The Tale of the Stone Flower (Prokofiev)


The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118, is Sergei Prokofiev's eighth and last ballet, written between 1948 and 1953. It is based on the Russian Ural folk tale The Stone Flower by Pavel Bazhov and is also the last of the trilogy of ballets Prokofiev wrote in the Russian ballet tradition. It was premiered posthumously in 1954, conducted by Yuri Fayer.

Numbers


;Prologue:
;Act I:
;Act II:

Instrumentation

The work is scored for an orchestra consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 french horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, and strings.

Premiere

12 February 1954, Bolshoi Theater, Moscow, conducted by Yuri Fayer. Choreography by Yuri Grigorovich. Dancers included Marina Kondratyeva, Марина Викторовнаill|Vladimir Preobrazhensky|ru|Преображенский, Владимир Алексеевичill|Gennadi Lediakh|ru|Ледях, Геннадий Васильевичill|Yuri Grigoriev|ru|Григорьев, Юрий Владимирович

Orchestral suites from ''The Tale of the Stone Flower''

As usual, Prokofiev extracted music from the ballet for concert performance.

''Wedding Suite'', Op. 126 (1951)

Available recordings:
OrchestraConductorRecord CompanyYear of RecordingFormat
Royal [Scottish National Orchestra]Neeme JärviChandos Records1989CD
Novosibirsk Philharmonic OrchestraArnold KatzRussian Season1997CD
Lahti Symphony OrchestraDima SlobodenioukBIS2020CD
USSR Radio/TV Large Symphony OrchestraGennady RozhdestvenskyMelodiyaLP

''Gypsy Fantasy'', Op. 127 (1951)

Available recordings:
OrchestraConductorRecord CompanyYear of RecordingFormat
Lahti Symphony OrchestraDima SlobodenioukBIS2020CD
Moscow Radio/TV Symphony OrchestraGennady RozhdestvenskyMelodiyaLP

''Urals Rhapsody'', Op. 128 (1951)

There are no available recordings.

''The Mistress of the Copper Mountain'', Op. 129

Available recordings:
OrchestraConductorRecord CompanyYear of RecordingFormat
Lahti Symphony OrchestraDima SlobodenioukBIS2020CD