War and Peace

The idea of reconstructing the original version of Prokofiev’s opera War and Peace resulted from the opportunities provided by Celtic-Cossack Connections: to collaborate in the performance of a work which neither of the two Conservatoires would be likely to tackle on their own, which needed the participation of native Russian singers, which would present a challenge, and which would make an international creative impact.

The opera has a long and tangled history: first conceived in the late 1930s, it was started in the months before the Second World War – which gave it contemporary relevance and political backing – and in its first form was completed in the spring of 1942. This initial version failed to find approval with the Soviet authorities, however, and the opera was subjected to continual revision in the eleven years until Prokofiev’s death in 1953. By this time it had grown to 13 scenes, lasting about four hours. It has been performed in many edited versions since then, but the original has remained amongst the composer’s manuscripts in Moscow.

No musical material has had to be invented for the reconstruction; the sections discarded in the revision process have been orchestrated, as far as possible in keeping with Prokofiev’s distinctive style. The outcome reveals a work much closer to the ideals of Tolstoy, with greater emphasis on the personal and intimate and less focus on the national and tableauesque.

The Opera was staged in January 2010 by a joint effort between the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and Scottish Opera. A student team managed this production mentored and supervised by the staff of Scottish Opera.

Creative Team

Director - Irena Brown

Set & Costume Designer - Chloe Lamford

LX Designer - Joanna Town

Production Manager - Andrew Storer (RSAMD), Darren Joyce (Scottish Opera)

Stage Management Mentor -

Stage Manager - Emma Whoriskey

Deputy Stage Manager - Kieron Johnson

Assistant Stage Managers -

Electrics Mentor - Stevie Powells

Production Electricians - Puleng Mabuya, Michella Fee

LX Board Op. -

LX Crew -

Technical Stage Mentor - Ben Howell

Technical Stage Manager - Louise Marr

Technical Stage Crew - Martin Aitken, Scott Bremner

Scene Break Down

Overture

Projection of film

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Ball

Scene 4

Bearskin

Scene 5

Attempted Kidnap

Scene 6

Declaration of war

INTERVAL

Scene 7

Battlefield

Scene 8

Napoleon

Scene 9

Moscow

Scene 10

Death of Andre

Scene 11

Scenic Elements

6 x Masking Pillars with Returns

Slider Wall

6 x Sliders

1.2m Steel Deck Platform

1.2m x 15m x 1.2m Trucked Steel Deck Section

Flown 1920's Projection Screen

8m Wooden Ramp

Flown Wooden Structure

Napoleons Tent

3 x 20 minute Snow Drop

Technical Solutions

6 x Masking Pillars with Returns

Slider Wall

6 x Sliders

1.2m Steel Deck Platform

1.2m x 15m x 1.2m Trucked Steel Deck Section

Flown 1920's Projection Screen

8m Wooden Ramp

Flown Wooden Structure

Napoleons Tent