Ep. 29: A Figment of the Imagination – Prokofiev and Lieutenant Kijé

Yury Tynyanov’s fictitious adaptation of a non-existent lieutenant who rises through the ranks of a true historical emperor of Russia was brilliantly adapted for film by the Soviet film director Aleksandr Faintsimmer. Today, this film, Lieutenant Kijé, has fallen to the wayside, but composer Sergei Prokofiev’s ingenious score for the film has certainly persisted and remains as one of the most popular concert suites performed in concerts today.