Yevgeny Kutik & Anna Polonsky - The Death Of Juliet And Other Tales: Music Of Prokofiev (CD)

Release Date: 02/18/22

Violin music by Sergei Prokofiev and traditional Russian folk tunes

Yevgeny Kutik writes:
It was a particularly memorable violin lesson with my teacher, Roman Totenberg, as we worked on Sergei Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2. As the lesson concluded, he mentioned, 'You know, I once met Prokofiev.' For a second, I thought he was joking. I had never met someone who personally knew this legendary composer. Yet, it was true; my 91-year-old teacher stood as close to Prokofiev as he now stood to me.

In the years since that lesson, I've played lots of Prokofiev. The more I dive in, the more it becomes obvious that there exists a shining germ of commonality within all his music - folklore. Prokofiev had a near obsession with Russia's rich history of folklore and folktales. At times, it seems as though his scores are the soundtrack for a rich story filled with witches, czars, and magical creatures.

This album is meant to be a weaving of tales, a gossamer connecting Prokofiev's Solo Sonata for Violin, Sonata No. 2, Op. 94a, and the exquisite Parting Scene and Death of Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, to five Russian folk melodies I fell in love with as a child: Kalinka, Yablochka, V Pole Bereza Stoyala, Song of the Volga Boatmen, and V Lesu Rodilas Elochka - a beloved children's folk song synonymous with Christmas.