Prokofiev's Fifth is often called a «war symphony». Paavo Järvi understands it quite differently.
The premiere of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, conducted by the composer in Moscow on 13 January 1945, was a memorable event. Shortly before, the Soviet army had won a decisive victory, and the pianist Svyatoslav Richter reported how Prokofiev had already raised the baton when artillery salvos sounded: "He waited and only began when the guns had fallen silent. How much significance, symbolism resonated here." It is quite possible that these circumstances contributed to the symphony often being called a "war symphony". For Paavo Järvi, this is a misunderstanding: he hears numerous echoes of Prokofiev's ballet music in this work, "actually it's a Romeo and Juliet work".
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Paavo Järvi Music Director
Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B flat major op. 100
Recording from 21 and 22 September 2022 at the Tonhalle Zurich
Recording supported by the Elisabeth Weber-Stiftung
Concert supported by Mercedes-Benz Automobil AG
Here you can find more concert recordings of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
Translated with DeepL.com
