Prokofiev: War and Peace (Blu-Ray)

Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Artists: Olga Kulchynska, Andrei Zhilikhovsky, Arsen Soghomonyan, Violeta Urmana, Olga Guryakova, Mischa Schelomianski, Bokhzod Davronov, Christina Bock, Oksana Volkova, Dmitry Ulyanov, Tómas Tómasson, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Bayerischer Staatsopernchor
Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski
Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Video Format: NTSC 16:9
Sound Format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD MA 5.1
Region: All Regions
Language: Russian
Subtitles: Russian, German, English, French, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean
Number of Discs: 1
Studio: Bayerische Staatsoper Recordings
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Run Time: 258 minutes

A colossal work that defies all boundaries: Prokofiev’s monumental setting of Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace. The story, set during Napoleon’s Russian campaign between 1809 and 1812, is condensed by the composer into a powerful sequence of scenes in which the love story between Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky alternates in striking contrast with the depiction of the Russian army’s battle against the French invasion – interwoven, yet deeply connected. With a wealth of magnificent themes and poignant moments, Prokofiev’s operatic masterpiece merges social drama and historical chronicle into a sweeping panorama. 

Dmitri Tcherniakov’s staging presents a gathering of people in a historically charged setting: the famous Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions in Moscow. Forced into an indefinite coexistence, they instinctively begin to embody characters, reenact conversations, scenes, and celebrations, as if drawing from a vast collective memory. What starts as an impromptu role-play soon turns into an emotional experience where the lines between assumed and genuine feelings blur. An outstanding ensemble performs under the musical direction of General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski.

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