86-88 Eisenstein: The Sound Years

[MichaelB]

It was notoriously poorly recorded thanks to Prokofiev experimenting with a microphone technique that didn’t really work, and a Stalin-imposed deadline. So it’s never going to sound great.

[unclehulot]

Both Ivan films had legit original soundtracks in the DVD boxed set, only Nevsky was altered (poorly).

Now, for whatever reason, both Ivan films in the new versions (on FilmStruck) are extensively overdubbed with re-recorded music tracks, and even re-recorded dialog. I don’t know when these would have been done, but seeing that Ivan Pt. 2 came out in the 50s with a track that sounded very similar to the original Pt. 1, it sounds like something more modern, which doesn’t match the original style of musical performance. Listen to the DVD of Ivan Pt. 2 and compare the voiceover narration recapping Pt. 1. It’s a different actor! This is because the entire music track is redone for that sequence. I might add, there’s a horrible trumpet clinker in that redone version which reappears EVERY time that music is reprised!

Nevsky, in this 2015 version on Filmstruck and TCM is pretty much the original track. The music track is left as is, but there are some foley effects that have been crudely “updated”, which I find distracting. The fact that it is poorly recorded in the first place (agreed) shouldn’t mean that we are to accept altered tracks and throw out the originals. IF that’s the way they want to go, at least give us 2 audio tracks. I have no problem with an alternate such as the Temirkanov conducted modern recording once issued on a BMG LaserDisc, as long as the original is included.

My guess is that the Russian restoration team has done these sonic alterations and that it’s very likely they will be released to BluRay eventually with no knowledge (and not sharp enough ears or memories) that this has been done. Listen to the awful Ruscico 5.1 tracks on many older films. SOMETIMES we get the original mono, but those redos are awful. Thankfully, the Eisenstein tracks are at least left in mono, but this is a similar type of philosophy of restoration.

Obviously I’m bothered more than some folks (I’m a musician by profession). This is worse than the awful foley dubs in Vertigo for the DVD release, which thankfully were dialed back for the Bluray era release. Disney threw out ALL of Deems Taylor’s original narration because some of it was missing for restored sequences. That’s a poor choice, but....it’s Disney, so it’s almost expected. If this becomes what Janus/Criterion accepts, I’m bothered.

[whaleallright]

and a Stalin-imposed deadline.

Wasn't the story with Nevsky that Stalin was shown what was essentially a rough cut, and said he loved it, and noone at that point dared to make significant changes after he had already approved?

[knives]

I think it was just a recording of the score, but certainly something like that.

[unclehulot]

I think it was just a recording of the score, but certainly something like that.

I seem to remember there was one reel left out by mistake when it was shown for Stalin, and they didn’t dare include it for the release.


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[whaleallright]

OK, from that always-authoritative source, Wikipedia

While shooting the film, Eisenstein published an article in the official newspaper of record Izvestia entitled "Alexander Nevsky and the Rout of the Germans". He drew a specific parallel between Nevsky and Stalin. As a result, the Kremlin requested an advance screening and, without Eisenstein being consulted, his assistants showed the footage to the dictator. During the process of this screening, one of the reels, which featured a scene depicting a brawl among the populace of Novgorod, disappeared. Whether it was left behind in the editing room inadvertently or whether Stalin saw the footage and objected to it, the filmmakers decided to destroy the reel permanently, since it had not received Stalin's explicit approval.

(but seriously, it's traced back to J. Hoberman's commentary on the Criterion DVD. Hoberman's good, but I guess I'd want to hear from a Russian-speaking Eisenstein expert to get the full story.)

[andyli]

Bach Films is releasing Nevsky and Ivan on blu-ray this April.

[dda1996a]

I don't don't know French but the running time for Ivan implies only one part is coming out?

[ianthemovie]

I wonder if it's possible Criterion would include both the original and "restored" soundtracks as options for Ivan. The Blu-ray version of Vertigo includes the original mono as well as the late-90s remix, doesn't it?

[hamipai00]

I don't don't know French but the running time for Ivan implies only one part is coming out?

The listing on Amazon France is incorrect. According to Bach's own site the two-disc set includes both films and the total running time is 176 minutes. Sadly, it will only have French subs.