Ballad of an Unknown Boy, Op. 93 (1943)

One of several wartime patriotic works by the composer, this cantata uses a poem by Pavel Antokolsky (1896–1973) which Prokofiev saw in the periodical Literature and Art while living in Tblisi, though he finished writing his work in Alma-Ata. It tells of a boy whose mother and sister are killed by the Nazis and who exacts revenge by blowing up a carload of German officers. Although his identity remains a mystery, his actions are an inspiration to others. It is one of several of Prokofiev’s works that feature or were intended for children, and this may have strengthened his bond with Eisenstein in whose films cruelty to children is a constant theme.

Prokofiev’s wartime works had mixed fortunes and the cantata was not one of his successes; its premiere on 21 February 1944 was the only performance during his lifetime. It was criticised both in private and in public: Myaskovsky felt it lacked melody, while for Shostakovich it was too episodic (ironically its Nazi march is as repetitive as that in Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony). But these were the inevitable results of Prokofiev’s approach; the vocal line is more declamatory than melodic and he chose to illustrate the words quite closely, an approach that is comparable to film work. But following Antokolsky’s fast-moving text made it difficult to build a larger structure, and rather it is a series of colourful scenes. After its single outing Prokofiev noted: ‘The Boy, I’m sorry to say, has been trampled to death.

© 2003 John Riley