In the Russian Imperial Palace during the reign of Tsar Paul I, a dalliance between two courtiers ends with a shriek, awakening the Tsar. Infuriated that he was roused with this shriek from his peaceful slumber, he calls on his officials to produce the culprit or face the dire consequences of his wrath. A slip of the pen while compiling a military duty roster introduces a fictitious character, Lieutenant Kiije. Fearing the repercussions of admitting there is no such person, the court makes up a story of the character’s life. Kiije was born, got married, and became a hero. However, when the Tsar demanded that he meet Lieutenant Kiije, the military held a funeral for the officer.
The story of Lieutenant Kiije, originally a novella by Yury Tynyanov, published in 1928, was brought to life on the silver screen in 1934 by director Aleksandr Faintsimmer. Prokofiev, commissioned to create the soundtrack, embarked on his first film project. The film premiered in Moscow on March 4, 1934, in Paris as Le Lieutenant Nantes, and in London under the title, The Tsar Wants to Sleep, soon after. The soundtrack, with its innovative use of music to enhance the narrative, quickly became one of Prokofiev’s most celebrated works, underscoring its cultural significance. Soon after the debut, Prokofiev received an invitation from the Moscow Radio Orchestra to write an orchestral suite based on the movie. Prokofiev completed the work on July 8, 1934, and the suite was published as Op. 60, premiered on December 7, 1934. The suite tells the life of Lieutenant Kiije in five distinct movements.
The Birth of Kiije
A solo cornet plays a mournful fanfare as an introduction to Kiije and his birth. A playful march follows the introduction with a piccolo and snare drum, followed by the brass and a passage by a tenor saxophone, an instrument that was very new to the orchestra at the time. The cornet finishes the movement with its fanfare, closing the playful youth of the fictional character’s life.
Romance
Perhaps showing Kiije growing up and falling in love, the second movement, based on the traditional song The Little Grey Dove is Cooing, features a range of instruments before giving way to a second theme with another tenor saxophone solo. This song also has an optional baritone voice part. The tune closes with The Little Grey Dove is Cooing with embellished birdsong.
Kiije’s Wedding
The day has arrived when Kiije gets married. With this grand occasion of the third movement, a grand and ceremonious melody starts signifying Kiije’s bride coming down the aisle and the ceremony itself. This pompous melody is followed by a celebration of many family members and well-wishers congratulating them, represented by a second theme played by a cheerful cornet solo and variations on the Kiije theme.
Troika
It is wintertime, and Kiije and his family are in a troika riding through the countryside. This occasion in the story is told in the fourth movement through a slow dissanant melody at first, followed by a theme with a quickened tempo and the sound of sleigh bells and a cheerful theme taken from an old Hussar (light cavalry unit) song, with an optional baritone part. This one also features the piano and pizzicato strings, indicating that it is indeed a fast journey by the three-horse sleigh. The ride ends with the slow, dissonant ending of the journey.
The Burial of Kijé
Sadly, Lieutenant Kiije was killed in battle. Once again represented by the solo cornet with the same theme as was in his birth, with the theme of The Little Grey Dove is Cooing representing his widow. This movement is a summary of his life and the solo cornet that ushers Kiije, now a general, into the afterlife.