SHOSTAKOVICH FILM SERIES, Vol. 2: ALONE
Music from the Film Alone

Byelorussian Radio and TV
Symphony Orchestra
Minsk Chamber Choir
Walter Mnatsakanov, conductor

(re-release from Russian Disc)

Total Playing Time: 71:27

Music from the film “Alone” is the second in the highly successful Shostakovich Film Music series, which originally appeared on Russian Disc, and is now being re-released by Delos.

Annotator Maya Pritsker points out that in this score “some of the episodes are quite lengthy and display a truly symphonic development and brilliant use of orchestral resources…We have here an excellent piece of film music, created by the composer in his youthful prime when he was excited at working in a new field…” One of the scenes is reminiscent of “the tragic orchestral interludes of the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District,” which Shostakovich completed shortly after the film Alone was released.

Shostakovich is regarded as a pioneer of Soviet film music, and wrote scores for 30 films between 1929 and 1971. Pritsker observes that in every one of his film scores, Shostakovich “remained a great symphonist, dedicated mostly to the dramatic and expressive… He preferred recreating and evoking emotions to merely making colorful sound pictures.”

Contents: Music from the Film Alone, Op. 26 (1930-31): Seven Suites, corresponding to the seven parts of the film • 29 tracks

Make sure to check out Shostakovich Film Series, Vol. 1.