Talk:Alexander Nevsky (Prokofiev)

Prokofiev's alleged dig at Stravinsky

I'll just copy, paste, and slightly tweak what I had previously said in the talk section for Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms:

Added a dubious tag to the assertion that Prokofiev meant a dig at Stravinsky by using a handful of the same words purportedly taken from the Symphony of Psalms text. The problem with this assertion is that the words in question are not from the Symphony of Psalms, but from the Book of Psalms whose texts (including the very ones Stravinsky used and Prokofiev ostensibly appropriated for his gag) have been set by numerous composers over the centuries. Even if somehow this assertion were true and Prokofiev did mean for this to be an in-joke, are there any statements from the composer himself or his intimates which confirm this to be true? Stravinsky, at any rate, was a French citizen at the time Alexander Nevsky was being produced, had been profoundly influenced by French music, and left a lasting influence on future generations of French composers. How Teutonic could he really have been? The only "evidence" presented to back up this alleged in-joke are letters to The Musical Times from an individual who merely asserts the same also without evidence. If anybody can provide real persuasive evidence (such as documentation or statements by Prokofiev, Eisenstein, or the Nevsky production team) on this matter, then they need to be cited. That the BBC has "accepted" this claim is meaningless. It also would not be the first time that a trusted media outlet would be gullible enough to believe unfounded claims about composers. Without solid evidence to confirm it, this claim needs to be tossed out of the article. CurryTime7-24 (talk) 02:58, 4 January 2021 (UTC)