Background
Ever since Prokofiev returned to the Soviet Union, he was viewed as a suspect in the eyes of the Stalinist regime and was under scrutiny. Numerous Soviet artists had already been arrested or even executed for creating art that was deemed too 'formalistic' by Soviet officials. Indeed, when Prokofiev collaborated with theatre director Vsevolod Meyerhold for his opera Semyon Kotko, the opera's premiere was postponed due to Meyerhold being arrested on 20 June 1939. Meyerhold was executed on 2 February 1940. A few months after Meyerhold's arrest, Prokofiev was invited to write Zdravitsa to celebrate Joseph Stalin's 60th birthday.
Zdravitsa, in Prokofiev's broad, lyrical vein, contains music that would certainly have fit into his ballet Romeo and Juliet. However, the work is not as frequently played due to its pro-Stalinist sentiments. The quirky harmonies and rhythms in the quicker parts of the cantata makes one wonder about Prokofiev's sincerity in praising the Communist leader. Regardless of Prokofiev's true political feelings, this cantata, along with many other neglected political works (e.g. Flourish, Mighty Land and The Meeting of the Volga and the Don), contains much first-rate Prokofiev which deserves to be played more often.
Lasting around 15 minutes, the cantata is in one continuous movement. The lyrics are collected from folk-political songs.
Read more about this topic: Zdravitsa (Prokofiev)
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