The new medium of film with sound was developing at around the time Prokofiev returned to the Soviet Union, where in 1933 he composed the music for his first film, Lieutenant Kijé. Prokofiev’s remarkable perception of the medium’s requirements was enhanced by his collaboration with Sergey Eisenstein on Alexander Nevsky. The music was of epic proportions and the resultant cantata remains one of Prokofiev’s most brilliantly conceived and popular works. Leonard Slatkin’s classic VOX recordings of these works have been praised for their ‘powerful and compelling performances’ (ClassicsToday.com).

Slatkin, a prolific recording artist for Naxos, his discography includes notable releases such as the St Louis Rachmaninov Symphony no.2, which has recently been reissued on VOXNX3013. In addition to his musical achievements, Slatkin is also a published author, having written three books: Conducting Business, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry, and his latest work from 2021, Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century.

Much admired 1977 and 1979 recordings supervised by producers Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz in audiophile sound. Alexander Nevsky was first released in 1977 as QCE 31098 and as a 3-vinyl set in 1981 (3-VCL 9004X), which includes Lieutenant Kijé.

The Elite Recordings for VOX by legendary producers Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz are considered by audiophiles to be amongst the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings.

‘This VOX set offers the best all-around collection of Prokofiev’s film music – that is, film scores Prokofiev later arranged as concert works. Leonard Slatkin proves a quite natural Prokofievian as he leads the St. Louis Symphony & Chorus in powerful and compelling performances of all three works.’ – ClassicsToday.com

‘His Alexander Nevsky, with its driving energy, first-rate orchestral playing, euphonious choral contributions, and heartfelt solo singing ranks among the best versions available. Lt. Kijé is also excellent…Slatkin’s is uniquely competitive through its inclusion of the sung text, beautifully rendered by bass Arnold Voketaitis.’ – ClassicsToday.com

‘The recording has a wide dynamic range and the battle sequence makes a fine climax.’ – New Penguin Guide