Shostakovich: Odna (Alone) [Silent Film Score]
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Free Music Notes for Shostakovich: Odna (Alone) [Silent Film Score]
Free Music Review: Fascinating...
Hit: 4 Stars
This disc represents a fascinating work by the incomparable Dmitry Shostakovich. The music was written to be played during one of the Soviet Union's first "sound" movies (but pre-"talkies"), which makes it an interesting historical artifact as well.
Shostakovich's score runs the gamut of variety and emotion. He makes use of a wide variety of instruments, including a barrel organ and theremin. The thermin is an electronic instrument made famous by movies like "The Day the Earth Stood Still," but in all likelihood you have not heard it played as it is here. Here Shostakovich writes "real" music for the instrument, lifting it miles beyond its seemingly-random wailing in old SF movies. Its two minutes in the spotlight are uniquely beautiful and over far too soon. Another extremely unusual touch is the inclusion of an "overtone singer," or "throat singer," a deep male voice singing from deep in the throat. Like the theremin, this part lasts only a brief time and is not heard again. There are a number of lyrical themes as well, including the recurring "Kakaya horoyasha budet zhizn'" which (I will attest) can run through your head even if you don't speak Russian.
In addition to his unique orchestra, Shostakovich is adept at playing the listener's emotions. There are extremely joyful passages; furious, terrified passages; and everything in between.
This NAXOS presentation (the only one existing, I'm fairly certain) is, like everything of theirs, very high quality. The disc includes an informative booklet with information on the original movie, a blow-by-blow description of the storyline for each track, and translations of the Russian lyrics. The recording also includes a few recovered tracks which were not used in the movie itself.
I've thoroughly enjoyed this disc. Though it's not Shostakovich's best, the music is at many points quite good, and his use of unusual instruments is fascinating. And you needn't have seen the movie: you probably couldn't anyway, as Reel Six no longer seems to exist. This recording is (in many ways) all that's left of "Odna," and in all likelihood it was the best part anyway.
Free Music Review: Early Shostakovich Gem
Hit: 4 Stars
Known primarily for his symphonies and string quartets, Dmitri Shostakovich was also a prolific film composer, although the three-dozen soundtracks he wrote haven't received nearly as much attention as the rest of his output. Chandos has put out several CDs featuring excerpts from his various film scores, but to my knowledge, Naxos is the only label to release complete soundtracks. "Odna," a 1930 film about a young female teacher attempting to bring a remote village in line with Soviet orthodoxy, represents the composer's second score. It's a large-scale work for orchestra, choir and solo vocalists, and also features some unusual instrumentation in the form of barrel organ and theremin (the first use on film of this wonderful instrument). Shostakovich was beginning to find his compositional voice at this time, and his "Odna" score reflects his growing confidence and maturity. It also demonstrates his keen grasp of dramatics and ability to underline a wide variety of emotions. Early in the film his cues project na?ve optimism and sentimentality, but as the onscreen mood darkens, his score assumes a more introspective and mournful character. At all times Shostakovich's score is inventive, passionate and committed. He effectively conveys in musical terms the contrast between the modern, forward-looking young teacher and the backward, superstitious villagers with whom she must contend. Although the original soundtrack was destroyed during World War II, it was painstakingly reconstructed by the conductor Mark Fitz-Gerald, who leads the Frankfurt Radio Symphony on this world premiere recording. Naxos is to be commended for making available this historically and artistically important chapter in the composer's career.