Songs of Our Days, Op. 76 (Russian: Песни наших дней), is a rarely performed cantata for mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, chorus and orchestra composed by Sergei Prokofiev in 1937, during the height of Stalin's regime. With rousing marches and text extolling (somewhat unrealistically) Russian virtues and Stalin's magnanimity, the work is composed in a much more approachable style than one would expect in Prokofiev's music during this period.
The total work contains eight songs:
- March - A Russian march for the full orchestra only.
- Over the Bridge, Cavalry Song - for the male chorus.
- Goodbye! - Solo baritone and chorus.
- Golden Ukraine, Folksong - Full chorus.
- Brother for Brother - Solo baritone and chorus.
- Girls - Solo baritone and chorus.
- A Twenty-year old - Solo baritone and chorus.
- Lullaby - Mezzo-soprano and Chorus.
- October Flame - Full orchestra and chorus.
The text contains many references to Stalin, and later on during the so-called 'Khrushchev thaw', all the references were removed from the text.
The work was first premiered in Europe with the original text by the Goldsmiths Sinfonia and Chorus in London, conducted by Alexander Ivashkin.
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Sergei Prokofiev
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| Operas |
- The Giant
- Maddalena
- The Gambler
- The Love for Three Oranges
- The Fiery Angel
- Semyon Kotko
- Betrothal in a Monastery
- War and Peace
- The Story of a Real Man
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| Ballets |
- Ala i Lolli
- Chout
- Trapeze
- Le pas d'acier
- The Prodigal Son
- On the Dnieper
- Romeo and Juliet
- Cinderella
- The Tale of the Stone Flower
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| Symphonies |
- Symphony No. 1 in D major ("Classical")
- Symphony No. 2 in D minor (orig & rev)
- Symphony No. 3 in C minor
- Symphony No. 4 in C major(orig & rev)
- Symphony No. 5 in B♭ major
- Symphony No. 6 in E♭ minor
- Symphony No. 7 in C♯ minor
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| Concertos |
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in D♭ major
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in B♭ major
- Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major
- Piano Concerto No. 6
- Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major
- Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor
- Cello Concerto in E minor
- Symphony-Concerto for Cello in E minor
- Cello Concertino in G minor
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| Orchestra works |
- Suites (3) from Romeo and Juliet
- Suites (3) from Cinderella
- Suites (4) from The Tale of the Stone Flower
- Scythian Suite from Ala i Loll
- Suite from Chout
- Suite from The Love for Three Oranges
- Suite from The Fiery Angel
- Suite from Le pas d'acier
- Suite from The Prodigal Son
- Suite from The Gambler
- Suite from On the Dnieper
- Suite from Lieutenant Kijé
- Suite from Semyon Kotko
- Sinfonietta in A major (orig & rev)
- Summer Night
- Symphonic Song
- The Year 1941
- Pushkin Waltzes
- Waltz Suite
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| Film music |
- Alexander Nevsky
- Ivan the Terrible
- Lieutenant Kijé
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| Vocal music |
- Peter and the Wolf
- Alexander Nevsky
- Cantata for 20th Anniv of October Revolution
- Flourish, Mighty Land
- Seven, They Are Seven
- Songs of Our Days
- Zdravitsa
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| Chamber music |
- Overture on Hebrew Themes
- Quintet in G minor
- String Quartet No. 1
- String Quartet No. 2
- Violin Sonata No. 1
- Violin Sonata No. 2
- Flute Sonata in D major
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| Piano music |
- Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor
- Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor
- Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor
- Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor
- Piano Sonata No. 5 in C major (orig & rev)
- Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major
- Piano Sonata No. 7 in B♭ major ("Stalingrad")
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in B♭ major
- Piano Sonata No. 9 in C major
- Piano Sonata No. 10
- Piano Sonata No. 11
- Toccata in D minor
- Visions fugitives
- March and Scherzo from The Love for Three Oranges
- Three Pieces from War and Peace
- Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet
- Three Pieces & Six Pieces & Ten Pieces from Cinderella
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| Related articles |
- List of compositions by Sergei Prokofiev
- Ballets Russes
- Sergei Diaghilev
- George Balanchine
- Sviatoslav Richter
- Mstislav Rostropovich
- Nikolai Myaskovsky
- Neoclassicism
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Portal:Classical music
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