Tenor
ADJUTANT TO MARSHAL MURAT	Treble
MARSHAL BERTHIER	Baritone
MARQUIS DE CAULAINCOURT	Silent role
GENERAL BELLIARD	Baritone
ADJUTANT TO PRINCE EUGENE	Tenor
AIDE-DE-CAMP TO NAPOLEON	Bass
OFF-STAGE ORDERLY	Tenor
MONSIEUR DE BEAUSSET	Tenor
GENERAL BENNIGSEN	Bass
PRINCE MIKHAIL BARCLAY DE TOLLY	Tenor
GENERAL YERMOLOV	Baritone
GENERAL KONOVNITSIN	Tenor
GENERAL RAYEVSKY	Baritone
CAPTAIN RAMBALLE	Bass
LIEUTENANT BONNET	Tenor
IVANOV, a Muscovite	Tenor
CAPTAIN JACQUEAU	Bass
MARSHAL BERTHIER'S ADJUTANT	Tenor
MAVRA KUSMINICHNA, the Rostovs' housekeeper	Contralto
MARSHAL DAVOUT	Bass
A FRENCH OFFICER	Baritone
THREE MADMEN	Tenor, Baritone, Actor
TWO FRENCH ACTRESSES	Sopranos

Time and Place
Russia - Otradnoye, St Petersburg, Moscow, Borodino, Fili, near Smolensk, 1806-12

Synopsis

In 1809, the world-weary Prince Andrei Bolkonsky encounters the youthful Natasha Rostova, first in the country, then at a ball in St Petersburg. Enchanted, he asks for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately Natasha has also aroused the curiosity of the dissolute Anatol Kuragin. Old Prince Bolkonsky opposes his son’s marriage, on account of Natasha’s family’s poverty and low rank. Natasha is left humiliated and lonely. Anatol and his devious sister Hélène trick Natasha into believing that Anatol is in love with her. Staying with an elderly friend of the family in Moscow, she foolishly agrees to elope with Anatol and is only saved when the plan is betrayed by her cousin Sonia. The gentle Pierre Bezukhov, long-suffering husband of Hélène and close friend of Prince Andrei, explains to Natasha that Anatol is in fact married and that he himself is in love with her but, in despair, Natasha attempts suicide. Pierre forces Anatol to hand over incriminating letters and tells him to leave Moscow at once. News arrives of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. It is August 1812 and the Russian army under Field-Marshal Kutuzov is preparing to defend Moscow at the battle of Borodino. Andrei laments the waste of his life and especially the loss of Natasha. Pierre suspects that Andrei may not survive the battle. Napoleon is observed exulting in the conquest of Russia, but becomes nervous as the battle fortunes shift. Kutuzov urges the Russians to abandon Moscow, leaving it open to being sacked by the French. In the mayhem, Pierre is among those captured by the French. The mortally wounded Andrei is rescued by the Rostov family and is reconciled to Natasha, before death claims him. As the French retreat over the wintry countryside, Pierre and the other prisoners are freed by the liberating forces of Russia.

Moods
Dramatic

Subjects
History, Relationships, Society, Literary

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