Prince Igor (1969 film)

Prince Igor (Russian: Князь Игорь, romanized: Knyaz Igor is a screen version of the eponymous opera by Alexander Borodin based on the epic poem "The Lay of Igor's Host". The film was directed by Roman Tikhomirov, and shot at the Lenfilm Studios in 1969.^[1]

Prince Igor
Directed by	Roman Tikhomirov
Screenplay by	Isaac Glikman Roman Tikhomirov
Based on	Prince Igor
Starring	Boris Khmelnitsky Nellie Pshyonnaya Boris Tokarev Bimbolat Vatayev Alexander Slastin
Cinematography	Alexander Chirov
Music by	Alexander Borodin
Production company	Lenfilm
Release date	1969 (1969)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	USSR
Language	Russian

Synopsis

The film, which is set in the 12th century, follows Prince Igor's campaign against the Polovtsians.

Reception

The New York Times noted that although "as a movie, “Prince Igor” naturally is not standard screen fare", "it entertainingly succeeds in avoiding the static, stagy look of many previously filmed operas."^[2]

The singing and the dancing were also praised. Harlow Robinson in the Opera Quarterly: "The vocal cast contains two real stars—Nesterenko (Khan Konchak) and Milashkina (Yaroslavna)—both of whom turn in soulful, resonant performances that shine through the less than ideal sound quality. That same high performance level is maintained by the rest of the cast. "^[3]