Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a talented composer and concert pianist - though he was only too glad to present himself as an 'enfant terrible' at the piano. In 1918, after the Russian Revolution, he left his native country for Western Europe and the USA. He nevertheless always retained his Russian nationality. In 1933 he returned to the Soviet Union to work under what he called the yoke of socialist realism. His film music dates from this period. The films Sergei Eisenstein directed in the first few decades of the twentieth century are among the greatest masterpieces in the history of film. For several of these films - including 'Alexander Nevski' and 'Ivan the Terrible' - Prokofiev composed extremely dramatic and vivid film music which is the perfect complement to Eisenstein's enormously expressive imagery. The unique aspect of this concert by the Symphony Orchestra of La Monnaie is the renewal of the link between Prokofiev's music - performed live - and Eisenstein's original images. The composer and video filmmaker Thierry De Mey, in cooperation with the Brussels film archives, made a selection from the original films and synchronised the music and images.
To accompany this concert by the Symphony Orchestra of La Monnaie, the Film Museum will be showing two films by Sergei Eisenstein: 'Alexander Nevsky' (Thursday 16th September 2004 . 8 pm) and 'Ivan the Terrible' (Friday 17th September 2004 . Part 1 at 8 pm, part 2 at 10 pm). Those who have a ticket to the concert can watch the films free but should book at deSingel.
Bookings at deSingel box office: T +32 (0)3 248 28 28 .
For those who wish to see the films but have no ticket for the concert, tickets will be on sale only at the Film Museum on the day of the performance: T +32 (0)3 242 93 57.
The films will be shown at:
Film Museum/Photo Museum . Waalsekaai 47 . 2000 Antwerp