Prokofiev: The Volga Meets the Don. First LP recording. (1957) (Mono)

This was among the last orchestral compositions Prokofiev completed (1951). The composition was written to mark the completion of the 101 km Volga-Don Canal - a major engineering feat by the Soviet Union. The canal connected two major rivers in the then USSR. It is part of a waterway system that allowed for boats to travel from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea. The composition (a tone poem) has many of the hallmarks of Prokofiev's other works, although the celebratory nature of the piece keeps it lighter and less layered than his masterpieces. According to the record jacket, this release the first time the piece was available on record. It had been premiered on the air by the same conductor and orchestra in Feb. 1952. Some commentators have suggested the performance heard here was recorded at the time of the broadcast. The recording quality is quite poor, not unusual for music recorded in the USSR in the 1950s. However, I posted this despite the sound quality, as it is one of the lesser known and played Prokofiev works. I had never heard it until I picked up this LP at a thrift store. Details Album title: Kabalevsky: Symphony No.4/Prokofiev: The Volga Meets the Don Released by: Monitor Records. (MC2007) Year released: 1957 Orchestra: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Samuel Samosud