Sergei Prokofiev - Op.20 Scythian Suite (1914-5) (Score, Analysis)

«Ала и Лоллий», скифская сюита для большого оркестра/”Ala i Lolli”, Scythian Suite for grand orchestra
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Сергей Сергеевич Прокофьев/Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev) (1891-1953) was a Russian/Soviet composer, pianist, and conductor. His works range from piano sonatas to operas, and he is regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century.
In 1914, Diaghilev was interested in involving Prokofiev for his Ballet Russes. He rejected Prokofiev’s opera “The Gamblers” and commissioned the ballet “Ala i Lolli”. The libretto was by Sergey Gorodetsky based on ancient Slavic mythology in addition to Scythian hero Lolli. However, when Diaghilev met Prokofiev in Rome in 1915, he did not accept the ballet, and the ballet was left uncompleted from there.
So, Prokofiev reworked the incomplete ballet into this suite. The premiere was conducted by the composer in Petrograd at the Mariinsky Theatre on 15 January 1916. While the composer himself and his composer friends like Myaskovsky regarded this work as the most significant orchestral work of Prokofiev, the audience reacted extremely harshly, even more than the second piano concerto which already caused a scandal.
(0:00) No.1 Поклонение Велесу и Але/Invocation to Veles and Ala - From the first measures, the dense textures (as well as harsh dissonance) and “barbaric” feeling remind us of the Rite of Spring.
(1:54) The music cools down, to a bit of mystical feeling, with the melody focused around the woodwinds.
(4:50) Horns, then strings takes the main role
(6:22) No.2 Чужбог и пляска нечисти/The Evil God and the Dance of the Pagan Monsters - Scythians make a sacrifice to Ala, daughter of Veles, the Evil God performs a violent dance surrounded by seven monsters. I think the mood/texture and idea is quite reminiscent of the infernal dance from Firebird.
(7:12) Middle section, with tense mood and irregular rhythms.
(8:32) Climax
(8:57) Outer section/coda, with the dance more violent than before.
(9:16) No.3 Ночь/Night - The wounded Ala lies down and the Moon Maidens descend to console her.
(10:17) Like in here, this movement is categorized with a “veiled” texture.
(12:35) The music starts to gain momentum here
(12:57) To culminate in here
(13:25) Gradual cool-down
(15:03) No.4 Поход Лоллия и шествие Солнца/The Glorious Departure of Lolli and the Cortège of the Sun - The hero (Lolli) saves Ala, and the Sun God assists him in defeating the Evil God.
(15:43) A bit ironic section, followed by battle-like sections
(18:13) The depiction of sunrise.
(18:53) Culmination
(19:39) Final climax
Source: English/Russian Wikipedia, original research
Recording by Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton
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