Prokofiev - Lieutenant Kijé Suite, Op. 60

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Lieutenant Kijé Suite, Op. 60 Composed in 1934; premiered in 1937 in Paris Performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Fritz Reiner (1888-1963) Recorded March 1957 at Orchestra Hall, Chicago 0:00 I. The Birth of Kijé 4:13 II. Romance 8:38 III. Kijé's Wedding 11:27 IV. Troika 14:06 V. The Burial of Kijé Sergei Prokofiev composed the Lieutenant Kijé Suite, Op. 60, in 1934, adapting his score from the 1934 Soviet satirical film Lieutenant Kijé, directed by Aleksandr Faintsimmer (1906-1982). Marking Prokofiev’s first venture into film music, the project was commissioned shortly before his return to the Soviet Union from self-imposed exile. Based on a story by Yuri Tynyanov (1894-1943), the satire poked fun at imperial bureaucracy through a fictional officer created by a clerical error whom nobody dares to admit does not exist. Prokofiev faced the challenge of translating a film soundtrack into a cohesive orchestral work. Rearranging the material into a five-movement suite for full orchestra, Prokofiev premiered the work in Paris on December 20, 1937. It quickly became one of his most popular and frequently performed works, celebrated for its witty melodies, lively orchestration, and memorable themes like the famous "Troika."