Alexander Nevsky Cantata, Performance Video

In January 2018, the Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra presented, for the first time, an all-Russian repertoire. In the first half of the program, the orchestra played selections from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet; the chorus sang three movements from Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil.

In the second half, we performed the stirring Alexander Nevskyt Cantata by Sergei Prokofiev, based on his score for Eisenstein’s epic 1938 film Alexander Nevsky. We showed the film’s famous “Battle of the Ice” scene just after intermission, followed by a performance of the full cantata.

Our featured soloist for Alexander Nevsky was mezzo-soprano Emily Skilling, who was selected from BCCO’s first national vocal soloist competition for aspiring young singers.