Prokofiev: War and Peace.(2 CDs from 2 different opera companies)(Sound Recording Review)

[] Prokina, Bogachova, Borodina; Grigorian, Gergalov, Okhotnikov, Ognovenko, Gerello, Marusin; Orch. and Ch. of the Kirov Opera, Gergiev. Kultur DVD D2903, 250 mins.

[] Guryakova, Zaremba, Obraztsova; Brubaker, Gunn, Kotcherga, Zimnenko, Gerello, Margita; Orch. and Ch. of the Opera National de Paris, Bertini. TDK DVD DVUS-OPWP (Naxos, dist.), 210 mins., plus "bonus" documentary

More than half a century after its completion, Prokofiev's War and Peace finally seems to be getting the attention it deserves. There have been not only a number of recent productions around the world but the simultaneous appearance of two DVDs, one from the Kirov Opera, the other from Opera Bastille. The Russian performance, however, is the one from 1991 released some years ago on VHS, a minimalist production, consisting of simple, often abstract sets and attractive period costumes. A large painted tree serves as a backdrop to a pair of plain white flats, each providing sets of double doors through which the cast enters and exits. These movable walls work best when suggesting the various interiors of Part I; by the time we get to Part II, the novelty has worn off:, and the walls begin to look like a line of commercial storage bins, a look not helped by director Graham Vick's penchant for dull work-lighting in some spots. Still, the director has chosen to tell the story in a clear, straightforward manner, and the crowd scenes, in particular, are very effective. The ballroom scene in Part I is beautifully staged and splendidly danced--even Natasha and Andrei join in.

The Paris Opera production from 2000 is quite lavish by comparison. The sets in Part I are not elaborate, bur they are rich and colorful and immediately evoke the luxurious lifestyle of the Russian aristocracy. In Part II, the battle scenes are darkly vivid, with a striking use of color and light. Francesca Zambello has directed the splendid cast in a nicely detailed performance. The transitions between the scenes are smooth and imaginative. Her decision to have Natasha and Pierre embrace in the final scene is moving and dramatically satisfying, and it is certainly justified by the novel if not actually called for in the libretto.

Musically both productions are quite strong. Gergiev is one of the great Prokofiev interpreters of our time. He understands precisely how to pace this richly varied music, and the Kirov orchestra responds with playing of great color and, ...