Seven, They Are Seven

Cantata by Sergei Prokofiev

Seven, They Are Seven (Russian: Семеро их) (op. 30) is a cantata by Sergei Prokofiev composed in 1917 for large orchestra, chorus, and dramatic tenor soloist. It was composed in Yessentuki and Kislovodsk, and the words are taken from the poem Ancient Calls (Зовы древности) by Konstantin Balmont.^[1] It was revised by Prokofiev in 1933.^[1]

The work was composed in the year that the Russian tsar, Nicholas II of Russia, was overthrown. This was followed by the Russian Civil War, and Seven, They Are Seven was not performed until 1924 in Paris, and was directed by Serge Koussevitzky.^[2] It was first performed in Russia in 1956, after Prokofiev had died.^[2]

The poem that the work was composed to is a Russian translation of a cuneiform in a Mesopotamian temple from the third millennium BC. It describes seven demonic gods who have power over the elements, and also describes the power of these gods.^[2] There is an English translation of this poem included in the 1982 poetry anthology "The Rattle Bag," edited by Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney [Faber, 1982].

Notes

^ ^a ^b San Francisco Symphony. "Sergei Sergeievich Prokofiev". Program notes. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ball, Timothy. "LSO/Gergiev – The Rite of Spring". Retrieved 2007-07-18.

Sergei Prokofiev

List of compositions

Operas

The Giant
Maddalena
The Gambler
The Love for Three Oranges
The Fiery Angel
Semyon Kotko
Betrothal in a Monastery
War and Peace
The Story of a Real Man

Ballets

Ala i Lolli
Chout
Trapèze
Le pas d'acier
Prodigal Son
On the Dnieper
Romeo and Juliet
Cinderella
The Tale of the Stone Flower

Symphonies

No. 1 in D major ("Classical")
No. 2 in D minor
No. 3 in C minor
No. 4 in C major
No. 5 in B♭ major
No. 6 in E♭ minor
No. 7 in C♯ minor

Concertos

Piano	No. 1 in D♭ major No. 2 in G minor No. 3 in C major No. 4 in B♭ major (left-hand) No. 5 in G major No. 6 (unfinished)
Other	Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor Cello Concerto in E minor Symphony-Concerto for Cello in E minor Cello Concertino in G minor (unfinished)

Orchestral works

Sinfonietta in A major (orig. & rev.)
Summer Night
Symphonic Song
Russian Overture
The Year 1941
Peter and the Wolf
Pushkin Waltzes
Waltz Suite

Film music

Alexander Nevsky
Ivan the Terrible
Lieutenant Kijé
The Queen of Spades

Vocal music

Alexander Nevsky
Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution
Flourish, Mighty Land
On Guard for Peace
Seven, They Are Seven
Songs of Our Days
Zdravitsa

Chamber music

Overture on Hebrew Themes
Quintet in G minor
Divertissement
String Quartet No. 1
String Quartet No. 2
Violin Sonata No. 1
Violin Sonata No. 2
Flute Sonata in D major
Cello Sonata in C major
Sonata for Two Violins in C major
Sonata for Solo Violin
Sonata for Solo Cello in C♯ minor

Piano music

Sonatas	No. 1 in F minor No. 2 in D minor No. 3 in A minor No. 4 in C minor No. 5 in C major (orig. & rev.) No. 6 in A major No. 7 in B♭ major No. 8 in B♭ major No. 9 in C major No. 10 (unfinished)
Other	Toccata in D minor Sarcasms Visions fugitives Tales of an Old Grandmother March and Scherzo from The Love for Three Oranges Three Pieces from War and Peace Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet Three Pieces & Six Pieces & Ten Pieces from Cinderella Fantasia on Scheherazade (1926)