Aram Khachaturian - Suite from the Film “Battle of Stalingrad” (1951) (Score, Analysis)

Սյուիտ «Ստալինգրադյան ճակատամարտ» կինոֆիլմի երաժշտությունից/Сюита из музыки к фильму «Сталинградская битва»/Suite from the music for the film “Battle of Stalingrad”
Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (Արամ Եղիայի Խաչատրյան (Aram Yeghiayi Khach’atryan) /Арам Ильич Хачатурян (Aram Il’ich Khachaturyan) (1903-78) was an Armenian/Soviet composer who blended elements of his native Armenian music with modern harmonies. He wrote music of various genres, and he is best known for his concertos and ballet music.
This is a concert suite arranged from the film from 1949, directed by V. Petrov. It was one of the propaganda films from the years of Zhdanovshchina.
(0:00) No.1 Город на Волге/A City on the Volga - A description of peaceful life at Stalingrad, starting with the key theme (probably the motif for the city itself)
(0:38) A motif for the Volga river.
(1:35) City motif
(2:17) No.2 Нашествие/The Invasion - A “bragging” Nazi fanfare, according to the foreword from Collected Works.
(2:56) We can see some of the dissonant/militaristic style suggestive of Spartacus here.
(3:42) Initial march returns
(4:08) March II
(5:17) No.3 Сталинград в огне/Stalingrad in Flames - “A dramatic picture of a city suffocating in a barbaric siege, perishing children, weeping mothers”. I mean, the melodic sounds really like some sections from Spartacus.
(6:24) Chromaticism
(7:03) Climax
(8:01) A new, lyrical section with a solemn (but distinctly Russian) mood. I also thought it is a bit similar to the “Volga” motif
(9:01) Climax
(9:20) No.4 Враг обречен/The Enemy is doomed - The image is of a sympathy for “a German soldier sent to his death by a crazy general”. It is mostly focused around strings, with desperate and solemn mood.
(14:36) Nazi motif comes on briefly.
(16:53) No.5 В бой за Родину/For Our Motherland - to the Attack! - The offensive starts. It starts with the depiction of the night before the attack…
(17:55) And the attack itself
(20:03) No.6 Вечная слава героям/Eternal Glory to the Heroes - This part is like a requiem for the fallen soldiers, and I find it quite similar to the initial version of the Requiem section of Spartacus.
(23:33) No.7 Вперед, к победе/Forward to Victory! - Another march, but more victorious.
(24:42) March II
(25:17) March
(25:58) Trio - However, the recapitulation of the march doesn’t happen.
(27:43) No.8 Есть на Волге утёс/There is a Rock on the Volga - You would notice the “Volga” motif from the first movement, now full of glory.
Source: English Wikipedia, original research, Собрание сочинений в двадцати четырех томах, Москва : Издательство "Музыка" (1982-1991) Vol.5
Recording by Adriano, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
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